Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser Attends Celebration Shining the Spotlight on Georgetown University in Qatar’s Research Impact

Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation (QF), attended Georgetown University in Qatar’s “GU-Q 100: A Celebration of Knowledge”, a gala to commemorate more than one hundred books published by faculty and staff since the university’s doors opened in 2005.

Her Excellency Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, Vice Chairperson and CEO of Qatar Foundation, was the honored guest speaker at the ceremony, marking a major milestone in the collaboration between QF and Georgetown University that began with the launch of its Doha campus in support of the development goals of Qatar National Vision 2030.

Speaking at the event, Her Excellency Sheikha Hind said: “Through its wealth of research in the field of humanities and social sciences, Georgetown University in Qatar has made a significant contribution to the international profile of QF and Qatar as a hub of new knowledge, original thought, and intellectual courage in confronting issues which influence what our world is, and what it can be.”

“Being based in Qatar has opened up fresh avenues of discovery for Georgetown faculty, not only by enabling them to explore and research the MENA region from close up rather than far afield, but also by the varied perspectives that our diverse student body contributes in creating a deeper bank of knowledge and academic thought.”

The evening gala, held on GU-Q’s Education City campus, was also attended by deans of QF partner universities, members of the diplomatic community, students, faculty, staff, and other special guests.

In his opening remarks, the Dean of GU-Q, Dr. Ahmad Dallal, highlighted the significance of the 100 books, saying: “At Georgetown University in Qatar, we are setting an example of how to produce relevant research at a global standard, and training the next generation of knowledge producers to do the same. These published volumes of rigorous research across a wide range of topics in international affairs help shape our understanding of the world and reflect our commitment to developing a research landscape that is conducive to the discovery and dissemination of new knowledge.”

Representing Georgetown’s Washington, D.C. campus at the gala were Provost Robert Groves and Dr. Joel Hellman, dean of the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service (SFS).  Remarking on the concurrent celebrations for the centennial anniversary of SFS, the oldest school of international affairs in the United States, Dean Hellman said: “One hundred years ago, SFS took on the mission to foster peace and stability through education rooted in a global perspective. I’m proud to see the continuation of that Georgetown tradition in today’s celebration of  GU-Q’s contributions to multidisciplinary scholarship in Qatar and around the world.”

Dean Hellman moderated a panel discussion on “The Regional and Global Impact of Research in the Humanities and Social Sciences,” exploring the development of the research infrastructure of Qatar, and how locally produced knowledge about economics, politics, culture, and history have helped to shape regional and global thought in those subjects.

Panelists included Her Excellency Lolwah Al-Khater, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a member of the GU-Q Joint Advisory Board, Dr. James Reardon-Anderson, Founding Dean of GU-Q and Professor of History, Dr. Amira Sonbol, Professor of History and one of the original faculty members, and, Dr. Gerd Nonneman, former dean and currently Professor of International Relations and Gulf Studies and and Dr. Mehran Kamrava, former Interim Dean, and currently Professor and Director of GU-Q’s Center for International and Regional Studies.

In honor of the occasion, GU-Q also published the GU-Q 100, an indexed compendium of the book titles, which includes the cover art, a brief synopsis of each project, and a biography of each author or editor.