Qatar Foundation

Qatar Foundation (QF) is a private, non-profit organisation that supports Qatar on its journey to becoming a diversified and sustainable economy, providing homegrown solutions for the benefit of Qatar and the world. QF was founded in 1995 by the Father Amir, HH Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, and HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of QF. HE Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani is Vice Chairperson and CEO of QF.

Education City, QF’s flagship initiative, is a stunning campus that spans more than 12 sq km and hosts branch campuses of some of the world’s leading educational institutes, a homegrown university, and other research, scholastic, and community centres. Together, these institutes make Education City a unique model of academic and research excellence, pioneering a new approach to multidisciplinary, global education and enabling breakthroughs that benefit Qatar and the rest of the world.

K-12 Schools

At QF, an education ecosystem has been built that caters to students from when they are six months old through to postgraduate study, creating an exciting environment for lifelong learning. The bedrock of this model is formed by a wide array of K-12 schools that deliver unique learning opportunities and strive to meet the individual needs of each student in its diverse community. Since opening its first school in 1996, QF has been continuously expanding its network and operates 13 schools today. These include: Qatar Academy, which has five branches in different geographical locations throughout Qatar; Qatar Leadership Academy (QLA), which promotes personal growth in young men through excellence in academics, leadership, athletics, and character; Renad Academy, which provides education and specialised services for children with autism; Awsaj Academy, which supports children and young people with learning challenges; Qatar Academy for Science and Technology (QAST), offering an advanced academic programme in

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects; Academyati, a unique progressive school championing alternative learning pedagogies; Tariq Bin Ziad, which provides a bilingual education deeply rooted in Qatar’s culture and heritage; and the Academic Bridge Program (ABP), which helps high school graduates better prepare themselves for rigorous university programmes.

Higher Education

QF's higher education offerings include partnerships with seven leading universities from around the world and one homegrown university. They are Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q), Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q), Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar), Texas A&M University at Qatar (TAMUQ), Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q), Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q), HEC Paris in Qatar, and Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU). Each of these universities focus on specific subject areas where they are globally renowned, while collaborating across disciplines in a uniquely integrated campus.

Research, Development and Innovation

QF is transforming the nation as a leading hub for research, entrepreneurship, and innovation. Specialised research institutes are making major advances in fields such as artificial intelligence, personalised medicine, and sustainable energy –providing cutting-edge solutions for Qatar and the world. Another key pillar of this ecosystem, Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP), provides a platform to enable large multinational companies and local tech startups alike to setup their base in Qatar – see Investment and Trade in the Business and Economy section. QF has also established Sidra Medicine, a world-class women's and children's hospital and medical research hub. See Healthcare in Qatar in the Living in Qatar section.

As an open and active organisation, community development is also at the heart of everything that QF does. Among its wide range of initiatives, there are specific programmes tailored to promoting active and healthy lifestyles, preserving Qatari culture and heritage, advancing the Arabic language, and creating a more sustainable planet. qf.org.qa C2

Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q)

For more than a century, Carnegie Mellon University has challenged the curious and passionate to imagine and deliver work that matters. A private, top-ranked and global university, Carnegie Mellon sets its own course with programmes that inspire creativity and collaboration.

In 2004, Carnegie Mellon and Qatar Foundation (QF) began a partnership to deliver select programmes that will contribute to the long-term development of Qatar. Today, Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar offers undergraduate programmes in biological sciences, business administration, computer science, and information systems. More than 450 students from 60 countries call Carnegie Mellon Qatar home. Graduates from CMU-Q are pursuing their careers in top organisations within Qatar and around the world, and many have started their own entrepreneurial ventures. With 16 graduating classes, the total number of alumni is more than 1,200. qatar.cmu.edu

Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q)

Established in 1789, Georgetown University is one of the world’s leading academic and research institutions, offering a unique educational experience that prepares the next generation of global citizens to lead and make a difference in the world. Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q) continues this tradition with its campus in Education City.

