research topics for qatar

Scientific Research

Over the last decade, Qatar has built strength in education and has owned a leading role in scientific research in the region.

Qatar has developed a number of world-class facilities and institutions across the region including:

The first national competitive research funding agency in the Middle East—the Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF); research institutes with state-of-the-art infrastructure such as the Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI), Qatar Energy and Environment Research Institute (QEERI), Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), and Qatar University’s research centres; multiple research hospitals, including Hamad Medical Corporation, Sidra Medicine and Aspetar, as well as Qatar Biobank and the Qatar Genome Programme.

Qatar is also home to branch campuses of several top global universities while its homegrown Qatar University is ranked among the top five in the Arab world. At the same time, Qatar provides local opportunities toward post-graduate degrees through Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s expanded offerings of master and doctoral programs.

QRDI 2030 establishes scientific research as a core element of the Qatari RDI ecosystem. Nation-wide scientific research is essential to expanding the frontiers of knowledge by contributing and building upon outputs such as publications with high field-weighted citation impact, intellectual property (IP), patents and proofs of concept. Scientific research can also can also be directed towards Qatar’s addressing national priorities, improving products and services, as well as policies and processes that can allow government to implement better public services and businesses to adapt or deploy new technology that meets market needs. A flourishing scientific research community, comprised of both local and international talent, creates the foundation for growth in Qatar’s RDI talent pool and supports Qatar’s overarching goal of becoming a knowledge-based economy.

QRDI 2030 marks a pivotal opportunity for Qatar to leverage its best-in-class facilities and create the right dynamics across institutions to drive RDI efforts with the aim of significantly improving the way we live, work and interact as a society. QRDI 2030 calls for the continued development and support of scientific research which includes basic research, applied research and experimental development activities. Qatar’s national RDI strategy encourages investigator-led research projects through collaboration with government and industry, the launch of academic centres-of-excellence in RDI priority areas which provide essential research services, output and infrastructure to other national RDI actors in industry and government, and the development of government-led research labs and institutes to serve specific needs related to Qatar’s national priority areas.

Scientific Research Programs

QRDI has prioritised a full program suite over the next four years to achieve its QRDI 2030 vision.

Climate Change and Environment Call (CCEC)

Food Security Call (MoM)

QNRF Tubitak Joint Call (AICC)

Path Towards Precision Medicine (PPM)

Academic Research Grant (ARG)

Academic Research

Qatar’s young and growing market offers an excellent testing and piloting ground for technological solutions developed by multinational companies (MNCs).

MNCs conducting R&D activities in Qatar can leverage Qatar’s hubbed logistics, capabilities and strategic location to better support their clients, while also partnering with RDI actors across Qatar’s globally recognized institutions to further advance their work. At the same time, R&D centers by MNCs in Qatar help facilitate RDI talent development, knowledge transfer, and accelerate the transformation of science and technology into innovative products and solutions for government, consumers and other businesses.

National Research

QRDI 2030 will enable and support dedicated, national scientific research groups to pursue research opportunities within Qatar’s RDI priority areas, as well as to build research service capabilities and infrastructure that support other RDI actors in these priority areas. Research opportunities include:

• Strategic research opportunities identified by national advisory boards mandated with establishing roadmaps, allocating resources, reviewing business plans and research agendas within the priority areas;
• Specific research projects commissioned and funded by government ministries to address research needs within ministries
• Research services to support projects commissioned and funded by industry to address specific scientific needs within the RDI priority areas

QRDI 2030 establishes a dedicated national research fund to provide financial support for national research groups and services.

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Research Series

The WISE Research Reports , produced in collaboration with recognized experts from around the world, address pressing global education issues and reflect the priorities of the Qatar National Research Strategy. These timely, comprehensive reports feature action-oriented recommendations and policy guidance for all education stakeholders, offering concrete, improved practices in specific contexts.

2023 Research Series

Post-pandemic National Educational Investments: School Leadership Development for Innovative Learning Designs

Gain insights into the urgent need for school leader development programs and the value of public-private partnerships. Learn how investing in leadership development can enhance educational recovery strategies and drive positive change in the post-pandemic era.

Leveraging the Evidence on the Relationship between Teacher and Student Well-being in Learning and Teaching: A Scoping Review and Educator and Student Interviews

In this extensive report, we present findings from two interrelated research studies that focused explicitly on exploring the relationship between teacher and student well-being in learning and teaching — a topic for which many questions remain.

Strengthening Learning Ecosystems in Qatar: Improving access to opportunity for all learners

A discussion paper by Rosie Clayton & Atif Shafique.

Qatar’s Edtech Testbed: Challenges and Opportunities for Building Collaborative Partnerships Toward Innovative, Tech-Enabled Teaching and Learning

A report by Dr. Seungah S. Lee and Victoria Basma.

2021 Research Series

Global education has been uniquely impacted by the pandemic, including in the way that our youth experience learning. The emerging research ecosystem is marked by an accelerated move to digital platforms and new ways of learning. It has enriched our understanding of shifting learning structures and the actions required to drive education development at every level.

This series of timely and comprehensive research reports feature action-oriented recommendations and policy guidance for stakeholders across the education industry and beyond. More to be released in the coming weeks.

#01 - Special Edition E-Book: Education Disrupted, Education Reimagined

by Asmaa Al-Fadala, Julia Kirby, Omar Zaki, Ahmed Baghdady, Dominic Regester – Salzburg Global Seminar, Diplomatic Courier

The E-Book offers an opportunity to a global audience to make sense of what happened but it also offers a breeding ground of ideas from some of the world’s top education thinkers.

#02 - Bridging the Evidence to Policy Gap: A Learning Partnership Approach to Research

by Asmaa Al-Fadala, Donvan Amenya, Rachael Fitzpatrick, Katie Godwin, Julia Kirby, Astrid Korin – The Education Commission, Education Development Trust, REB

The research used an innovative ‘learning partnership’ approach with Rwandan education stakeholders engaged as a critical ‘co-creation’ partner in each phase of the process – from designing the research questions to intrepreting the findings.

#03 - Embedding Innovation Labs in Schools as a Vehicle for Transformation in Education

by Jennifer S. Groff, Asmaa Al-Fadala, Julia Kirby, Omar Zaki, Maryam Al-Khalaf – Learning Futures Global

The report addresses the challenge of changing education and provides valuable practical insight into the practices and policies that can support and enhance the impact of providing innovation labs in schools.

#04 - Exploring Educational Ecosystems through the Lens of Intermediary Organizations: Insights for Policy and Practice

by Shelby Cosner, Sam Whalen, Meagan Richard, Martha Hebert – Center for Urban Education Leadership University of Illinois, Chicago

In this report, the authors unpack their research into mature non- system intermediary organizations and their important role as an educational ecosystem builder.

#05 - Teacher Wellbeing: Findings from a Scoping Literature Review and Case Studies in Cambodia, Kenya, and Qatar

by Rae Jean Proeschold-Bell, Malik Muhammad Sohail, Hy Huynh, Ahmed Baghdady, Vanroth Vann, Cyrilla Amanya, Maryam Al-Khalaf, Kathryn Whetten – Duke University, The WellBeing Project

This report covers two large endeavors. The first endeavor was a scoping literature review of 102 journal articles worldwide on teacher wellbeing for five-year. The second was a set of case studies with 90 teachers and 16 principals in high-performing schools in Cambodia, Kenya, and Qatar.

#06 - Developing Local Learning Ecosystems in Qatar to Advance Equity, Inclusion and Social Cohesion

by Rosie Clayton, Aurelio Amaral, Atif Shafique – WISE Learning Ecosystems

The research aims to better understand the potential of the learning ecosystems concept in Qatar. The study was conducted through a participatory action research approach, encompassing surveys, interviews and co- designed workshops with stakeholders, including learners.

#07 - Revisiting Equity: COVID-19 and Education of Children with Disabilities

by Nidhi Singal, Shruti Taneja-Johansson, Asmaa Al-Fadala, Ameiro Tadesse Mergia, Niraj Poudyal,Omar Zaki, Ali Sani Side, Dipesh Khadka, Samah Al Sabbagh – University of Cambridge

This research focuses on understanding the impact of COVID-19 on the education of children with disabilities and to suggest possible strategies to sustain their participation in education.

#08 - Technology Overuse Amongst Adolescents in Qatar – Preliminary Report

by Sana Al-Harahsheh, Raian Ali, Fatima Al Motawaa, Aisha Sultan, Azza Abdelmoneium, Ahmed Baghdady, Maryam Al-Khalaf, Feras Al-Meer – DIFI, WISH, HBKU

The report provides findings from the first phase of a study of how adolescents’ excessive use of digital technology in Qatar affects their health, education and family relationships.

#09 - Using Project-Based Learning in Low Resource Contexts Globally: Understanding the Choices and Challenges

by Sarojani S. Mohammed – Ed Research Works

This report set out to explore why project- based learning is implemented at such low rates overall, and whether the challenges and barriers to its implementation are different in resource-scarce settings across the globe as compared to settings in which resources are more readily available to schools.

#10 - Piloting Qatar’s First Edtech TestBed: The Journey Towards Best Practice, Sustainable Partnerships and Innovation

by Seungah S. Lee, Victoria Basma – Stanford University, WISE

The objective of this report is to share the WISE journey toward building a cohesive ecosystem where educators and entrepreneurs can work together toward shared goals of learning innovation and design.

2019 Research Series

Through the years, WISE Research has become a platform for original research on the 21 st century’s most pressing education challenges. In collaboration with our vast global network of scholars, thought leaders, and practitioners, the Research Report series is produced to encourage active discussion and debate about the most timely topics in the field, bridging the gap between theory, policy and practice. 

For 2019, the Research Report series delves into a wide range of important topics – including educational leadership, learning ecosystems, education of athletes, and language policy – all with practical implications for practitioners and policy-makers alike. These reports will be launched at the 2019 WISE Summit in Doha, where the authors will present their research findings to the Summit delegates. The reports will be available on the WISE website, and a limited number of printed editions will be availabile in English at the Summit itself. Selected reports will also be translated into Arabic and made available on the WISE website.

#01 - Local Learning Ecosystems: Emerging Models

by Valerie Hannon, Louise Thomas, Sarah Ward, Tom Beresford – Innovation Unit

The report explores the potential of learning ecosystems: first through a rapid review of recent writing by leading authors, and next, through nine case studies of initiatives at various stages of maturity.

#02 - Global Sport Development System and Athletes’ Access to Education

by B. David Ridpath, Peter Smolianov, Spencer Harris, Gerard Akindes, Wadih Ishac – Ohio University

The report explores elite sport development systems and aspects of educational attainment and opportunities for elite athletes in a variety of national sport development systems.

#03 - Language Policy in Globalized Contexts

by Dudley Reynolds – Carnegie Mellon University

The report urges educators to raise awareness about how languages are actually used in societies. The report invites us to embrace the various ‘ways of knowing’ across languages broadly, the unique benefits each language brings to the multilingual education space.

