American think-tank Brookings will exert pressure on the policy advisers of the next US president to push forward "The Doha Compact", a Brookings project on US relations with the Islamic World. “The next US administration, be it Democratic or Republican, must make it an urgent priority to set this complicated relationship on a better path,” said Stephen R Grand, Director, Brookings Project on US with the Islamic World, at a round table discussion with media here yesterday. The project is the outcome of a series of brainstorming sessions held at 5th annual US-Islamic World Forum, jointly hosted by the Brookings Institution and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar in 2008. Grand said that some specific recommendations have emerged out of the discussions. They include that the US must change its foreign policy and it should live up to the values for which it has long been admired around he world, the country must understand the Muslim World better and the importance of higher investment in education. “The Doha Compact” wants the next American president to travel to the region early in his term, meeting not only with leaders, but also engaging in dialogue with ordinary people. And he should pledge to adopt a new policy of listening to the concerns of the Muslim world. The US should be a partner in helping create indigenous educational institutions in the Muslim world capable of providing world-class education to their citizens. Many countries, including Qatar, have begun to address the gap by hiring top-rate universities in the US to set up campuses locally. These efforts should be broadened, ensure that local universities are also strengthened and the benefits flow to more than just a select few, he said. The Pen

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