Nyu Plans Anwar Sadat Chair

Plans by New York University to create an Anwar Sadat Chair in Diplomacy in the name of the late President of Egypt were announced by Dr. John Brademas, president of NYU. Brademas spoke at a convocation marking the 25th anniversary of the Fulbright educational exchange program in Israel. The event was held here Tuesday at the Van Lear Jerusalem Foundation.

“The creation of the Anwar El-Sadat Professorship would honor the historic initiative which President Sadat took in journeying to Jerusalem in the cause of peace,” Brademas told the Israeli and American scholars, educators and diplomats attending the convocation. “The professorship would be devoted to the study of how nations can resolve their differences by negotiations rather than war and provide deeper insight into major diplomatic issues of our times.”

The chair would be based at New York University, but Sadat Professors would give lectures and conduct symposia at universities in both Israel and Egypt as well as New York City. Brademas said the university would invite distinguished statesmen and scholars, both from the United States and abroad, to occupy the chair. He said he will discuss the Sadat Chair with Israeli educational leaders and with educational leaders in Egypt which he will visit next week.

Brademas, a member of the U.S. Congress for 22 years and principal sponsor of the 1966 International Education Act, saluted the accomplishments of Americans and Israelis who have already studied in each other’s colleges and universities under the Fulbright program.

“These exchanges,” he said, “have provided vast benefits to the Fulbright Fellows as well as to both our countries.” He pointed out that among the ranks of Israeli Fulbright scholars are a Supreme Court Justice, two undersecretaries in Cabinet ministries, the chairman of the advisory council of the Bank of Israel and dozens of Israeli university deans and administrators.

Brademas concluded by citing NYU programs that involve Israel, including: an institute of Hebraic and Judaic studies, the Hagop Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern studies; a joint program between NYU’s Graduate School of Business Administration and the Recanate Graduate School of Business Administration of Tel Aviv University; and an exchange program between the NYU Medical School and the Sackler School of Medicine at Tel Aviv University, the Tel Hashomer Hospital and Barsheba Medical Center in Jerusalem.

New York University also co-sponsors the Administrative Staff College of Israel with Israel’s Civil Service Commission.