#04 - Global Competition for Talent: A Comparative Analysis of National Strategies for Attracting International Students

by Rajika Bhandari – Institute of International Education (IEE)

This research from our colleagues at the Institute of International Education (IIE), a long-time partner with WISE and Qatar Foundation, is a full portrait of the current state of global higher education for mobile students.

#05 - Promoting Youth Well-Being Through Health and Education: Insights and Opportunities

by Wing Yi Chan, Jennifer Sloan, Anita Chandra – RAND Corporation (co-funded by WISH)

The report contributes to a broadening field of inquiry that is dissolving the ‘silo’ separation of education and health fields, encourages all stakeholders to collaborate, and allows new voices in holistic approaches that offer improved academic achievement to be heard.

#06 - Educational Leadership: A Multilevel Distributed Perspective

by James Spillane, Richard Paquin Morel, Asmaa Al-Fadala – Northwestern University

The report describes and advocates for a model of multi-level distributed leadership in education that integrates diverse sources across education sectors as a tool for improved teaching and supporting equal opportunity. 

#07 - Evaluating the Impact of Global Citizenship Education on Young People’s Attitudes Towards Equality, Diversity and Tolerance

by Oakleigh Welply, Abderrahim Taamouti, Gabriel Bracons Font – Durham University

The research examines education policies, curricula, and scholarly work on global citizenship education internationally to map the discourse worldwide.

#08 - The Pursuit of Institutional Excellence: Case studies from Qatar

by Matthew Hartley, Alan Ruby, Ahmed Baghdady– University of Pennsylvania

This report attempts to provide an understanding of how some universities, which do not appear among the top ranked institutions, pursue and achieve excellence in their local contexts and serve their local and regional communities.

#09 - Secondary Education Governance in Sub-Saharan Africa

by Ahmed Baghdady, Omar Zaki – WISE

This report serves as background paper for a comprehensive report led by the MasterCard Foundation. The research complements recent WISE research in other non-western regions where increasing scrutiny on relevance and purpose drives the conversation and the action among education leaders.

2017 Research Series

The 2017 WISE Research Report series addresses a range of topics including school leadership and collaborative professionalism, design thinking, apprenticeship, disability, early childhood education, and migration, among others.

As a resource for the latest thinking, the WISE Reports encourage discussion at the 2017 global WISE summit and spark further research. The Reports are available on the WISE website. A limited number of printed editions in English were available at WISE 2017, 14-16 November. Selected reports were also available in Arabic editions.

#01 - Thinking and Acting Like a Designer: How design thinking supports innovation in K-12 education

by Annette Diefenthaler, Sandy Speicher, Laura Moorhead, Deirdre Cerminaro, Charla Bear – IDEO

The report examines how design thinking is used to fundamentally reimagine school models and systems, support change in school culture by transforming how educators work together, and support students to develop twenty-first century skills.

#02 - The Challenges and Implications of a Global Decline in the Educational Attainment and Retention of Boys

by Natasha Ridge, Susan Kippels, Brian Jaewon Chung – Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research

The report examines the unique challenges that affect the educational performance of boys across the globe, with a focus on Qatar, the UAE, the UK, Trinidad & Tobago, the Dominican Republic, and the United States.

#03 - Transition and Dropout in Lower Income Countries: Case studies of secondary education in Bangladesh and Uganda

by Samir Ranjan Nath, Denise Ferris, Mohammed Mahbubul Kabir, Tanjeeba Chowdhury, Anwar Hossain – BRAC

The report explores the contexts and reasons for secondary education transition and dropout in Bangladesh and Uganda.

#04 - How to Deliver Improved Outcomes for School Systems

by Michael Barber

The report offers guidance for policymakers and education ministries implementing reform for improved student outcomes, based on the wide experience of the author.

#05 - A Scan of Blended Learning Obstacles and Opportunities in Brazil, Malaysia and South Africa

by Julia Freeland Fisher, Katrina Bushko, Jenny White – Clayton Christensen Institute

The report explores blended learning programs and analyzes the experiences of sample schools in Brazil, Malaysia, and South Africa in using online learning to deliver content in more flexible and effective ways.

#06 - Inclusive Quality Education for Children with Disabilities

by Nidhi Singal, Hannah Ware, Shweta Khanna Bhutani – University of Cambridge

The report explores the ‘Three Rs’ model (Rights, Resources and Research) as a practical framework for advancing inclusive quality education for persons with disabilities.

#07 - Developing Agile Leaders of Learning: School leadership policy for dynamic times

by Simon Breakspear, Amelia Peterson, Asmaa Alfadala, Muhammad Salman Bin Mohamed Khair – LearnLabs / WISE

The report describes a dynamic process for developing ‘leadership for learning’ capabilities among school leaders and teachers for continual student improvement.

#08 - Meeting the Needs of Pupils with Autism in Qatar: Moving forward

by Karen Guldberg, Elaine Ashbee, Lila Kossyvaki, Ryan Bradley, Abdullah Basulayyim – University of Birmingham

The report examines Qatar’s progress in implementing its education plan for people with autism, considers challenges and opportunities, and suggests recommendations for improvement.

#09 - People and Policy: A comparative study of apprenticeship across eight national contexts

by Maia Chankseliani, Ewart Keep, Stephanie Wilde – University of Oxford

The report is a comparative study of apprenticeship systems in eight diverse countries, examining incentives and disincentives for learners and employers to participate in them, and considering policies that could support greater collaboration with government.

#10 - Early Childhood Development in Qatar: Status and opportunities for the future

by Samira Nikaein Towfighian, Lindsay Adams – World Bank

The report describes early childhood development policies, programs and outcomes in Qatar, identifies gaps and proposes policy options for strengthening ECD in the country.

#11 - A Multi-Country Study on the Education of Migrant Children

by J. Han, J. E. Delgado, R. Cheung Judge, C. Nordberg, P. Robru, X. Qi, B. Torut, Huynh Thi Ngoc Tuyet, W. Tang, H. Uemura, X. Xiang – 21st Century Education Research Institute

The report describes the varied contexts and circumstances of migrant children in seven countries, examining rights and successful initiatives, and making policy recommendations.

#12 - Collaborative Professionalism

by Andy Hargreaves, Michael T. O’Connor – Boston College

The report builds a case for collaborative professionalism as a crucial framework for building strong and effective teaching and learning, drawing on the experiences of several diverse communities globally, and making observations on what works and what doesn’t.

#13 - Securing the 21st Century Teacher Workforce: Global perspectives on teachers motivation, professionalism and retention

by Karen Edge, Eugene Dapper, Corrie Stone-Johnson, Keren Frayman, Reinier Terwindt, James Townsend, Sharath Jeevan – UCL Institute of Education / STIR Education

The report explores how various jurisdictions, at different levels of education systems, work to support teacher motivation for effective practice and student outcome.

2015 Research Series

The WISE Research Reports bring key topics to the forefront of the global education debate, and reflect the priorities of the Qatar National Research Strategy.

In collaboration with recognized experts, researchers and thought-leaders, WISE has produced timely, comprehensive reports featuring concrete, improved practices from around the world, as well as recommendations for policy-makers, educators and change-makers. The WISE Research Reports focus on system-level innovation, teacher education, early-childhood education, new ways of financing education, entrepreneurship education, wellbeing, twenty-first century skills, and managing education reform in the Gulf Corporation Council countries.

#01 - Driving Grades, Driving Growth: How Private Capital in Education is Increasing Access, Inspiring Innovation, and Improving Outcomes

by Mr. Ashwin Assomull, Ms Maryanna Abdo, Ms Roisin Pelley

This report explores the ways that private capital is deployed to finance education by highlighting case studies of high-growth organizations in various education sectors.

#02 - Entrepreneurship Education: A Global Consideration From Practice to Policy Around the World

by Dr. Patricia G. Greene, Dr. Candida G. Brush, Dr. Elaine J. Eisenman, Dr. Heidi Neck, Mr. Sam Perkins

This report identifies the current state of entrepreneurship education and training around the world, and establishes an inventory of best practices.

#03 - Creative Public Leadership: How School System Leaders Can Create the Conditions for System-wide Innovation

by Mr. Joe Hallgarten, Ms Valerie Hannon, Mr. Tom Beresford

This report aims to support system leaders in defining the potential benefits and the key drivers of system innovation in public services, as well as to identify the conditions that promote and inhibit it.

#04 - Teacher Policies: Global Best Practices for Developing the Teaching Profession

by Prof. Oon Seng Tan

The report identifies ten key aspects of teacher policies the world over, and explores effective, successful examples that characterize these features.

#05 - Quality in Early Childhood Education: an International Review and Guide for Policy Makers

by Dr. David Whitebread, Dr. Martina Kuvalja, Dr. Aileen O’Connor

This report explores the key international developments in early childhood education, including the main principles for provision, pedagogy and curriculum.

#06 - Learning and Well-being: An Agenda for Change

by Prof. Marwan Awartani, Ms Janet Looney

This report examines how to define, measure and foster learning for well-being in schools and through policies. It analyses six case studies of positive practices from different regions.

#07 - K-12 Reform in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Countries: Challenges and Policy Recommendations

by Dr. Asmaa Alfadala

The report identifies and compares the development of the education reform initiatives put in place in selected countries of the GCC countries, with particular focus on Qatar, The United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

#08 - Education for the Future: The Global Experience of Developing Twenty-first Century Skills and Competencies

by Prof. Jian Liu

Through a literature review of more than 15 countries over the past ten years, the report aims to understand how twenty-first century skills have been implemented, and to describe the current state.

2014 Research Series

Both first editions address the theme of creativity and bring complementary perspectives and insights toward defining creativity, analyzing its functions, and harnessing it to stimulate more engaged learning and problem-solving.

#01 - Learning to Make a Difference: School as a Creative Community

by Charles Leadbeater

Drawing on some of the most innovative organizations in the world, the author builds a case for schools as a place where children go to explore, create, make and learn together in a creative community with a cause. School should be the place where learners can discover their passions and purpose –and inspire their active and collaborative, problem-solving learning.

#02 - Explorations of Creativity: a Review for Educators and Policy Making

by Helen Abadzi, Marialuisa Martelli and Silvia Primativo

In this comprehensive and accessible review, multiple strands of research are woven together revealing intriguing mechanisms and linkages in the creative process. The work dramatizes the powerful implications of creativity for learning, and suggests how we may benefit from these insights at any age.

The  Agile Leaders of Learning Innovation Network (ALL-IN)  is targeted at policymakers, leadership development providers, academics and other relevant experts interested in co-designing sustainable school leadership development programs.

