Georgetown Ambassador in Residence H.E. Dr. Al-Kawari Gives Public Talk

H.E. Dr. Hamad Bin Abdulaziz Al-Kawari, Qatar’s Minister of State, gave his first public lecture in his capacity as Georgetown University in Qatar’s Ambassador in Residence at a Dialogue Series lecture hosted by the university’s Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS) on Wednesday November 27 at 6:00 pm.

The talk, titled “The Global Majlis: My Experience with International Organizations”, featured H.E. Dr. Al-Kawari’s insights gained from his extensive experience as a career diplomat. He also took part in a question and answer session with students, faculty, staff, and members of the Doha community in attendance.

Before the event, the Director of CIRS, Dr. Mehran Kamrava, stressed the importance of creating public platforms for dialogue and engagement with leading public figures in Qatar, saying: “As a research center, bringing together leading thinkers, scholars, practitioners, and the public is a key pillar of the work we do at CIRS. We look forward to hosting His Excellency, and hearing his views on the workings of real-world diplomacy.”

Known for his advocacy in protecting Qatar’s cultural heritage and candidacy in the 2017 election of the Director-General of UNESCO, H.E. Dr. Al-Kawari said inspiring new generations of community leaders is required for positive sustainable change. “Good public diplomacy isn’t an abstract concept. It requires building relationships through substantive and continuing dialogue with the community.” 

Prior to his current role in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Dr. Al-Kawari served as the Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage of Qatar from 2008 until 2016. His extensive resume as an Ambassador of Qatar includes service in many countries including France and the United States, as well as with the United Nations.

H.E. Dr. Al-Kawari was appointed GU-Q’s first Ambassador in Residence earlier this year. The program connects prominent figures from the public sector in Qatar to GU-Q’s community and aims to establish avenues of ongoing collaboration with innovative thinkers and sector leaders to further GU-Q’s academic, research, and service efforts.