CU strengthens bonds with Qatar, poised to host 2022 World Cup

University News – CU Denver Today

A University of Colorado Denver delegation’s trip to Qatar to strengthen bonds and open doors to new opportunities proved very successful. It left university leaders, including CU President Bruce D. Benson and First Lady Marcy Benson, with a strong feeling that the best of the relationships are yet to come.
The CU delegation met with Qatari leaders and alumni, and even enjoyed a safari and dinner under the stars.
In Qatar, Prime Minister Abdulla Bin Nasser Bin Khalifa Al Thani, right, greets CU Denver Chancellor Dorothy Horrell, CU President Bruce D. Benson and CU First Lady Marcy Benson.“They were honored to have us, and the fact that President Benson and Marcy came along was a real sign of friendship and commitment from this university,” said CU Denver Chancellor Dorothy Horrell. “My goal for the trip was to deepen our relationships and explore new opportunities, and I came away feeling we were enormously successful.”
For Chancellor Horrell, the word that best encapsulated the visit was “abundance.” “We experienced an abundance of hospitality and an abundance of regard for our relationship – that in so many ways we are much more alike than we are different,” she said.
The CU delegation – which included John Sunnygard, CU Denver Executive Director of International Affairs, and Andrea Wagner, Vice Chancellor of Advancement – was honored to have an audience with His Excellency Prime Minister Abdulla Bin Nasser Bin Khalifa Al Thani, whose son Sheikh Nasser Al Thani graduated in Business Management from CU Denver last May. President Benson met with HE Al Thani at his Ministry of Interior office in Doha.
Remarkable experience
Qatari Prime Minister Abdulla Bin Nasser Bin Khalifa Al Thani greets CU President Bruce D. Benson in Al Thani’s Ministry of Interior office.The hospitality shown through the Prime Minister’s office was top-notch, Sunnygard said. “In addition to His Excellency ...

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