ALL-IN draws all of them together to share innovative approaches and accelerate the design of new high-quality, high-scale models. ALL-IN aims to:

• Curate discussions with school leadership development providers by creating a community of practice
• Develop ways of thinking about evaluating and learning the impact of leadership development and principal support initiatives
• Serve as a springboard for research that captures and designs coherent school leadership policies and high-impact practices in the network and beyond
• Positively impact student achievement and well-being outcomes through innovative and effective school leadership approaches

February 20, 2019: WISE@Paris

WISE held the third working session for the Agile Leaders of Learning Innovation Network (ALL-IN) in Paris on February 20, 2019. The ALL-IN workshop in Paris was the largest gathering, with 42 people mainly comprising of leaders of school associations, leadership program providers, researchers and policy makers from 14 countries. The meeting included high profiles in the field such as Beatriz Pont, Senior Policy Analyst in the OECD Directorate for Education and Skills. Darleen V. Opfer, Vice President and Director of RAND Education, whom shared a recent school leadership intervention evaluation toolkit by RAND. As well as Anthony Mackay, CEO of the National Centre on Education and the Economy, and members of the International Education Leadership Centres Network.

As with the Accra and New York workshops, the meeting in Paris provided an opportunity for participants to share their insights, exchange knowledge and to network. The ALL-IN meeting was facilitated by Dr. Asmaa Al-Fadala, Director of Research at WISE and Dr. Simon Breakspear, CEO of Learn Labs Global. The Paris meeting consisted of four agendas:

• State of the field: Cross Country Learning 
• Innovative Case Studies of Leadership Development
• Progressing the Agenda: Collaborative Working Groups  
• Case Study Group Meeting 

The ‘Innovative Case Studies of Leadership Development’ session included insightful presentations from academics and program providers in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong and Singapore. The last session of the meeting was the case study group meeting, this gave an opportunity for five researchers to coordinate with five leadership program providers whom were paired prior to the meeting. The researchers will conduct fieldwork by studying the programs, see what works and how others can learn from the successes of these programs. The Paris meeting allowed for the researchers to take suggestions from participants on what to consider and identify when studying the leadership programs. The five reports will be presented and discussed further at WISE 2019.

September 22, 2018: WISE@ NY

WISE held the second working session for the Agile Leaders of Learning Innovation Network (ALL-IN) in New York City on September 22, 2018. The ALL-IN workshop gathered 25 people from five continents, comprising of academics, experts, school association leaders and program providers who specialize in school leadership development.

The workshop provided an opportunity for the participants to share their unique experiences, exchange knowledge about their programs and discuss ways to address current challenges through innovative policies and practices to empower successful school leadership.

Some of the key takeaways of the New York session:

• The need to understand multiple perspectives of school leadership and explore best practices taking place around the world.
• Develop a better definition of leadership and consider competencies or standards for leadership quality.
• The need for a knowledge base of updated research on school leadership and making this accessible to a wide audience. Alternatively, an interactive reference of leadership models, examples and solutions.
• The importance of measuring impact and gaining data to develop a strong evidence base for effective policy implementation and change, particularly at the school and district level.

May 2018: WISE@ Accra

The ALL-IN Working Session aims to gather school leadership development organizations and school leader associations, especially from African countries, who are creating sustainable school leadership development programs in support of their school leaders.

Participants were able to share their key building blocks of leadership development, innovative practices, impact and current challenges. Through spirals of inquiry, they had the opportunity to evaluate their programs and co-design solutions, features and improved high-quality, high-scale models.

For more information please contact us at  [email protected]

November 2019: WISE 2019

The fourth ALL-IN meeting in Doha had over 35 participants, many of them previous participants, as well as education experts and school leaders local to Qatar. The program discussed the vision for WISE in the area of school leadership development and the state of the school leadership development globally. Participants carried out two design challenges, the first was how to scale with quality and the second was how to better formulate and evaluate the impact of leadership programs on knowledge, skills and dispositions. The meeting concluded with a discussion on a blueprint for ALL-IN in 2020 it’s mission to build a collective movement.

The meeting concluded with the following next steps: 

Objectives for the networking: 

Sharing leadership practices around the network; and

Scaling up models and impact evaluations.

Five cases and the work and observations that have come out of the studies 

Making connections between each other 

ICSEI working group in January 2020 in Marrakech 

WISE@Bogotá and Medellín, 2020; regional networking with Vicky Colbert 

WISE’s new strategy – Educational Leadership Track is one of the areas of primary focus

ALL-IN Working Sessions

Wise global education barometer, youth perceptions on their education and their future.

On the occasion of the International Day of Education, WISE has released an extensive study on the views of young people. Conducted by Ipsos, the survey was undertaken in 20 countries across the globe, in order to understand how the youth perceive their education and how prepared and confident they feel in their future. These results have been initially revealed at the “Learning for people, planet, prosperity and peace” conference on January 24, 2020. Key findings will be included in the work conducted by UNESCO’s Futures of Education and CRI’s Learning Planet initiatives. 

9,500 people aged 16 to 25 were surveyed in 20 countries across the globe, including in the Middle East (Qatar, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey), Africa (Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa), Asia (China, India, Malaysia, South Korea), the Americas (Brazil, Canada, Mexico, the United States) and Europe (Finland, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Russia). In each country, a representative sample (quota method) of the national population aged 16-25 was interviewed online. 

Three major trends from the survey stand out:

1. Young people believe their generation has a responsibility to better the planet, yet only half feel ready to better the world around them. They don’t necessary expect schools to make them more active and well-rounded citizens, but rather to be ready for the future on a personal level.

2. Young people value education and express an overall satisfaction with the education they’ve received. They trust the educational system and their teachers in their ability to provide them with useful skills and knowledge. However, they also expect more diversity in their learning experiences and they would like schooling to give more space to new technologies and creativity, curiosity or collaboration.

3. A major area for improvement in schools, according to the youth, is the need for equal opportunities for all, especially between boys and girls. 

Conducted by

Special edition e-book: education disrupted, education reimagined, responses from education’s frontline during the covid-19 pandemic and beyond.

Written over the course of the first five months of the COVID-19 pandemic, WISE’s Special Edition E-Book, Education Disrupted, Education Reimagined: Thoughts and Responses from Education’s Frontline During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond tells the education story during the COVID-19 crisis in real time, through a collection of over 40 articles and essays written by key stakeholders on education’s frontline during the crisis, including from schools, NGOs, governments, and international organizations.

WISE-JobTeaser Survey: “Preparing the New Generation for the Future of Work”

On the occasion of WISE@Paris taking place on February 20-21, 2019, the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) and its partner JobTeaser, the European leader in career guidance and the recruitment of young talent, have asked Ipsos to conduct an extensive survey that dives into the prospects of the European youth, employers and educators regarding the future of work and learning.

This survey, titled “Preparing the New Generation for the Future of Work”, highlights the paradoxical views of the European youth who, while they feel optimistic about the future of work, also think that they are not well prepared to it by their national education systems. Find out more about the expectations of the youth regarding their job-readiness and the future of work here:

WISE-Gallup Survey: “Connecting Education to the Real World”

The 2015 WISE Education Survey: Connecting education to the real world, focuses on how well education systems around the world are preparing students for work and what can be done to support this vital task.

It represents the views of the WISE global community of education experts – teachers, students, recent graduates, policy makers, non-profit workers and members of the private sector – who connect with WISE
 on education reform issues.

Gallup conducted the survey online from August 6-31, 2015, completed by 1,550 WISE education experts representing 149 countries 
in nine major global regions. While the data are not projectable to any larger population, the results provide valuable insights from this globally and professionally diverse group of experts into how the education systems in their countries are performing in a variety of ways.

WISE Survey: “School in 2030“

Are teachers obsolete? Will online content make traditional brick-and-mortar schools a thing of the past? Will there be one global education language? Should school focus on personal skills rather than academic knowledge? Will company certification be on a par with diplomas? These are some of the issues tackled by the 2014 WISE Survey: School in 2030.

The “2030 School Survey” was conducted between June 3 and 30, 2014, among 645 participants representative of the global WISE community, which comprises more than 15,000 individuals.

Five prominent voices have commented on the results and shared their insights on the school of the future: Professor Noam Chomsky, Ms Julia Gillard, Professor Sugata Mitra, Mr. John B. Mahaffie and Dr. Yasar Jarrar.

Other publications

Wise policy brief - early childhood education in qatar: a snapshot.

The policy brief presents the outcome of the October, 2016 WISE Early Childhood Education Forum in Doha, attended by some 150 local teachers and education leaders. This gathering was facilitated by Prof. David Whitebread of the University of Cambridge, lead author of the WISE Report, “Quality in Early Childhood Education: an International Review and Guide for Policy Makers,” published in partnership with Cambridge University.

The WISE Report provides the foundation for the new policy brief. The policy brief highlights nine specific, practical recommendations to support effective ECE provision in Qatar.

WISE has collaborated with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Qatar Academy, Qatar University, and with the Cambridge University team toward achieving these goals and recommendations for Qatar’s schools –and for its youngest students.

SDG 4: Investing in Knowledge Sharing to Advance SDG 4

“A new paradigm in global development is needed to sustain the progress of the last generation,” explains Larry Summers in the Foreword of this report. For global education, a key element of this new paradigm is improved knowledge sharing across borders.

In 2016, The Learning Generation report called for the international community to invest in a global education ecosystem that could “promote cross-border learning and sharing of innovations and grow the capacity of leaders and practitioners across sectors.” This report supports that call by advancing a more robust vision for effective global knowledge sharing based on 16 months of research, interviews, and consultations with more than 200 education stakeholders.

The report argues that in order to accelerate progress towards SDG 4, global, national, and local actors should embrace the following findings:

1. Knowledge sharing should integrate global public goods, capacity development, and networks.

Global public goods, while important are not enough. Capacity development is necessary to enable practitioners to adapt and use global public goods effectively, and networks help ground them in local needs, make them widely available, and facilitate their improvement over time.

2. Key criteria should be followed to ensure the effectiveness of knowledge sharing efforts.

Knowledge sharing efforts sometimes fail, in predictable ways. Criteria for investments in knowledge sharing, as well as effective global public goods, capacity development efforts, and networks can provide guidance for investments of time, talent, and financial resources.

3.  More and better investment is needed to fund knowledge sharing infrastructure.

In addition to more funding, better funding is needed for knowledge sharing in education. Funders should consider flexible funding approaches and recognize alternate approaches to measuring to enable further investment in knowledge sharing.

In addition, the report outlines four case studies from the perspective of different education actors that demonstrate the import of these findings.

Chalo Parho Barho:

a program developed by Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi, which leverages global knowledge sharing to improve learning outcomes in Pakistan

The Education Workforce Initiative:

an initiative of the Education Commission with the goal of transforming the global education workforce

Moving Minds Alliance:

an emerging network focused on coordinating action to improve Early Childhood Development in emergency situations

Omidyar Network:

a philanthropic investment firm that prioritizes sector-level impact, including investments in knowledge sharing infrastructure

All education actors have a role to play in hastening the spread of effective practices and accelerating progress toward the vision of The Learning Generation and the objectives of SDG 4. This report provides insights and tools to help both funders and practitioners advance knowledge sharing across borders.

