Her Highness Attends Georgetown University in Qatar’s 20 Year Anniversary Celebration
Agreement signed as Georgetown University in Qatar marks two decades as a QF partner university during a celebration where Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser was honored with the Georgetown University President’s Medal
Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation (QF), attended a celebratory event marking Georgetown University in Qatar’s 20th year as a valued partner university in Education City, underscoring two decades of collaboration and shared success.
During the event, Georgetown University and Qatar Foundation signed an agreement to renew their partnership for another ten years. The agreement was signed by Her Excellency Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, Vice Chairperson and CEO of Qatar Foundation, and Georgetown University Interim President Robert M. Groves.
Speaking at the event, Her Highness commented on the renewed partnership between Qatar Foundation and Georgetown University stating: “Qatar Foundation is committed to forging a path that leads to cross-cultural understanding, respect and collaboration, a commitment that is shared by Georgetown University. Together we will inspire and nurture those who will have the courage to build bridges between nations and lead our world into a better future.”
Her Highness was honored with the Georgetown University President’s Medal. This award acknowledges leadership and service in support of the university’s mission to advance the pursuit of knowledge, the promotion of peace and social justice, the strengthening of international collaboration, and the education of future generations of leaders both nationally and globally.
“The President’s Medal is one of the highest distinctions conferred by Georgetown,” said Interim President Groves. “It is reserved for individuals whose contributions reflect the university’s deepest commitments, and it is a privilege to present it to Her Highness.”
“In honoring Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Georgetown is itself honored – by a leader whose vision has given depth and direction to everything we have sought to become in Qatar,” added Safwan M. Masri, Dean, Georgetown University in Qatar.
An Enduring Partnership with Qatar Foundation
As Qatar Foundation celebrates the 30th year since its founding, the extension of the agreement signals a new chapter in its partnership with Georgetown University, deepening a shared mission of advancing knowledge, shaping global dialogue, and delivering world-class undergraduate and graduate education.
Her Excellency Sheikha Hind said: “The longevity, impact, and success of our partnership with Georgetown University is a testament to collective vision, and a shared belief in what knowledge makes possible.
“When Qatar Foundation embarked on its journey to provide world-class education to the youth of Qatar and our region, we sought international partners in education who not only offered academic excellence, but whose values aligned with ours. Georgetown University was one such institution with the foresight to recognize what such a partnership could achieve – contributing to the advancement of a nation and a region, while amplifying its own capacity for scholarly research and discovery.
“From the students it has nurtured to become agents of change and true global citizens in so many fields, to the wealth of new and regionally relevant academic thought it has produced, Georgetown University in Qatar exemplifies what can be achieved by partnering in the name of knowledge. We are proud that this partnership, which has already spanned 20 years, will continue to nurture leaders of the future and support human and social development on a national and regional scale – together, QF and Georgetown University aim to ensure that what we have achieved together over the past two decades is merely the beginning.”
Alumni Impact Awards
During the anniversary celebration, seven distinguished Georgetown University in Qatar alumni also received Alumni Impact Awards.
The university plays an active role in shaping Qatar’s policy conversations, cultural vitality, and international standing. GU-Q alumni have been making their mark in Qatar and around the world, in fields including diplomacy, international affairs, business, culture and the arts, and humanitarian work.
“Our campus in Education City and our partnership with Qatar Foundation have enabled Georgetown to extend its tradition of educating the whole person – mind, body, and spirit – into a truly global context. Over the past two decades, GU-Q has advanced Georgetown’s mission of academic excellence, civic engagement, and a commitment to intercultural dialogue,” said Interim President Groves.
Alongside its degree programs, GU-Q has, across its two decades as a QF partner university, produced a wealth of scholarly research that has made significant contributions to international dialogue and policy development, and to the advancement of Qatar and the Middle East. Its Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS) has grown to be a leading regional research institute, sponsoring major studies of emerging socio-economic and political trends in the Gulf region.
What began as an ambitious vision has become a defining achievement for both Georgetown and Qatar Foundation. This renewal calls on us to reimagine what global higher education at its best can be. In a region where tradition and transformation are held in creative tension, GU-Q stands as a space for fearless inquiry, moral imagination, and the pursuit of ideals that transcend the self,” said Dean Masri.
As GU-Q enters its third decade, the university is poised to deepen its engagement with the region, expand its research footprint, and equip a new generation of leaders to navigate a rapidly shifting global landscape.
About Georgetown’s Campus in Qatar
Georgetown University offers its Bachelor’s of Science in Foreign Service Degree to students matriculating at Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q), with specializations in International Politics, Culture and Politics, International Economics, and International History. GU-Q also trains mid-level professionals in the field of foreign affairs through its Executive Masters in Diplomacy and International Affairs. In 2024, Georgetown University was ranked first worldwide by Foreign Policy magazine for its undergraduate and master’s programs in international relations.
GU-Q’s inaugural graduating class was composed of 18 students. The university’s Class of 2025 numbers 134 students representing nearly 80 nationalities. Since its establishment as a QF partner university in 2005, GU-Q has graduated nearly 1,100 undergraduate and master’s degree students.
About Qatar Foundation
QF’s ecosystem of education includes GU-Q and six other international partner universities as well as QF’s homegrown Hamad Bin Khalifa University. QF’s partnerships with some of the world’s leading universities are pivotal to its goal of providing quality education, through a unique model that creates opportunities for academic collaboration – including enabling students to cross-register for courses at different universities that stand just yards from each other – educational innovation, and cultural and knowledge exchange within a multidisciplinary, multinational, and multicultural environment.
The QF ecosystem is also home to 13 schools, including specialized schools; research and innovation hubs that allow students to get real-world experience of science and technology entrepreneurship; policy centers; and community facilities and programs that are available for all members of Qatar’s society to engage with, learn within, and enjoy.
In the 2024-25 academic year, over 4,000 students of 102 nationalities are enrolled in universities at QF, with 64 percent being female and 47 percent being Qatari. Over 9,900 students have graduated from these universities, a number that will rise next month when their Classes of 2025 graduate.