GU-Q offers the same internationally respected Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service (BSFS) degree as the campus in Washington, DC, allowing students to major in culture and politics, international economics, international history, or international politics, and to earn certificates in American Studies, Arab and Regional Studies, or Media and Politics, along with minors in Africana Studies, Arabic, or Indian Ocean World Studies. The university also delivers a range of executive education programmes and custom-designed master's degrees. qatar.georgetown.edu

Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU)

Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), a member of QF, was founded in 2010 as a research-intensive university that acts as a catalyst for transformative change in Qatar and the region while having global impact. Located in Education City, HBKU is committed to building and cultivating human capacity through an enriching academic experience, innovative ecosystem, and unique partnerships. HBKU delivers multidisciplinary undergraduate and graduate programmes through its colleges, and provides opportunities for research and scholarship through its institutes and centres. hbku.edu.qa

HEC Paris in Qatar

Founded in 1881 by the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry, HEC Paris, a founding member of the Université Paris-Saclay, brings together 140 permanent professors, more than 4,500 students, and 8,000 executives and directors in education each year. In 2010, HEC Paris joined QF and brought world-class Executive Education programmes and research activity to Doha and the region. By 2011, HEC Paris had launched Qatar’s first international Executive MBA (EMBA), which was ranked number 1 worldwide by the Financial Times in 2019. The HEC Paris international EMBA is a part-time programme that provides executives with a set of fundamental skills to expand their knowledge and leadership capabilities.

In addition to the EMBA, HEC Paris in Qatar provides a Specialised Master’s Degree in Strategic Business Unit Management. The institution also offers nondegree management programmes for executives, in the form of executive short programmes and certificates as well as custom-designed programmes for individual companies. qatar.exed.hec.edu

Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q)

Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q) offers bachelor’s degrees from Northwestern’s School of Communication and the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications. Northwestern Qatar also offers a variety of executive education programmes for professionals in Qatar.

Northwestern Qatar is the 12th school of Northwestern University, which is ranked among the top universities in the world. Northwestern is ranked 10th by the US News & World Report and 26th by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings. Students interested in news reporting, multimedia storytelling, and strategic communication enrol in Northwestern Qatar’s programme in journalism and strategic communication. If their interest is more aligned with creative media – scriptwriting, cinematography, film production and animation –the programme in communication offers both the academic rigour and the training in the technical components of those careers. In addition to their majors, all Northwestern Qatar students benefit from a well-rounded education, which includes a variety of disciplines in the liberal arts, from history and political science to literature and economics. qatar.northwestern.edu

Texas A&M University at Qatar (TAMUQ)

Texas A&M University, recognised as having one of the premier engineering programmes in the world, has offered bachelor’s degrees in chemical engineering, electrical and computer engineering, mechanical engineering and petroleum engineering at QF’s Education City campus since 2003, and master’s degrees in chemical engineering since autumn 2011. Texas A&M at Qatar has awarded more than 1,500 degrees since 2007. In addition to engineering courses, Texas A&M at Qatar provides classes in science, mathematics, liberal arts and the humanities. All four of the undergraduate engineering programmes offered are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET. The curriculum offered at Texas A&M at Qatar is materially the same as that offered at the main campus in College Station, Texas, and the courses in Doha are taught in English in a coeducational setting. Faculty from around the world are attracted to Texas A&M at Qatar to provide this educational experience and to participate in research activities now valued at more than USD284.3 mn, and that address issues important to the State of Qatar. qatar.tamu.edu

Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar)

Established in 1998 through a partnership with Qatar Foundation (QF), Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar) is the international branch campus of Virginia Commonwealth University’s (VCU) School of the Arts, a top-ranked art and design programme in the US.