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Stories / Research

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“When you invest in women, you invest in a more sustainable future,” says QF alumna

The HBKU graduate’s work was recognized with a second win at the Education Excellence Award 2023 on the impact of air pollution

QF’s HBKU Press promotes Arabic research globally

Arabic academic journals help develop and preserve scientific language

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QF partner university staff develop walkable solar tiles for use at FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™

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The importance of debunking men’s mental health myths

Experts at QF discuss disorders that threaten the wellbeing of families and society

From contestant to a judge on QF’s Stars of Science

Dr. Ahmed Nabeel, a Kuwaiti, returned to Season 14 of the edutainment program and talks about his “journey in the world of innovation”

QF’s Stars Of Science crowns first female winner

Omani finalist Sumaiya Said Sulaiman Al Siyabi claimed the title of top Arab innovator

SOS finalist engineers better human health through innovation

Hereditary hypertension inspires novel technology showcased on QF’s edutainment TV show

QF's WISH summit looks at the future of hospitals after covid

Medical experts discuss how healthcare facilities of the future can be pandemic-proof

Art for mental health support in Sidra Medicine

Art therapist and researcher in Qatar Foundation’s Sidra Medicine explains how art is used as an outlet to cope during patients’ hospital stay

From PhD researcher to SOS innovator

QF’s Stars of Science contestant highlights how PhD research at Hamad Bin Khalifa University inspired his novel technology

How to win Qatar Foundation’s Stars of Science

Neuroscientist Dr Walid Albanna talks about his journey from contestant to judge, and where he sees the hit TV show going next

QF’s Stars of Science connecting the dots of innovation in Qatar

SOS brings together experts who understand technology and product design to support the creation of prototypes

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A psychiatric consultant and an expert in family policy development from Qatar Foundation stress the importance of observing key factors, and provide scientific advice on how to deal with such cases.

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QF art therapist talks about different tools that be used used for stress and pain management in children

QFI research shows Arabic is growing around the world

Qatar Foundation International’s research supports the teaching of the language beyond the MENA

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QLA’s Ibrahim Al Hoori, one of the final nominees for the Akhlaquna Award, seeks to raise awareness of the importance of connecting with nature

Arabic website offering scientific information is nominated for Akhlaquna award

Lack of scientific information in Arabic inspired Maha Ghassan Homos to come up with Nutripedia

Scientists at QF develop a platform to give doctors access to data from smartwatches

Ummar Abbas, Senior Software Engineer at Qatar Computing Research Institute, leads the development of SIHA – a decision support system for clinicians that uses data from wearables

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Dr. Saud Ghani, the mastermind behind the novel outdoor cooling technology, details its development process and the support he received from QF’s funding entity

Medical students at QF talk about the pros and cons of virtual learning

Despite the challenges, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar students support blended learning even after the pandemic is over

Op-ed: Why the Ukraine crisis raises a food security question for the Middle East

Threats to food supply as a result of the conflict could have implications for the MENA region, according to political researcher and Qatar Foundation communications professional Zeidon Alkinani.

Psychologist at QF explains why being connected in a hyper digital world comes at the cost of our wellbeing

WCM-Q’s Sobia Rahman sheds light on why the human mind could be struggling with distraction in today’s hyperconnected world

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QF workers take advantage of preventive breast cancer screening

Health education efforts offered free of charge to educate and empower workers across Education City

In her own words: What it’s like to get yourself checked for breast cancer in your 20s

Ryme Alhussayni, a member of QF’s Communication Directorate, writes about her family history of breast cancer and her bumpy journey of getting herself checked

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QEERI’s Dr. Marcello Contestabile talks about pathways Qatar can use to create a road map to reach its aim of 25 percent reduction in GHG emissions by 2030

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Climate tech partnership between QF and Rolls-Royce highlights how non-profit organizations are ideal partners in solving toughest challenges, says Omran Hamad Al-Kuwari

Youth from Qatar drive home the need for climate education at COP26

Young activists from QF’s THIMUN Qatar say youth must be listened to and involved in protecting the future during crucial global climate conference

AI revolution in healthcare does not eliminate role of doctors, says scientist at QF

Dr. Faisal Farooq, from HBKU’s QCRI, pointed out that artificial intelligence will change many aspects of healthcare as the role of doctors and healthcare providers continue to evolve

Experts at QF propose an energy efficiency report card for buildings in Qatar

“Instead of looking at it as an exposé which will uncover shortcomings, we need to look at it as a learning process that offers us the opportunity to improve our energy efficiency”, says scientist at QF

“Breaking the ivory towers”: connecting universities and schools means better education, says new book co-edited by QF’s President of Higher Education

Francisco Marmolejo, President of Higher Education, Qatar Foundation, and co-editor of the book, talks about exploring the impact of collaboration between educational institutions amid the pandemic

Qatar genomics study unlocks secrets of the past to help shape future of healthcare for millions

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On Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s 10th anniversary, Francisco Marmolejo, QF’s President of Higher Education, speaks about how it has assumed a pivotal role within the Education City ecosystem of knowledge.

Away from the pursuit of perfection, when is aesthetic surgery a psychological and physical necessity?

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Dr. Florent David, Senior Equine Surgeon at the Equine Veterinary Medical Center, works toward establishing swimming rehabilitation protocols for horses

QF explains the role that green buildings can play in promoting a greener way of life

At Project Qatar 2021, QGBC launches booklet directed at sustainability experts with information that can be applied in real-world scenarios

First Qatari woman to be an SOS finalist wants more women to come forward with their ideas

Iman Al-Hamad, who participated in Season 12 of QF’s Stars of Science, aspires to leave an imprint on the global, digital-transformation journey

QF students offer their solutions to real-world issues at climate summit

THIMUN Qatar’s panel in Milan highlighted the skills that students gain as Model United Nations members – and how they go beyond debating and public speaking

Fighting climate change is up to every one of us, QF panel told at global Youth4Climate conference

QGBC and THIMUN Qatar participate in educators panel discussion in Milan

Review: How the Education City app is a gate to a vibrant world

An overview of the characteristics, unique features, and future potential of the EC App

Urgent need to restore services for individuals with autism, says expert at QF

Dr. Fouad Al-Shaban from QBRI at QF’s HBKU details the effects the pandemic has had on those with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Immediate need for climate change laws in the country, says QF environmental law expert

Dr. Damilola S. Olawuyi, energy and environmental law professor at HBKU, notes that addressing the urgency of the climate crisis will require clear and comprehensive laws.

WISE Prize winner launches book on learnings from his innovative school

Larry Rosenstock, winner of the 2019 WISE Prize for Education – created by QF’s global education initiative – continues to contribute to education through his book

COVID-19, schools, and children’s mental health – how we can help to build our youth’s resilience

Dr. Ahsan Nazeer Division Chief of Child and Adolescent Mental Health at QF’s Sidra Medicine, shed light on ways to support children amid the ongoing pandemic

Reconstructing childrens’ lives using plastic surgery

Surgical procedures at Qatar Foundation’s Sidra Medicine go beyond appearances

Pandemic has opened doors for entrepreneurs to shape the future, Netflix co-founder tells QF's Education City Speaker Series

Marc Randolph, co-founder and first CEO of Netflix, calls on entrepreneurs to build businesses that will be 'relevant today, and relevant when the world changes'

“Failure is a turning point in the path to success,” former Stars of Science contestant says

Zainab Abusuhail, season nine contestant of the QF edutainment program, talks about her journey in innovation and her views of failure as an essential part of learning

Op-ed: Applying engineering’s principles to learning

Babar Ali, Founder and Headmaster of Ananda Siksha Niketan, a school in India that has vastly increased accessibility to education, writes about the tools and techniques required to help students truly learn effectively.

‘Palestinians will continue their fight until Palestine is free’ says QF graduate

Bayan Khaled, a research fellow at HBKU, talks about her first trip back to her homeland

A picture is no longer worth 1,000 words, says AI expert at QF

Dr. Husrev Taha Sencar, Principal Scientist at HBKU’s QCRI, sheds light on what deepfakes mean and how it can be used to manipulate the truth

How the Palestinian struggle brings both mental strain – and pride

Traumatized people struggle to feel safe about the future, Sidra Medicine expert says

Op-ed: Where to find motivation to learn? Not (only) in school

Opportunities to learn and grow don't need to be tied to school grounds, according to Aurelio Amaral, Head of the Learning Ecosystems Track at QF’s World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) - our passions can create more active and engaged learners in the long run.

QF researchers participate in global genomic study that releases findings for potential therapies in COVID-19 patients

Researchers from Qatar Foundation Research, Development, and Innovation’s Qatar Genome Programme contribute toward global initiative that can lead to therapeutic targets in addition to the protection conferred by the vaccines

Op-ed: Work in the time of COVID-19 - A legal perspective

Dr. Susan L. Karamanian, Dean, College of Law, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, on how the law has responded to a pandemic-induced transformation of employment practices.

QF entity’s Arabic comic strip on genomics spurs young minds

Dima Darwish from Qatar Genome talks about what prompted her to create this comic strip and what it aims to achieve

Climate change means more than just a change in temperature, says QF scientist

Mohammed Ayoub from HBKU’s QEERI says research needs to look at how the economy will be affected in addition to human life

Qatar can bring the world together on climate change, QF sustainability expert tells UN forum

Omran Hamad Al-Kuwari, CEO of Qatar Foundation International, says the nation is positioned to make “difficult conversation” between Global South and North happen

QF research explores the use of agriculture’s black gold to boost food production

Researchers at HBKU are using local organic waste to lay the groundwork for a circular economy in agriculture

A first in Qatar: QF’s Sidra Medicine produces eye drops to treat 10-month-old girl with ultra-rare disease

Multidisciplinary team effort at Sidra Medicine produces country’s first plasma eye drops, treats Qatari baby with “one-in-a-million” condition

Op-ed: What QSTP’s ecosystem means for Stars of Science

Wadha Al Adgham, Program Manager of Education at Qatar Foundation’s Qatar Science & Technology Park, outlines how the edutainment show will augment the Qatar Foundation Research, Development and Innovation ecosystem in its new environment

Palestinian QF graduate to continue her academic journey at MIT

Zeina Barghouti, a mechanical engineering graduate from TAMUQ, talks about her university experience and her future plans

QF’s Sidra Medicine research to help develop targeted therapies for childhood cancers

Sidra Medicine’s newly established pediatric cancer biorepository aims to deliver precision medicine for every child with cancer

Op-ed: How Ramadan can be an opportunity for both spiritual renewal and sustainability

Sulaiman Bah, Community Engagement and Outreach Coordinator, Minaretein (Education City Mosque) on how the lessons of the Holy Month can raise our environmental consciousness

Op-ed: Ramadan, modernity, and our cultural traditions

Dr. Dheen Mohamed, Professor of Comparative Religion at HBKU’s College of Islamic Studies, says that the spirit of Ramadan can bring man back to his original state

Op-ed: Gender, migration, and border regimes – what Aida’s story tells us

Dr. Sophie Richter-Devroe, Associate Professor in the Master of Arts in Women, Society and Development at QF member Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences, on how the tightening of EU migration and asylum law has a particular impact on young women.

