A Message from the Dean

Resilience, and a sustained effort to draw from our diverse strengths to achieve excellence were the key themes of the year.

Our students’ steadfastness in the face of unprecedented circumstances affecting their learning environment bore fruit in the form of a Rhodes Scholarship, significant student research outcomes, and impactful community-building collaborative events within Education City and beyond, and raised awareness about key topics around racial equity, global events, and the impact of the coronavirus.

The determination of faculty and staff to sustain students and advance the teaching and research missions of the university despite the pandemic resulted in a number of innovations in student support systems. These included flexible format internships with community partners and other virtual experiential learning opportunities, as well as extra programming during breaks. Club activities, the First Year Experience program, and Leadership Track activities, along with a solid foundation of library and Writing Center support, health and wellness activities, and tutoring, resulted in a comprehensive learning experience for students—whether they were in the classroom or attended class online. Beyond this, preparations for further improvements in the campus environment resulted in the peer tutor program earning College Reading and Learning Association’s (CRLA) International Tutor Training Program Certification, the launch of a student Campus Climate Survey, and the establishment of a Racial Equity Task Force.

Research was reconfigured to focus on leveraging faculty and researcher expertise to provide engaging insights on the U.S. presidential election, the Qatar FIFA World Cup 2022, and environmental concerns. Regional Studies were extended to include particular focus on circularities in the Indian Ocean world, women in the Gulf, and the impact of the Arab Spring. Research outcomes included 11 books, 27 journal articles, two journal special issues, and ten book chapters. The Center for International and Regional Studies served as a platform for 42 blogs, a number of podcasts and expert insights, and a white paper. Anatol Lieven’s book Climate Change and the Nation State received the Financial Times Book of the Year award in the environment category, and other faculty served as principal investigators on major collaborative national and international research grants.

Community service and engagement through Executive and Professional Education (EPE) continued to support the development needs of Qatar. GU-Q, in collaboration with the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown’s Walsh School of Foreign Service in Washington, DC, developed an Executive Master in Diplomacy and International Affairs (EMDIA) for the Ministy of Foreign Affairs Diplomatic Institute. EPE also developed a bespoke version of the Executive Master’s in Emergency and Disaster Management for the Joaan Bin Jassim Joint Command and Staff College. GU-Q alumni raised the visibility of the university in diverse and distinct ways: by conceptualizing and organizing the first international Iraqi film festival; founding an online learning platform for underserved youth; receiving top honors on Pakistan’s Civil Service exam; and by winning the Waislitz Global Citizen Award.

On a personal note, this is my final year as Dean of GU-Q. It has been my great honor to have served in this role and I take pride in the fact that the institution will long continue to be a center of knowledge production and education in the region. I am exceedingly proud of the many achievements of our talented students and graduates, and thank the faculty and staff who have contributed to our shared success. To our host nation, thank you for your belief in the power of education to make a better world for all. In reflection, the university’s accomplishments demonstrate how the unique value-based learning environment that is Georgetown, continues to build on a legacy of international collaboration for a lasting impact on global knowledge production, the community, and the students it serves.

It has been my great honor to have served in this role and I take pride in the fact that the institution will long continue to be a center of knowledge production and education in the region.

—Ahmad Dallal

Ahmad Dallal

Dean, Georgetown University in Qatar

Annual Report 2020-2021 •

Georgetown University in Qatar

Academic Resilience

Student resilience and excellence were the highlights of the 2020-2021 academic year. Whether classes were online or in a hybrid format, students, faculty, and staff co-created a memorable educational experience. A culture of academic excellence was maintained through faculty commitment to using instructional design and technology innovations supported by the university’s Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship, and through Faculty Learning Days. With wellness and academic support systems ensuring their success in the classroom, students also remained engaged socially and intellectually through a variety of activities around diversity, culture, and politics.

I have made some of the most beautiful memories, taken some of the most fascinating classes, been exposed to an abundance of new experiences, and made some lifelong friends.

It has not been an easy journey, but I am proud of the person I have become and everything that I have managed to accomplish, and each and every one of you should be too. We have all had to endure a lot, especially this year, but we were all able to persevere through it all.

— Adam Polacco (SFS’21), Senior Speaker, Commencement 2021