H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation, joined QF members and partners at the “I AM QF” townhall to mark the foundation’s 25 years of accomplishments in education, scientific research and community development. Pic: AR Al-Baker
HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation (QF), participated in ‘I AM QF’- an event held to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the organisation yesterday at Qatar National Convention Center.
The event reflected the achievements of QF since 1995 and how it has benefited Qatar and the world. Members of QF community including staff, students, teachers, faculty, and researchers together with Their Excellencies the Ministers, industry leaders, and other guests were gathered during the event.
“Today I am glad to see faces that have always been present throughout all of QF’s achievements. The main challenge that we faced was always to try convincing others to make a positive change, and that is through education because education is our true wealth,” said HH Sheikha Moza during a panel discussion.
“We focused on building our education ecosystem based on our heritage not against it. And looking at the activities here today, I was pleased to see how proud and confident the Qatari youth are in their culture and identity, and in speaking the Arabic language. This is what we have been aspiring to create through Qatar Foundation, as well as throughout other educational institutions in Qatar.
“It was a dream, and we made it come true through Qatar Foundation and its stakeholders,” said H H Sheikha Moza during the high-level panel discussion moderated by H E Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, Vice-Chairperson and CEO of QF.
H E Sheikha Hind was joined by H E Lolwah Rashid Al Khater, Assistant Foreign Minister and Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Sheikh Dr Mohammed bin Hamad Al Thani, Director of Public Health, Ministry of Public Health; Dr. Hassan Rashid Al Derham, President of Qatar University; and Dominic Genetti, Vice-President and Joint Venture Executive Director, ExxonMobil Qatar.
The panellists discussed how collaboration has already benefited Qatar, how it can be enhanced, and what it can mean for the future of the country.
“QF’s journey has been all about producing knowledge, generating ideas and perspectives, and nurturing talent,” said H E Sheikha Hind.
“And we share all of this with the world, from our unique perspective as a nation proud of its Arab and Islamic heritage.
“Now, we’ve reached a milestone in our journey, and so it’s time to ask ourselves: where do we go from here? How do we build on everything we have already achieved? And what do we need to do to realize everything we now want to achieve?
“For QF, I believe the answer rests on all elements of our ecosystem shaping, informing, and benefiting each other. We need to disruptively collaborate in a way that allows everyone to see the big picture, and recognize their role in creating it – because QF is a platform for everyone to engage, and contribute,” said H E Sheikha Hind.
She explained how collaborations with local and international partners have played a role in QF from its first day to its 25th year.
Al Khater said, “Any system, no matter how good it is, relies on input, and the message we send to the world will only ever be as powerful as the substance we have. So the way we continue to deliver quality education and good health services, and the way we conduct research and train and develop people, is the strongest message we have to send abroad.
“And when I send this message, the strongest talking-point I have is QF. All the great work being achieved here is not just great work for Qatar, but for the wider region, and it is very important that we deliver that message.”
The role QF has played in taking forward health sector of the country to the next level by paving the path to precession medicine was highlighted by Dr Al Thani.
“We are looking to build human capacity in healthcare while also nurturing a healthy population and enabling people to live longer, more productive lives. We hope that with the continued support of QF, we can build a healthcare system that ensures people can bring value to our community for a long time to come. And we will look to develop more focused research, supported by the way institutes within QF work together, that is applicable to Qatar but also to other countries, and that helps us to eradicate our biggest health issues,” he added.
Speaking about Qatar University’s collaboration with QF, Dr Al Derham said that QF was established through a vision that changed the way we look at things, and that recognized the need to think outside of the box.
“We have been fortunate to partner with the elite universities at QF, and that has provided us with the opportunity to work hand-in-hand with researchers, education providers, and talent. Without QF, these collaborations would not be possible. We now have a golden opportunity to move toward new frontiers, building on everything we have achieved together over the past 25 years,” he added.
Partnering with QF has been a natural fit for ExxonMobil Qatar as both organizations share same values in different areas, according to Genetti.
“If you look back over 25 years, it is amazing to see what collaboration has achieved in Qatar. Research is a long-term endeavor, and you have be committed to it for years, even decades, to see its full benefits. But we can achieve more together if our strategic objectives are clear and we collate all our efforts, across universities, research institutes, and the private sector to move in the same direction,” he added.
A special gift containing messages from QF students was presented to Sheikha Moza during the ‘I AM QF.’ The event also included a series of events and by different entities of QF with focus on their achievements which comply with QF’s mission.
