Despite recent tensions between the United States and some Middle Eastern countries, many of the Arab countries around the Persian Gulf are trying to attract American universities to build branch campuses in the region.

Within the past few years, the oil-rich emirate of Qatar has spared little expense in its attempt to lure the staff and resources of American schools within its borders. Qatar has already convinced the likes of Virginia Commonwealth University and the Ivy League Medical School of Cornell University to offer the same educational opportunities to students in Qatar.

Paul Petrie, an associate dean who is in charge of VCU’s program in Qatar’s capital city of Doha, said the country was very eager in its pursuit of the American university. He said once VCU looked at what Qatar was offering, which included $50 million, the school was more than happy to build a design-school campus in Doha in 1998.

Petrie also said that while there might be some hostility in the Middle East toward the United States, especially since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, VCU thinks it is very important to offer education in Qatar.

“Is there a risk involved there? Probably, yes,” Petrie said. “But, I think the risk of not being there is even more so.”

Antonio M. Gotto, the dean of Cornell University’s Weill Medical College in Qatar, said he too feels a great need for education in Qatar. He said many people in Qatar felt they needed to leave the country in order to receive a quality education.

Gotto said this was why Qatari officials were so passionate about getting facilities built there. He said they were willing to give a large sum of money for this opportunity. But Gotto said Cornell is not simply in it for the money.

“We would not have gone forward if we didn’t think it fit in with our vision of the globalization of medicine and if we didn’t think we could make a significant contribution in an important part of the world,” Gotto said. “But we also wouldn’t have done it if it put Cornell at financial risk.”

Gotto also said he thinks it might be unsafe for American universities to build campuses in some of the other Arab countries of the region but that Qatar is particularly safe.

Petrie agreed and said the faculty at VCU’s Doha campus has felt extremely safe, even since last year’s terrorist attacks. He said after the Sept. 11 attacks, VCU offered anybody who might have felt uncomfortable the opportunity to come home. He also noted that no one took the university up on the offer.

Petrie said while many of the Arab traditions that exclude women from certain opportunities do exist in Qatar, for the most part the country is very progressive in its stance toward women. He said half of VCU’s staff in Doha is women and that they have encountered no discrimination at all.

“Our folks have been very well received,” Petrie said.

Qatar, however, is not the only Middle Eastern country that is now trying to attract foreign universities to build campuses inside its borders.

Just last week the parliament of Iran approved legislation to allow the first foreign schools inside the country since the Islamic revolution of 1979. The bill is now under review by the Council of Guardians who will, under Iranian law, decide whether or not the measure violates Islamic principles.

Despite the historical tension between the government of Iran and the United States, this bill would not exclude American universities.