Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s (HBKU) College of Public Policy (CPP) welcomed experts from the World Bank for a presentation and discussion of two recent studies drawing on lessons learned from 20 years of international partner engagement with Afghanistan.

Dr. Sultan Barakat, Professor, HBKU’s CPP, and Melinda Good, Country Director, World Bank, Afghanistan, both served as Session Chairs. Tobias Haque, Lead Country Economist, World Bank, Pakistan, and Dr. Tony Verheijen, Operations Manager, World Bank, Afghanistan, participated as speakers and presenters while Dr. Kim Moloney, Assistant Professor, CPP, and Dr. Mazar Gul Salih Muhammad Rahim, Consultant, CPP, took on the role of discussants.

The first study, 'Building Institutions and Tackling Fragility', offered a political economy retrospective of the World Bank's involvement in Afghanistan, while the second paper, 'Through the Looking Glass', focused on lessons learned from the implementation of development programs between 2014 and 2021. The latter drew from 23 in-depth evaluation reports on projects that were paused in August 2021.

The attendees used insights gleaned from both papers as the basis for a productive discussion on how to shape a forward-looking trajectory of engagement that supports the Afghan people. They also held technical exchanges and debates with counterparts from Afghan ministries and local authorities, examining how past engagement can inform and shape future efforts to support Afghanistan.

“The World Bank’s work in Afghanistan offers a compelling case study on the challenges policymakers face while overseeing institution-building and economic development efforts on a national scale. This event embodies how CPP actively leverages local and transnational synergies and collaborations with distinguished international partners in the government, non-government, corporate, and organizational sectors to facilitate expertise and build capacity in Qatar and beyond,” said Dr. Barakat.

HBKU’s CPP aims to become one of the leading public policy schools in the region and the world, providing a uniquely situated venue for public conversation in Qatar, and a center for teaching and researching responses to policy questions of local and global relevance. The College transcends borders to facilitate expertise and build capacity in Qatar and beyond.