Obama’s special representative Ilyes Zerhouni opens his heart to Echourok

With an extreme humbleness, he accepted to give an interview to Echourok despite his hectic schedule. He got the American citizenship and run the most outstanding medical institute in the US with the benediction of the Congress and former president George Bush, but he remained faithful to his principle.

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• He was nicknamed the presidents’ doctor because he was among the staff that treated both the late Houari Boumedienne and Ronald Reagan… The man is Doctor Ilyes Zerhouni, Obama’s representative for Science and Knowledge. Echourok had a wide- ranging interview in Doha, Qatar few days before his visit to Algeria in his quality of the US president special envoy.
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• Q: Many Algerians are proud of Ilyes Zerhouni on account of his position as Science and Knowledge ambassador to the US president Barack Obama, but they do not know much about the man?
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• A: I was born in Algeria and studied in Algiers, my father was a mathematics teacher and my family considered studies as the most important thing for its children… I got the baccalaureate at “El Emir Abdelkader” high school and was granted a scholarship to pursue my studies either in France, Sweden or the United States. Though I didn’t master the language, I decided to go to the US but didn’t intent to dwell in this country.
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• Q: But you Did?
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• A: I focussed my studies in radiology than moved to the widely renowned John Hopkins University in 1975. I succeeded because in America promotions are given according to the individual’s competencies not origins or religions, and then started my researches in cancer using the scanner, which was quite new at that time, until I became a doctor at the same university specialized in scanner. In 1978 I decided to work in my country but the told that my degrees were not licensed in Algeria and had to pass the Algerian exams, the thing that I accepted because I didn’t want any kind of favour.
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• Q: What happened next?
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• A: This period coincided with the illness of the late president Houari Boumedienne, who was in need of a scanner that was not available in Algeria. The Algerian authorities got in touch with the US and German ones to bring one but they were denied the request. The then-health minister asked me whether I could help to bring a scanner so I asked some colleagues at the university to send one to examine the president. I have personally examined the late president.
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• Q:  How did you get appointed as the Head of the US Health Institute?
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• A: To get this post you should have a blind trust from both the Congress and the President, the former president’s advisors have selected three candidates; two American and me and when the president saw the names he asked about me and he was told that I studied in Algeria and continued my studies in the US. Bush has declared that I was self -made man and succeeded to reach this position in American, thus I deserved to get the post.
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• Q: But your appointment sparked controversy in the Congress?
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• A: Sure… because an Algerian has become the head of the most modern Institute after being naturalized recently, they have the right to protest, but things went smooth afterwards.
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• Q: How was the nature of your relationship with George Bush?
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• A: Very natural, I’m a scientist and my main concern is to discover new diseases and develop my researches, George was respecting that. As to politics, I don’t feel concerned because most of my time is devoted to researches.
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• Q:  You have been appointed afterwards as the advisor for sciences and techniques to the Islamic World along side the Egyptian Ezouil, is it another award or a mission?
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• A: I met several times the president Barack Obama when he was a senator, he asked about me several times to get my view on scientific matters, and he is very interested in science and knowledge.
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• Q: do you have any political ambitions in your country?
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• A: No, I’m only interested in science and researches; I’m seeking neither a political position nor a given post.
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• Q: As a scientist, what lacks in Algeria to make of it a developed country?
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•  A: Bureaucracy should be banned first, and encourage the scientists to carry on their studies by putting means at their disposal. The world has evolved so does the means.
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• Q: Will you accept if you were asked to make a survey with the aim to develop medicine in your country?
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• A: Without any hesitation, this is my country dear.
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•  Q: Did you follow the Algeria squad matches during the World Cup qualifiers?
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• A: Of course, and I don’t miss any opportunity to see the national squad
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• Q: So you have seen them during the African Cup of Nations tournament?
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• A: I was overwhelmed by joy along side my children
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• Q: Are you ready to come back to Algeria?
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• A: The idea has always been on my mind, it’s true that everything is available in the US to develop science, let me just call on the Algerian authorities to open the field for scientific research on sound basis.