Qatar Genome Research Consortium reports first and largest comprehensive genetic association study in Middle East

Researchers identify genetic associations with 45 clinically relevant traits in the Qatari population

QF-funded start-up to offer personalized itineraries for FIFA World Cup 2022 visitors

VIAVII, supported by QSTP’s tech venture fund, will provide more meaningful cultural experiences hosted and curated by Qatar’s residents

Collaborative approach needed to reduce Qatar’s mounting corrosion costs, says QF researcher

Dr. Hanan Farhat from Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute believes corrosion costs could be halved if industries adopt a proactive corrosion management approach

Qatar Foundation school instills recycling culture among its students

Qatar Academy Msheireb teacher raises awareness about sustainability so children can become changemakers

QF career experts talk about entering the job market amid a global pandemic

Those in the know at Qatar Career Development Center look at how COVID-19 has reshaped the professional landscape – and how fresh graduates can meet the challenges head on

Op-ed: Sustainable options for transporting the energy of natural gas

Dr. Yusuf Bicer and Mohammed Al-Breiki of QF member Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s College of Science and Engineering on a research project designed to identify cheaper, more efficient, and more environmentally-friendly ways of moving Qatar’s greatest energy export around the world.

QF RDI efforts ramp up fight against ‘silent killer’ of oil & gas pipelines

QNRF project results in the development of a smart corrosion sensor

Agility, adaptability, and digital transformation: how COVID-19 saw QF embrace a new normal

Members of the Education City community explain how shifts in strategies and approaches amid a global pandemic kept people connected, produced positive outcomes, and raised optimism

QF project to use art therapy to help fight depression and anxiety in children

QNRF-funded initiative to develop a virtual pilot program in collaboration with National Museum of Qatar

Young Qataris pursue rewarding careers in science, research, and innovation

Qatari women who are part of QF’s research, development, and innovation ecosystem talk about the need to build homegrown human capacity and create a more well-established RDI landscape in their country

Students at QF advocate for vaccine

NU-Q undergrads talk about the importance of taking the vaccine and continuing to social distance.

QF psychiatrists explain the importance of self-expression in children

“For a child, creative expression is one of the most natural things in the world,” says Sidra Medicine doctor

Unable to breastfeed, but still a good mother

One woman talks about societal pressures to nurse, while a doctor from QF’s Sidra medicine explains how these conversations can affect a new parent’s mental health.

QF member highlights importance of equality in international webinar

DIFI plays active role as key issue is debated at major United Nations gathering

Even with AI moving into classrooms, teachers will always be in demand: QF alumnus

Touhami Abi says moving away from a “one-size-fits-all’ theory is what educational technology is seeking to achieve.

QF infectious disease expert addresses COVID-19 vaccine concerns

Professor Laith Abu-Raddad, Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, answers questions about the COVID-19 vaccine

QF vet solves case of a mystery flu in Arabian horses

Dr. Camilla Jamieson, Senior Clinical Veterinarian at the Equine Veterinary Medical Center, explored why Arabian foals suffer from a puzzling runny nose

How our saliva is a stepping stone to precision medicine

Dr. Souhaila Al Khodor, Director of Sidra Medicine’s Maternal and Child Health Program, has developed the first salivary microbiome composition of the Qatari population

“The relationship between education and the economy is integral”

Dr. Asmaa Al-Fadala, Director of Research and Content Development at the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) - QF’s global education initiative- talks about the importance of education to economic growth

Analyzing Marriage in the Time of COVID-19

QF entity discusses impact of pandemic on relationships, marriages, and families

Stigmas surrounding disability create marriage and family obstacles, DIFI conference is told

Panel explores ways to tackle marital challenges facing people with disabilities

What makes precision medicine the future of healthcare

Time for “one size fits all” to become history in healthcare industry, precision medicine experts say in QF-backed Al Jazeera documentary

DIFI international conference advocates for progressive policies to build stronger marriages

QF member offers insights on how to address marital challenges on last day of international conference

Vaccination and taking responsibility is the way out of the pandemic, QF’s Education City Speaker Series hears

Online discussion in collaboration with WISH shares global perspectives on vaccines – and Qatar’s vaccination target

Be selective with digital media to avoid damaging relationships, DIFI conference hears

Discussion sees panelists question whether technology is the doom of modern marriage

Learning how to reverse the effects of diabetes

QDA strives to educate those living with the disease

QF and Roche partner with the aim of taking precision medicine into mainstream healthcare

Collaboration with international pharmaceutical company will also create life-science opportunities for Qatari students

This is why we love science, say QF students

A passion for science and a conducive educational environment is helping these women walk the scientific path.

2020 silenced the noise, now it’s time to listen: QF survey analyzes how COVID-19 has changed us

Dr. Aicha Hind Rifai, a professor of clinical psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, reflects on the human experience of the pandemic as unveiled by a survey among the QF community.

Young Arab woman scientist at QF is on a mission to improve drug development

Dr. Isra Marei, Post-Doctoral Associate in Pharmacology at Weill Cornell Medicine – Qatar, is working toward engineering 3D vascular grafts for cardiovascular drug screening

Op-ed: Looking at how Stars of Science and QSTP support young Arab innovators

Hayfa Al-Abdulla, Innovation Director at Qatar Science & Technology Park, on her experience as a guest judge on the edutainment show, and the show’s impact as a thriving innovation ecosystem

How a QF school is keeping its girls engaged in science

On the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, Kym Amimo Lusiola, a teacher from Qatar Academy for Science and Technology, talks about the role the school has in raising young scientists.

How QF is empowering the next generation of precision medicine workers

Two women trained in precision medicine discuss their goals for the field and its importance to the healthcare industry

World Cancer Day: QF expert developing AI tech to reduce side effects of radiotherapy

Dr. Othmane Bouhali, Director of Research Computing and Professor at TAMU-Q, says personalized radiation dose for breast cancer can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Start investing in the idea of clean energy: QF researcher

Dr. Veronica Bermudez from HBKU’s QEERI discusses decarbonization and how it has to be embedded into the economy, society, and the environment

Op-ed: As the world battles a pandemic, let's give science the credit it deserves

Aisha Tanvir, a member of QF’s Communication Directorate, writes about how an increased appreciation for science might be the biggest winner of the year 2020

Why Qatar Academy Doha is the school of choice in Qatar

Admissions for QF school’s 2021/2022 academic year now open

“As the COVID-19 generation, our strength shows in our resilience”: QF students

On International Day of Education, students from QF partner universities talk about the shift in their learning experience during the pandemic

Media Majlis at QF partner university wins top digital award

Innovative and engaging media museum – the first in the Arab world - claims accolade in 2020 Digital Signage Expo APEX Awards

In his own words: I received the COVID-19 vaccine. Here’s why you should, too

Dr. Ahmed Elmagarmid, Executive Director of Qatar Computing Research Institute – part of QF’s Hamad Bin Khalifa University – on his experience of being vaccinated against COVID-19, and why he believes the vaccine is vital to defeating the pandemic

QF computing expert discusses use of Artificial Intelligence in digital forensics

Dr. Husrev Taha Sencar from Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s Qatar Computing Research Institute highlights the importance of digital forensics in a highly computerized world

QF researchers and King Hussein Cancer Center deepen understanding of Arab region’s breast cancer complexity

Initiative aims to discover novel susceptibility genes in Arab population and support early detection of those at high genetic risk of breast cancer

QF’s WISE launches new initiative because “the school system is not enough”

The Learning Ecosystems Living Lab aims to create a global community that looks at innovative ways to learn in different regions

In her own words: They told me that my innovation dream was impossible. Now I share my success with them

As innovators across the Arab world are encouraged to apply for the next season of Stars of Science, Kuwaiti engineer Jenan Al-Shehab relives her experience of QF’s innovation TV show

A healthy, active child is a happy child, QF experts explain

Sidra Medicine experts provide parents with advice on how to raise healthy, happy children

Refusing COVID-19 vaccine is a personal choice with public consequences, says expert at QF

Laith Abu-Raddad, Professor at Qatar Foundation partner university Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, says risk posed by not vaccinating is far greater than any risk associated with receiving the vaccine

‘In 2020, a year of challenges, we are proud of our country, our leadership, and our youth’

Aysha Al-Ansari, Head of the Heritage Collection at Qatar National Library, speaks about how the Qatari identity has evolved, and what the Qatar of today represents to its people

QF’s Equine Veterinary Medical Center to oversee local animal research

Special committee will ensure ethical standards are upheld in studies.

Using fish to diagnose diseases in humans

Researchers at Sidra Medicine, a Qatar Foundation medical and research center, are working with zebrafish to understand human disease, particularly in children

Technology transfer is what Qatar needs to create a knowledge-based economy, says QF expert

QF Innovator of the year 2020 says research seldom makes an impact by staying in the lab

COVID has caused a rise in mental health issues among children, experts say

QF’s global health initiative sees experts explore mental health challenges for children and adolescents

Now more than ever, young people should consider becoming journalists, says QF partner university’s new dean

Dean Marwan M. Kraidy, dean of Northwestern University in Qatar, speaks about his hopes and plans for its future, freedom of speech, the path ahead for journalism in the Middle East – and why he is worried about social media companies

Expect a new normal for the sporting world, experts tell WISH

QF’s global health initiative addresses opportunities and challenges associated with hosting mega sporting events

Op-ed: Can nonprofits be game-changers in responding to climate change?

Omran Hamad Al-Kuwari, a Doctoral Researcher in the Institute for Sustainable Resources, writes about the important role nonprofit organizations have played in the response to fighting COVID-19, but can they also continue to find solutions to problems that neither public nor private organizations can solve alone in addressing climate change

Dr. Anthony Fauci at WISH 2020: “Pandemic will end with a vaccine and public health measures”

White House coronavirus task force member and HIV/AIDS researcher speaks at virtual summit by QF’s global health initiative

Half the solution to mental health lies in asking the right questions, Her Excellency Sheikha Hind tells QF’s WISH

Session at global health initiative’s virtual summit focuses on whether health and education are being properly integrated

‘Document love, not disability’, humanitarian photographer tells QF’s Education City Speaker Series

Online talk in collaboration with WISH sees Afghan blast victim Giles Duley speak about the challenges of perception that people with disabilities still face

QF scientists ask if immunity passports are the future

Researchers at Sidra Medicine, a Qatar Foundation entity, are developing a test to support the call for immunity passports and facilitate the return to normality

Morgan Freeman tells WISH: ‘If we keep working together, we will heal’

Hollywood star delivers keynote speech during virtual summit by QF’s global healthcare initiative

QF’s WISH explores why involving youth is vital for a healthier world

Summit session in collaboration with Qatar Medical Students’ Association is told young people are “invaluable” in the global healthcare workforce

Social media is a double-edged sword, say doctors at WISH

Session highlighted positive role of social media in promoting health awareness

Qatar Foundation launches precision medicine report at WISH

Report, produced in partnership with the Economic Intelligence Unit, highlights how PM can move from research to clinical practice

Doha Healthcare Week highlights national efforts to support mental health

Part of WISH, DHW session encouraged people to talk more openly and ask for professional help when needed

Qatar Foundation’s podcast supports mental wellbeing

Omnia Seheya, launched by QF’s global health initiative WISH, aims to narrow the gap between psychologists and Arab societies

QF’S Sidra Medicine uses precision medicine to treat children with rare diseases

Sidra Medicine changing the healthcare landscape in Qatar, says Qatar Foundation expert

QF supports new mothers’ journey to better mental health

The founders of a company incubated at QSTP set out to change the landscape of mental health offerings in the region.

