Participants at the opening ceremony.
Doha, Qatar: Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s (HBKU) College of Public Policy (CPP), Geneva Graduate Institute, and Qatar Fund For Development (QFFD) held an opening ceremony for the 2023-24 edition of the Executive Programmes in Development Policies and Practices (DPP) for the Middle East and North Africa (DPP-MENA) programme and Conflict and Fragility Management (CFM) programme.
Dr. Leslie Pal, Dean, HBKU’s CPP; Dr. Alex Dormeier Freier, Director, Geneva Graduate Institute; and Khalifa bin Jassim Al Kuwari, Director-General, QFFD, gave keynote speeches to welcome the programme’s participants, which comprise professionals operating in the development and humanitarian fields who aim to bolster their careers.
Two participants — Saiid Saber, DPP-MENA, and Nsamba Ahumedi, CFM — gave speeches to their fellow colleagues wishing them luck as they embark on the six-month programmes together. The programme coordinators, including Dr. Evren Tok, Associate Dean for Community Engagement, CPP, and Dr. Alaa Tartir, Academic Coordinator for DPP-MENA Region; Dr. Seda Duygu Sever, Regional Coordinator, CFM; and Dr. Margaux Pinaud, Academic Coordinator for CFM, introduced the attendees to their respective programme’s curricula.
Both programmes’ first modules, running from September 3-22, 2023, are being held at Minaretein in Education City.
“Our long-running partnership with QFFD and the Geneva Graduate Institute embodies our collective commitment to strengthening the field of international development in the MENA region. It underlines HBKU’s CPP as a proactive institution that transcends borders in order to facilitate expertise and build capacity in Qatar, the region, and beyond,” said Dr. Pal.
The six-month programmes comprise three modules in total; after completing the Doha-based course, participants will then undergo an online learning portion from their respective countries. The final module, held in Geneva, Switzerland, will see the professionals meet fellow DPP-MENA and CFM participants from around the world and complete their curricula together.
The DPP-MENA and CFM coursework utilise case studies that explore contemporary regional and global development challenges to enhance participants’ strategic analysis and leadership skills. Each participant is tasked with developing a professional thesis tied to their professional work that addresses their organizations’ needs.
