Prof. Abdoulaye Diop, Manager Research Dept, SESRI
Doha: The Social and Economic Survey Research Institute (SESRI) plays a vital role in research and contributes to achieving Qatar National Vision 2030, says Prof. Abdoulaye Diop, Manager Research Department at SESRI.
SESRI is a social scientific survey research initiative of Qatar University established in 2008. Its mission is to provide data to guide policy formulation in the social and economic sectors. The Institute covers a wide range of research of importance to Qatar.
“The Institute has been an important tool for research and capacity building for Qatari nationals in survey research methodology. Additionally, SESRI is a platform for Qatar University faculty and students to conduct their research.
"The Institute also offers training in survey research with special emphasis on topics of interest to the academic community and Qatari society and provides a weekly free consultancy in survey research known as the Survey Clinic,” Prof. Diop told The Peninsula.
“SESRI also makes a significant contribution to Qatar National Vision 2030 (QNV 2030). With a dedicated professional staff of researchers and faculty with an extensive background in survey research and knowledge of Qatari culture and society, the Institute has developed a strong survey-based infrastructure. It has been collecting high-quality data that serves to inform and guide priority setting, planning, policy formulation, and research in the country,” he added.
Prof. Diop, a former senior research analyst at the Center for Survey Research (CSR) at the University of Virginia in the US, holds a PhD in Agricultural Economics, a Master of Science in Agricultural Economics, and a Master of Arts in Political Science with a concentration in Survey Research Methods from the University of Connecticut (UConn). He also has a Master of Science in Economics from California State Polytechnic University (Cal Poly).
According to Prof. Diop, several government agencies and parastatals have used SESRI’s research results to implement strategies, especially in labour and labour migration.
“Relevant authorities who determined Qatar’s minimum wage have used results from the Institute’s Guest Workers’ Welfare Index. Because of its studies in labour and labour migration, SESRI has been a member of the minimum wage committee set by the government and other organisations such as the Ministry of Administrative Development and Social Affairs (ADLSA) and the International Labor Organization (ILO) Qatar Office.
“Decision and policy-makers are using results from the Institute’s studies. From previous research, like the Ministry of Public Health, National Human Rights Committee (NHRC), Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) and other organisations that have commissioned studies and implemented the research results/outcomes,” Prof. Diop added.