Future AI models should be based on human values, says QF professor

Dr. Georgios Mikros, Professor at HBKU’s CHSS, spoke about the humanities and its relation to artificial intelligence

Wadah Malaeb turns his dream into a reality by winning season 12 of QF’s Stars of Science

Lebanese engineer named top innovator after receiving 54.8 percent of the vote

First Qatari female inventor to reach QF’s Stars of Science finals

Eiman Al-Hamad to compete for title of top Arab innovator

Op-ed: How a customized toolbox can help the innovation ecosystem in Qatar

John Taylor McEntire, Director of Industry Development and Knowledge Transfer, writes about how scientific research becomes a product that benefits society

Qatar scientists turn to cancer drugs in hope of finding treatment for COVID-19

A collaborative research effort identifies two cancer drugs that have potential to be used against SARS-COV-2

Stars of Science alumni is shaping the future of cooking

First Qatari winner of QF TV show launches smart cooking robot in US, Canada, and Qatar

Top 10 actions you can take to help save the planet

Celebrating Qatar Sustainability Week 2020 – an initiative by Qatar Green Building Council – with small steps towards protecting our environment

TV Review: Four finalists will go head-to-head in Stars of Science finale

Penultimate episode of QF’s Stars of Science saw prototypes tested and evaluated

TV Review: Stakes are high in a shocking triple elimination

After the calm came the storm, as two weeks of no departures were followed by three exits in the latest episode of QF’s Stars of Science

Precision medicine for breast cancer demands a multidisciplinary approach, says QF expert

Scientists explore patient and tumor metabolomics to advance precision oncology

QF researcher underlines accuracy of AI in breast cancer detection through images

Dr. Halima Bensmail from HBKU’s QCRI sheds light on work she and colleagues are engaged in to develop better prediction models of breast cancer

Stars of Science: Where Are They Now? – Sadeq Qasem

The winner of the second season of QF’s innovation TV show on the lessons he learned that continue to resonate on his tech journey

Time to start viewing the oil industry’s wastewater as a resource, says QF expert

Research efforts at Qatar Foundation explore energy generation using industrial wastewater

TV Review: COVID-19 separates the Stars of Science jury – but a surprise keeps the inventors together

The restrictions imposed by the pandemic could not halt the dreams of Arab innovators in the latest episode of Qatar Foundation`s innovation TV show

TV Review: The jury change the rules - and save three Stars of Science participants

Tense clashes, big challenges, and a shock twist in the tale were all part of the latest episode of Qatar Foundation’s innovation television show

Does social media make us social – or lonely? A QF expert has her say

On World Mental Health Day, Dr. Erin Valentine, a Clinical Psychologist at Qatar Foundation’s Sidra Medicine, shares her expertise on the negative implications of overusing social media and smart phones on our mental wellbeing

QF experts explain why genomic data is more important than you think

Qatar Biobank team outlines what genomic data is, and why it needs to be protected

400 million Arabs missing from global genomics database

Qatar Foundation’s Qatar Genome Programme actively working towards establishing the first-ever Arab genome

Scientists explore how AI can help accelerate the fight against disease in QF’s WISH panel

Virtual discussion assesses role of machine learning and data science in developing quicker and more targeted treatments – including as a response to COVID-19

QF researcher: ‘COVID-19 has shown us how we can change - and protect our environment’

Dr. Rima J. Isaifan, Head of Journals and Academic Publishing at Hamad Bin Khalifa University Press, and a joint faculty at HBKU College of Science & Engineering was behind some of the first research into the environmental impact of the pandemic. Here, she explains her work – and her hope that lockdown has shown how productivity and preserving the planet are not mutually exclusive.

Adapt education to the reality that students live in, say experts as QF hosts Global Goals Week panel

Virtual discussion focuses on ‘glocalizing’ education to empower young people to be champions for a sustainable future

Social and emotional learning are key to reimagining education, panel told as QF’s WISE launches e-book

Education experts discussed the post-pandemic future of education and reflected on the findings of a new publication detailing COVID-19 experiences from learning’s frontline

TV Review: High tension and unexpected twists as Stars of Science reaches a crunch point

The latest episode of QF’s innovation TV show saw the eight finalists for Season 12 decided.

Op-ed: Principal leadership learning is key to improving education systems

Op-ed: Principal leadership learning is key to improving education systems.

TV review: Female innovators impress the Stars of Science jury in a sweet and sour episode

Competitors focused on areas including sustainability and fake news as the latest episode of Qatar Foundation`s innovation TV show saw dreams continue – and end

Op-ed: COVID-19 has given the world’s universities a chance to put dysfunction behind them

Dr. Hassan Rashid Al-Derham, President of Qatar University – one of the participants in the Education Disrupted, Education Reimagined conference series organized by QF’s global education think-tank WISE – on how the institution he leads responded to the pandemic, and why educational necessity also creates educational opportunity

QF expert discusses how expectant mothers with diabetes battle COVID-19

Dr.Buthaina Al Owainati, a member of Qatar Foundation’s diabetes center, shares her expertise on the management of the critical cases of diabetic pregnant women infected with COVID-19

Her Excellency Sheikha Hind: We need to think beyond technology to disrupt education

QF’s Vice Chairperson and CEO tells Global Goals Week panel that quick fixes enforced by COVID-19 must not detract from what education’s “ultimate goal” should be

Stars of Science overcomes COVID-19 obstacles to air Season 12

Executive producer details creative solutions to ensure QF TV show continues

‘Green energy transition is happening, but will be tough for some’, QF leader tells global sustainability event

Qatar Foundation International CEO and sustainability researcher Omran Hamad Al-Kuwari was among the experts to join Project Syndicate’s The Green Recovery discussion.

QF webinar highlights importance of breastfeeding for mother and baby

Sidra Medicine expert shares advice to new mothers on benefits of breastfeeding

Understanding the origin of diseases in developmental stages of newborns

Scientist from Qatar BioBank, a Qatar Foundation research institute, shares insights from Qatar’s first mother-child birth cohort study

QF works to mitigate racial biases and all forms of discrimination

Annette Vincent, newly appointed Associate Dean of Diversity and Climate at a Qatar Foundation partner university, talks about how her role can help create transformative impact for society

COVID-19 has offered ‘a golden ticket to the future of education’, QF’s WISE conference told

The third edition of the Education Disrupted, Education Reimagined series explored the implications of COVID-19 on the future of education leadership and school systems

TV review: Memories and nostalgia flow on Stars of Science

Innovations in education, medicine, and childcare emerged in the latest episode of Qatar Foundation’s innovation TV show

QF and HBKU announce education and research partnerships with U.S

Agreements with Smithsonian Institution, NASA, and Fulbright scholars unveiled at U.S.-Qatar Strategic Dialogue

‘Generation could be lost if we don’t act now on education’, QF’s Education City Speaker Series told

Online discussion sees global experts and activists share their perspectives on what the future of learning must look like

QF's WISH opens up a new world of healthcare dialogue - through its fully virtual 2020 Summit

The latest edition of the global gathering of healthcare expertise and innovation aims to provide attendees with a true experience, with a bigger program than ever – and COVID-19 being one of the issues coming under the spotlight.

TV review: Scientific tussles and distinctive ideas in the spotlight as Stars of Science Season 12 gets underway

It’s been an exciting start to the new season of Qatar Foundation’s innovation TV show – and viewers across the Arab world are sharing in the on-screen moments of innovation

Stars of Science: Where Are They Now? – Omar Hamid

The 2015 finalist in QF’s innovation TV show on his love of design, his invention that provides physical support for worshippers – and why he feels creative Muslim minds should take the innovation leap.

21st Century learning: More than just resiliency

Stavros N. Yiannouka, CEO of the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) – Qatar Foundation’s global education think-tank – on why education must make a “fundamental shift rather than simply surviving”

Stars of Science defies challenges with Season 12

Qatar Foundation’s edutainment TV show overcomes production challenges posed by COVID-19

‘A sportsperson isn’t superhuman’: sporting stars speak about mental health struggles in panel hosted by QF’s WISH

Legends of athletics, football, and cricket speak about how being at the top of their game took its toll

Op-ed: Competitive advantage key to the success of your startup

In a webinar titled "Designing Business Models for Startup Success", hosted by Qatar Science and Technology Park, Mohammad Zebian explored business models that leverage partnerships and distribution channels, while considering financial constraints.

QF-inspired technology aims to bring the world’s innovators together

SynSapien provides platform for ‘virtual’ collaboration – and works with researchers to develop early-detection device for pneumonia

The QF student’s robot that is a security guard by day, and a cleaner by night

Ali Rashid’s invention is designed to keep people safe in the era of COVID-19 – and beyond

Expanding Qatar’s solar vision at QF

Qatar’s abundance of sun makes it the perfect location for solar energy development. A new solar research zone at Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute, part of QF’s Hamad Bin Khalifa University, is just one of several projects getting off the ground around the country, in an effort to promote sustainable energy.

What does precision medicine mean for Qatar?

Dr. Khalid Fakhro from Qatar Foundation’s Sidra Medicine says the country has the unique ability to be among the world’s top producers of biomedical discoveries

Biodegradable implants a win-win for everyone, says prof at TAMU-Q

Research team at Qatar Foundation’s partner university is working to create novel biodegradable magnesium alloys for therapeutic use

COVID-19 virus weakens in hot and humid weather, study finds

Expert from QF’s HBKU research center highlights the work undertaken at QEERI to analyze and forecast the global situation

Amid economic uncertainty, Islamic finance is gaining traction in the UK

According to a QF expert, the ethical, environmental, and “community-friendly” aspects of Islamic banking can appeal to Muslims and non-Muslims alike

QF alumni’s startup aims to ensure a cashless future leaves nobody behind

cWallet, a company founded by a group of HEC Paris in Qatar graduates, allows low-income workers to access digital financial services without needing a debit or credit card

Engineers at QF partner university transform snorkeling masks to ventilators

TAMUQ researchers modify commercially available masks to aid in fight against COVID-19

How Qatar – and QF – are aiming to help make the world hepatitis-free

As the global community marks World Hepatitis Day, QF partner university Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, home to the region’s first WHO Collaborating Center for Infectious Disease Epidemiology Analytics, continues its fight against viral hepatitis

Qatar’s young debaters put their skills to the test in online global championship

Team Qatar – trained by QF’s QatarDebate – are participating in an international tournament that is bringing debating into the virtual arena

COVID-19 has shown how science must become a way of life

Dr. Gregory J. Moncada and Sam Abrams from QAST talk about how their students are applying critical thinking skills in addressing COVID-19 challenges

QF’s research fund awards grants to projects designed to drive Qatar’s socioeconomic development

NPRP-C supports research that takes an unconventional approach to solving Qatar’s key challenges

QF research entity supports Qatar in fight against COVID-19

QBRI scientists have been working relentlessly to aid coronavirus testing and ensure return to normalcy

Why does COVID-19 kill some and not others, global study finds

QF’s Qatar Genome Programme first and only participant from Arab region to contribute to the study

‘Qatar has shown the power of international solidarity in battling COVID-19’, says QF professor

Hamad Bin Khalifa University academic says cooperation across borders and continents is essential to tackling the pandemic

Global science competition hosted by QF and British Council brings out the best in Qatar’s students

Competition highlights importance of science communication

QF research institute creates intelligent tech solutions to address pandemic

Dr. Ashraf Aboulnaga says QCRI responded to the pandemic from day one by developing technologies and applications for existing challenges

QF expert discusses ways Qatar can shift toward electric vehicles

QEERI’s Dr. Marcello Contestabile highlights reasons for lack of electric vehicles on Qatar’s roads

World finance chief discusses solutions for global economic recovery at QF-sponsored event

The managing director of the International Monetary Fund talked about protecting people as well as economies during the COVID-19 pandemic at a Harvard Business Review event supported by QF

Qur’anic Botanic Garden share tips and tricks for naturally enhancing gardens

Experts suggest using easily available household products

In her own words: I know the struggles female engineers face, because I’ve been there. And I came through them

Dr. Hanan Farhat, Senior Research Director of Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute’s Corrosion Center, speaks about how she has faced open discrimination on her way to becoming an engineering pioneer.

