Negotiations to open a Northwestern campus in the Persian Gulf country of Qatar are continuing, said Al Cubbage, the vice president of university relations.

Despite initial indications that the campus might be ready by Fall Quarter, Cubbage said progress would require more time.

“If we are able to finalize the contract, school probably would begin in 2008, in January,” Cubbage said, adding that “there’s not even knowledge that a contract will be signed,” and no timeline exists for such a signing.

To secure funding for the campus, NU is negotiating with the Qatar Foundation, a private, nonprofit organization that has already funded campuses in the country for five other schools: Carnegie Mellon, Cornell, Georgetown, Texas A&M and Virginia Commonwealth universities.

“They need to decide on all aspects that go into any academic institution, everything from academic offerings to staffing, costs and budget,” Cubbage said.

University President Henry Bienen told The Daily in April that NU was proposing a 40-student journalism and communication school, for which all costs would be “reimbursed plus” by the Qatar Foundation.

“There are no negatives for the university financially. There are only positives financially,” Bienen said in April.

Though it is private, the Qatar Foundation was founded by the country’s Emir, or head of state, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani. His wife is the Qatar Foundation’s chairperson.

Qatar is the richest Muslim country and boasts one of the fastest-growing economies in the world because of the country’s abundance of oil. The government, once an absolute monarchy, is slowly becoming a constitutional monarchy. Qatar’s first-ever parliamentary elections are scheduled for next year.

Reach David Spett at [email protected].