Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s (HBKU) College of Public Policy (CPP) held its first Advisory Board meeting on June 6, 2023.

Chaired by Dr. Mutlaq Al-Qahtani, Special Envoy for the Foreign Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, board members received a brief history of the CPP since its formation in 2019, followed by information concerning faculty, research and grants, admissions and registrations. CPP staff then provided an overview of ongoing capacity building efforts, academic conferences, student events, special lectures, and more. The meeting concluded with review of the CPP’s strategic priorities over the next two years, with particular reference to new programming, building knowledge partnerships, pedagogy, and research.

Speaking after the meeting, Dr. Leslie A. Pal, Founding Dean, CPP, said: “This was the perfect opportunity to take stock of how far the College has come over the past three years and to shape our future strategic priorities. We can only do the latter with the full support and guidance of our Advisory Board members, who collectively possess a vast amount of experience in both academic and public policy settings. To this end, we look forward to cementing our relationship with them and look forward to their presence at the next Advisory Board meeting.”

The CPP’s Advisory Board members are:

• Dr. Mutlaq Al-Qahtani (Chair), Special Envoy for Foreign Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• HE Dr Mohammed bin Saleh Al-Sada, Former Minister of Energy and Industry Member, QF Board of Directors
• HE Mariam Al Misnad, Minister of Social Development and Family
• Dr. Nouf Al-Kaabi, Academic Researcher in Educational Policy and former Director of Research and Evaluation, Ministry of Education and Higher Education
• Mr. Michael Ryan, CEO, Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority
• Dr. M. Ramesh, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy National University of Singapore and President, International Public Policy Association
• Dr. Ghada Barsoum, Chair of the Department of Public Policy and Administration, the American University in Cairo (AUC), and President, Association for Middle Eastern Public Policy & Administration

The College of Public Policy (CPP) is the newest college launched by HBKU and reflects the priority the university places on supporting and contributing to effective policy development towards implementation of the Qatar National Vision 2030.