In his own words: Digitally detecting COVID-19 public opinion in the Arab world

Professor Fouad Mrad, Frontier Technologies Manager at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, and a judge on QF’s innovation TV show Stars of Science, on what data can tell us about sentiments surrounding the impact of the pandemic

QAD graduate dedicated to enacting social change

“I want to help make the world a better place,” says Qatar Foundation student

Efficiency of Qatar’s healthcare system supports doctors in facing COVID-19 challenges

QF graduate emphasizes role of pandemic in highlighting scale of challenges facing doctors around the world

Education experts highlight risks to vulnerable girls in COVID-19 world during QF conference

Pandemic has ”widened inequalities”, WISE event is told

Take education funding seriously or face a ‘human tragedy’, Gordon Brown warns at QF conference

Ex-UK Prime Minister tells WISE-organized event “hope will die” for millions of young people if global education remains underfunded

‘Education can save the future’, UN leader tells global conference by QF’s WISE

Three-day event held in collaboration with Salzburg Global Seminar and HolonIQ

Obstacles still stand in the way of female engineers, says QF expert

Dr. Hanan Farhat of QEERI says female engineers can bring new perspectives and ways of thinking that benefit industries and economies – but they need the chance to prove it

Qatar’s first university elective on infectious disease outbreak was “like being in the eye of the storm”

QF partner university students emphasize the importance of public healthcare as they gain an in-depth view of life on the COVID-19 frontline.

Protecting the tiniest of lives: VCUarts Qatar produces infant face-shields

QF partner university continues community-wide initiatives to combat COVID-19

This was supposed to be the best time to graduate

TAMUQ alumna speaks about her time at the QF partner university, and how she is preparing to deal with an uncertain future

HBKU alumna underlines the importance of medical research

PhD student’s educational journey prepared her for medical challenges of today

QF’s Qatar Academy Doha empowers eco-leaders

QAD graduate’s research aims to reduce water waste in Qatar

QF webinar encourages people to make protecting the environment their duty

“We share the responsibility, we can all make a difference,” says UNESCWA representative

Op-ed: Research is the path toward solving the puzzle of Autism

Dana Al Ali, a third-year medical student at QF partner university Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar and a member of a team whose project won the 12th cycle of Qatar National Research Fund’s Undergraduate Research Experience Program, on how scientific exploration meets a need for answers

In Pictures: Education City Under Lockdown

This is how Education City looks in a COVID-19 world.

How COVID-19 can help us rethink healthcare delivery

Majed Lababidi, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Droobi Health – and an alumni of Qatar Foundation’s innovation TV show Stars of Science – explains how his company is helping to provide the digital healthcare solutions that the pandemic has highlighted the need for.

How diet plays a significant role in managing Autism

New book produced by a QF researcher is part of Qatar’s drive to improve public health and be at the forefront of precision medicine

QF scientists aim to understand how coronavirus affects different populations

Qatar Genome Program believes genome sequencing could give new insights into the way the virus works – and help the world be better prepared for future pandemics

Responding to crises in an age of information overload

Researchers from QF’s computing research center discuss how Artificial Intelligence is playing a role in fighting COVID-19

‘COVID-19 lockdown could increase risk of child abuse’, says QF expert

Doctor who oversees Sidra Medicine’s Child Advocacy Program says boredom and frustration within households can lead to new cases of abuse

Op-ed: Pandenomics – A way out of COVID-19?

Dr. Youssef El Azouzi, the most recent winner of Qatar Foundation’s innovation TV shown Stars of Science, on why incentivizing the treatment and care of coronavirus patients may ease the strain on global healthcare systems.

Op-ed: What the global shift to online learning means for education and QFI

Dr. Carine Allaf, Senior Programs Advisor at Qatar Foundation International, speaks about how the QF member’s programs are adapting to a COVID-19 world.

We can rebuild our connections better after pandemic, QF’s Doha Debates hears

Latest #DearWorldLive episode explores how COVID-19 may change the way we stay in contact

QF member’s fast-track research funding program boosts Qatar’s fight against COVID-19

QNRF’s first Rapid Response Call has supported 21 projects aimed at helping the nation deal with the impact of the pandemic

Alzheimer’s chief says dementia sufferers at risk of discrimination as QF/WISH place mental health in spotlight

Paola Barbarino, CEO of Alzheimer’s Disease International, says the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the unique needs of those living – and dying – with dementia.

COVID-19 is opening people’s eyes to science and research: QF medical research expert

Long-term investment in research, development, and innovation leads to solutions including Sidra Medicine’s new COVID-19 testing method

‘PTSD is real risk for COVID-19 frontline workers’, says Carter Center expert as QF/WISH hold global panel

Dr. Janice Cooper of The Carter Center warns healthcare professionals face huge psychological challenges as they battle the pandemic

QF opens the way for entrepreneurs and startups to play their part in battling COVID-19

QSTP and QF RDI fast-track programs and fund applications from innovators with potential COVID-19 solutions

Urgent need to increase mental healthcare budgets, says WHO expert as QF/WISH host global discussion

Dr. Dévora Kestel says community-based services to safeguard mental health need to be provided “at every level” of health ecosystems

How new and expectant mothers are coping with mental health challenges in a pandemic

Two first-time mothers discuss the anxieties around giving birth in the unique circumstances surrounding a global pandemic

Education faces ‘a reckoning’, launch of QF-sponsored research report told

International experts share perspectives on future of learning as Economist Intelligence Unit report on higher education’s challenges, commissioned by QF, is unveiled

Catalyzing The Future event at QF wins gold in global creativity awards

Celebration of QSTP’s 10th anniversary honored by Golden Award of Montreux

QF’s QGBC webinar highlights ways to reduce food waste

In the current pandemic, stockpiling goods became a worldwide issue, and – in turn – many perishables have been wasted

QF partner university’s new Dean: ‘We want to train the people who make the big decisions’

HEC Paris in Qatar is looking to the future with Dr. Pablo Martin de Holan at its helm – as he focuses his efforts on providing top-level education, developing “world-class” research, and opening up opportunities for cultural exchange between France and Qatar.

How a QF alumnus adapted his business to battle COVID-19

CMU-Q graduate Mohammed Al-Matwi produces sanitizers and antiseptics – in a perfume factory

We take the air we breathe for granted, says Qatari researcher

Ph.D. candidate at QF homegrown university talks about contributing to building a sustainable environment in Qatar

Discover QF talk focuses on maintaining mental health in a world of COVID-19 worry

Webinar with WISH expert urges people to recognize they have control over their lives and mental wellbeing amid coronavirus crisis

‘Education cannot just go back to business as usual after COVID-19’ - QF educator

‘Virtual’ international conference by QF’s WISE analyzes what coronavirus may mean for the future of education

‘The virus does not discriminate; neither can we’: NGO leader’s solidarity call as QF/WISH open up global coronavirus dialogue

Rossella Miccio, President of EMERGENCY NGO, says the severe effects of COVID-19 on even the most advanced healthcare systems illustrate why universal access to healthcare is vital

The path to beating coronavirus – from test to vaccine

Immunology expert Dr. Richard O’Kennedy, Qatar Foundation Vice President for Research, Development, and Innovation, explains how COVID-19 testing works - and why developing a vaccine takes time

Education systems ‘must build futures around resilience’, virtual conference by QF’s WISE told

Online event with Salzburg Global Seminar brings together international education experts to discuss COVID-19 responses and opportunities.

Global leaders ‘won’t be forgiven’ for not working together to beat COVID-19, WHO chief tells QF/WISH Education City Speaker Series

International panel of speakers and worldwide audience join online discussion on challenges and hopes in fight against coronavirus.

Op-ed: The coronavirus lockdown has given us the chance to strengthen our family bonds

Dr. Sharifa Noaman Al Emadi, Executive Director, Doha International Family Institute – a member of Qatar Foundation – on why measures aimed at fighting COVID-19 are an opportunity to appreciate, and spend quality time with, our families

“This is something no one could have prepared for”— stories of QF alumni at the frontline of the fight against coronavirus

Three graduates from QF’s medical school recount their experiences of treating COVID-19 patients in hospitals in the US, which has witnessed the largest number of cases in the world.

Op-ed: Safeguarding the wellbeing of families living with autism

Dr. Sharifa Noaman Al-Emadi, Executive Director of Doha International Family Institute – a QF member –on how Qatar is supporting people with autism and their loved ones, and why everything it has done so far is just the start.

Health leader tells QF webinar of Qatar’s plans for rapid COVID-19 test kit

Sheikh Dr. Mohammed Al Thani: “The healthcare sector’s main mission at the moment is to control the spread of infection within the community.”

Op-ed: Confidence and courage can help propel women forward in technology and innovation

Hayfa Al-Abdulla,Director of Innovation at Qatar Science & Technology Park, on how female Arab entrepreneurs are increasingly raising their voices and sharing their idea

Op-ed: We’re not responsible for coronavirus – but we are responsible for how we deal with it

Psychologist Loulwa Kaloyeros, a coach with QF’s innovation TV show Stars of Science, on how keeping a routine and discovering new interests can help us cope with COVID-19.

Op-ed: We need a global consensus on how we use technology on ourselves, and each other

Imagery analyst Allison Puccioni – who recently participated in a special event by QF’s Doha Debates on whether technology can pave the way to world peace – speaks about how we can ‘navigate the Wild West’ of the information age.

Sidra Medicine offers advice for pregnant women about COVID-19

The Women’s Services team at Sidra Medicine share advice and address some common questions that pregnant women may have about COVID-19.

