Guest speakers Swar Al-Dahab Ali and Hisham Nourin - both leaders in promoting humanitarian initiatives - recently engaged with students in the Master of Public Policy (MPP) program on the topics of social issues and effective responses within the education, health, and social sectors. Dr. Logan Cochrane, Associate Professor at the College of Public Policy, facilitated the discussion. 

Swar Al-Dahab Ali shared his experiences and insights as producer of the television series Omran, which highlights the situation within Syria and the challenges facing Syrians living as refugees. The series was aired on Qatar TV and the YouTube channel has garnered over 6 million views. Al-Dahab was the first winner of Qatar’s Foundation (QF)’s Akhlaquna award in 2018 for his initiative ‘Mercy in Giving’.

Hisham Nourin is Executive Director of Strategy, Administration and Projects at QF. Under his leadership, a wide range of community projects have been designed and are being implemented. These projects range from Qatar Reads to the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, the Arab Museum of Modern Art, Akhlaquna - an awards celebration of individuals who have benefited their community - and many others. Nourin spoke to the MPP students about how these programs are developed and evaluated, as well as the role of research in supporting their objectives and impacts.