VCUarts Qatar is celebrating a fruitful 25-year alliance between VCU and QF that underscores the commitment of each institution to excellence, enquiry, discovery and innovation in a global setting. It offers students the opportunity to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in graphic design, interior design, painting and printmaking, a Bachelor of Fine Arts in kinetic imaging – coming in Fall/Autumn 2024, a Bachelor of Arts degree in art history, and a Master of Fine Arts degree in design. A vibrant community with a global reach, the university promises to instill in students a lifelong passion for education and the arts. VCUarts Qatar offers valuable opportunities for cross-cultural exchange and connects VCUarts to the influential art and design world of the Middle East and beyond. The campus attracts renowned contributors to contemporary visual culture for speaking and teaching engagements, and hosts two major international events: Tasmeem Doha, a biennial art and design conference; and the Hamad bin Khalifa Symposium on Islamic Art. qatar.vcu.edu

Weill Cornell Medicine – Qatar (WCM-Q)

Weill Cornell Medicine–Qatar (WCM-Q) is at the forefront of medical education, clinical care, and biomedical research in the Middle East. Established in 2001 as a partnership between Cornell University in the US and QF, WCM-Q is part of Cornell University and was the first US university to offer its MD degree overseas.

From their very first year, medical students gain clinical experience with the country’s finest healthcare providers, and go on to residencies in some of the best teaching hospitals in the world.

WCM-Q’s Division of Continuing Professional Development is accredited to provide continuing medical education for physicians and in doing so disseminates information about clinical best practice, augmenting local healthcare delivery.

In line with its commitment to focus on diseases prevalent in Qatar and the wider region, WCM-Q has a world-class biomedical research programme, the first of its kind in the Middle East. WCM-Q researchers conduct investigations at the basic, translational and community levels, addressing complex diseases such as diabetes, infectious diseases such as COVID-19 and hepatitis C, and helping to inform more efficient healthcare delivery by ushering in the era of precision medicine. The biomedical research programme also delivers robust training programmes, helping to build local research capacity and contributing to Qatar’s knowledge economy.

WCM-Q’s affiliation with Cornell University and Weill Cornell Medicine in New York, the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), Sidra Medicine, Aspetar, the Feto Maternal Medical Centre Doha, and the Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC), has created powerful partnerships that are dedicated to delivering excellence in education, patient care and biomedical research. qatar–weill.cornell.edu

Education City Golf Club

1. Qatar Foundation HQ

2. Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q)

3. Virginia Commonwealth University Qatar

4. Texas A&M University at Qatar (TAMUQ)

5. Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar

6. Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art

7. Academic Bridge Program (ABP)

8. Qatar Academy

9. Awsaj Academy

10. Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP)

11. Sidra Medicine

12. Al Jazeera Children’s Channel

13. Cultural Development Center (CDC)

14. Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF)

15. Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC)

16. Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q)

17. Recreation Center

18. College of Islamic Studies (CIS)

19. Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q)

20. Multaqa (Student Center)

21. Qatar National Library (QNL)

22. HBKU Operations HQ

23. HBKU Housing (Male) 24. HBKU Housing (Female)

25. HBKU Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS)

Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) is at the forefront of medical education, clinical care, and biomedical research in the Middle East. Established in 2001 as a partnership between Cornell University in the US, and Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, WCM-Q is part of Cornell University and was the first US university to offer its MD degree overseas. Teaching is by Cornell and Weill Cornell faculty, alongside accomplished and experienced doctors from affiliated organizations.

A strong partnership with Qatar’s largest healthcare provider, Hamad Medical Corporation, allows students to gain clinical experience from their very first year while granting them access to world-class facilities, including the college’s own Clinical Skills and Simulation Lab. Since operations began, students from dozens of countries across the world have earned their MD degrees and graduated as physicians, with many securing residencies at the world’s best teaching hospitals.

Alongside teaching, WCM-Q faculty host clinics and surgeries in Qatar’s medical institutions. The Division of Continuing Professional Development enabled WCM-Q to become amongst the first institutions outside of the US to be accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education as a provider of continuing medical education for physicians.

WCM-Q established a world-class biomedical research program - the first of its kind in the Middle East - with a focus on diseases prevalent in Qatar. Core facilities now include genomics, proteomics, bioinformatics, microRNA and biostatics, and a research program that provides robust and comprehensive training in biomedical research skills.

At Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, we prepare our students for the real world by providing them with hands-on experience at our partner hospitals, where they get to practice the theories they have learned by working with real patients.

To find out more about studying medicine at WCM-Q, please visit our website.