QF’s WISH tackles ethical issues of the coronavirus pandemic in webinar

Experts from medicine, Islamic ethics, and government exchanged their views in a virtual panel discussion organized by WISH

Q&A: Coronavirus creates a responsibility for global media. They’re not meeting it

Dr. Marc Owen Jones, Assistant Professor in Middle East Studies and Digital Humanities at QF member Hamad Bin Khalifa University, on why worldwide news coverage of COVID-19 risks adding to public panic.

How to talk to your children about COVID-19

Experts from Sidra Medicine share their thoughts on how to approach children on the topic of the current coronavirus pandemic.

Q&A: We can all help to stop coronavirus spreading. Just follow the rules

Dr. Patrick Tang, Division Chief of Pathology Sciences at QF member Sidra Medicine, on why protecting ourselves against COVID-19 also means protecting others.

QF’s Equine Veterinary Medical Center continues centuries-old Arab legacy

Technology and traditions merge at new horse hospital in Education City

Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser opens QF’s Equine Veterinary Medical Center

Facility offers world-class equine healthcare, creates new knowledge through research, and provides learning opportunities

Op-ed: Change your food shop and you can change the world

Nutritionist, naturopath, author, and public Speaker Zoë Palmer-Wright – whose new book A Beautiful Balance: A Wellness Guide to Healthy Eating and Feeling Great, is published by Qatar Foundation’s HBKU Press – on how our food habits can help the fight against climate change.

Creative QF students place their work on a Paris platform

As the Qatar-France Year of Culture 2020 gets underway, young design talents from Qatar have displayed their creations to the world at the Maison & Objet trade show in the French capital.

Experts explore the meaning and power of public art as QF hosts international forum

Thought-leaders and art practitioners share insights at event organized with British Council and Qatar Museums

How QF is helping social entrepreneurs change the face of education

WISE Accelerator program – now inviting 2020-21 submissions - opens up new horizons for edtech ventures

His Highness The Amir reviews Qatar Research, Development and Innovation Strategy 2030 and visits Qatar Foundation's Research Complex

The QRDI Council has developed a national strategy that takes a holistic view of Qatar's research, development, and innovation ecosystem.

QF students’ campaign calls for Qatar to ban plastic bags

Young activists at Qatar Academy Doha aim to raise awareness of the impact of single-use plastic bags on the environment and marine life

Op-ed: Sparking creative conflict for TV is Doha Debates’ challenge

Dr. Govinda Clayton, the QF production’s “connector” on how he hopes its focus on building bridges will help to improve the global standard of debate

Op-ed: ‘I am more than my wheelchair’

Sherif Mohamed Elgindi speaks about why people’s gender, race, or disability must never lead to them being ‘labeled’.

QF to support SC in developing Qatar 2022 visitor experience

Collaboration spans visitor experience, research and environmental projects, and football for development initiatives

‘There is nothing in the world like Qatar Foundation’

HE Dr. Hamad Bin Abdulaziz Al Kuwari speaks about how education is the cornerstone of Qatar’s development – and QF’s role in equipping the nation’s youth for the challenges of the future.

QF’s QatarDebate provides chance to learn and grow, say competitors

Kuwaiti and Jordanian teams make it to the final round of Asian Arabic Debating Championship

QF member launches Asian Arabic Debating Championship in Malaysia

QatarDebate organizes the first edition of the tournament in Kuala Lumpur

QF’s latest Art Trail highlights African culture and history

Colonialism, upscaled materials – and a ‘female’ art piece – are part of Mathaf exhibition

QF educators tackle the question of why children don’t like school

The mainstream schooling system has disengaged so many children around the world, while the progressive school movement strives to fix that.

QF scholarships open up new horizons for students

Learners who excel at universities in Education City receive full scholarships

‘No reason to panic’ over coronavirus outbreak - QF medical expert

Good hygiene is best precaution but Chinese virus should not cause alarm in Qatar, says Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar faculty.

QF think tank’s research reveals what the world’s youth feel about their education

International survey by WISE raises questions over whether education prepares young people to be change-makers.

Big tech companies should be regulated, speakers claim at QF debate in Davos

Experts argue the case for and against cracking down on tech companies in QatarDebate-sponsored event held in collaboration with The New York Times

Diversity is the strength of this QSTP boot camp

Having completed a third edition, the Arab Innovation Academy is experiencing high engagement. What makes this program so special?

QF school honored as one of the world’s best in teaching and learning

Qatar Academy for Science and Technology beat 250 schools to win the award

QF to join the big tech debate in Davos

QatarDebate - in collaboration with The New York Times - to sponsor debate on sidelines of the World Economic Forum

QF booths draw thousands at Doha International Book Fair

National reading initiative Qatar Reads among those participating in the literary showcase

Entrepreneurs flock to QF to learn how to turn ideas into reality

Students develop unique startup ideas in intensive 10-day program.

The students who bring the United Nations to QF

The annual THIMUN Qatar conference sees young leaders from around the world develop their skills in a simulated UN setting. And youth makes it happen.

QF schools cut dependency on overseas professional learning by 90%

Educational Development Institute emerges as the mover and shaker of education in schools across Qatar.

In her own words: My stories are like children that leave the nest to become books

Award-winning author Lilas Taha – whose books are published by QF member HBKU Press – has found success as a storyteller. Here, she tells her own.

“It takes an entire village to raise a child; it takes just as many to treat a critically-ill one”

Why QF member Sidra Medicine believes pediatric emergency medicine must be a collaborative multidisciplinary approach

Take risks and invest in teachers to improve schools, says QF educator

Dr. Asmaa Al-Fadala of WISE tells conference “teacher learning” is crucial if education strategies are to work.

“Qatar Foundation tour revived my dream to find a treatment for my own condition.”

How a paraplegic student’s visit to Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar rekindled his passion for medicine

Breaking down the walls that stigma builds

Qatar Foundation believes in the power of discourse and open-mindedness – an ethos which has helped medical students play their part in raising awareness about HIV and AIDS.

Technology for peacebuilding

United Nation’s Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs trains with QCRI to learn new ways for global conflict resolution

The role of religious and spiritual values in caring for the elderly

Dr. Ayman Shabana, a faculty member at the Georgetown University in Qatar, talks about the participation of QF initiative in a joint seminar on Religion and Medical Ethics: Palliative Care and the Mental Health of the Elderly in Rome.

Qatar Foundation unveils the pioneering Education City tram

Groundbreaking tram system sets a new standard for sustainable transport technology

Keeping the Arabic language relevant in the digital era

In his own words: Make the world see your love for your autistic child

Gifted QF students compete in world mathematics team championship in South Korea

The best math students from three Qatar Foundation schools teamed up to represent the nation in the global contest.

The 20th Edition of Al Bawasil Camp starts under ‘We Can’ slogan

A daily educational program with a range of recreational activities

Science and ethics unite in QF tent at Darb Al Saai

Akhlaquna Award booth draws the attention of families

STEM activities hosted within QF`s Darb Al Saai tent during Qatar National Day celebrations

Visitors to the TAMUQ booth reveal how its activities have enhanced their passion for science

Rewarding waste

QKONs is a digital platform that integrates waste into a circular economy and allows Qatar’s residents to benefit economically while reducing environmental impacts.

QF’s Qatar National Day celebrations highlight the value of renewable energy

QEERI booth at Darb Al Saai introduces visitors to clean energy in an interactive way

WISH to create new guide to help health workers understand patients’ faith

Commitment made as inter-faith symposium on religion and medical ethics closes

Mental health of elderly in spotlight at inter-faith Vatican symposium

Global experts highlight role of “love” in providing care for elderly patients

Why the world needs a global ethics of care

Vatican City symposium organized by WISH and Pontifical Academy for Life focuses on need for dignity in care of elderly people

Bringing the spiritual element into palliative care

Experts at an inter-faith symposium on religion and medical ethics say chaplains, training, and knowledge are key to culturally-competent medical care

Elderly must not be ‘pushed to the margins’, inter-faith palliative care symposium told

Vatican City conference organized by WISH and the Pontifical Academy for Life

WISH Vatican Symposium Panel Discussion

Opportunity for inter-faith dialogue aims to provide deeper understanding of ethical dilemmas in healthcare

“Is extending the life of a young patient by using a ventilator a sin?”

Pediatric palliative care practitioners from India, Qatar and the US share their perspectives on why end-of-life care for children matters – as does the need to discuss it.

Showcasing how research generates impact

Outcomes and benefits of QNRF-funded research projects presented at series of seminars

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Original research

Identifying priority medicines policy issues for qatar: exploring perspectives and experiences of healthcare professionals through a qualitative study.

1 Department of Pharmacy, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar

Mohamed Izham Mohamed Ibrahim

2 College of Pharmacy, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar

Fathea Adheir

Zaheer-ud-din babar.

3 University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, UK

Associated Data

bmjopen-2021-054150supp001.pdf

All data relevant to the study are included in the article or uploaded as supplementary information. We provide the de-identified participant data.

To identify priority medicines policy issues, including the ‘use’ and ‘access to medicines’ in Qatar.

In this qualitative study, general inductive method was used and semi-structured exploratory interviews conducted.

Stakeholders from a broad range of academic and healthcare practitioners in Qatar.

Participants

Exploratory, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 stakeholders throughout Qatar. The inclusion criteria include (a) participants working or involved in the Qatar’s healthcare system, (b) participants having experience or working knowledge of medicine policy documents, different facets of it, use of medicines and access to medicines, (c) as well as participants well versed in the English language. It was intended to cover stakeholders from a broad range of healthcare and policy institutions in Qatar.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

All participants were involved in semi-structured, audio-recorded interviews, which were then transcribed verbatim, coded into NVivo V.12 and followed by thematic analysis to identify the common themes. Perceptions, experiences and opinions regarding Qatar’s medicines policy issues were recorded.

This study found challenges related to the availability of pharmaceuticals in Qatar, including medicines registration process. There is no comprehensive national medicines policy in Qatar, however, there are a number of rules, regulations, policies and procedures in place. The community pharmacy services provided are mostly ‘traditional’ with less emphasis on pharmacists’ extended roles and/or cognitive services. The study identifies several areas for improvement including extending the role of the pharmacist, improve the prescribing of antibiotics, medicines compliance and counselling for consumers, pharmacovigilance, implementation of generic medicines policies, as well as the need for a national health record database.

Conclusions

The findings suggest that in the last 20 years, Qatar has moved towards advancing healthcare; however, there are gaps and opportunities. The strategies need to be developed to resolve access to medicines issues, the priority being medicines registration, import and so on. With the rise of chronic diseases and a growing population, there is also a need to work to improve medicines adherence among patients.

A national medicines policy should be developed through a consultative broad-based process in which prescribers, physicians, pharmacists and healthcare professionals be given a chance to contribute.

Strengths and limitations of this study

• The strength of the study is that it is the first such study on the topic using a qualitative inductive approach to cover medicines policy in Qatar.
• An exploratory qualitative design is used to uncover healthcare professionals’ opinions on medicines policy.
• The study emphasises the various facets of medicines policy including medicines use situation, community pharmacy practice, medicine registration, patients counselling, medicines access and medicines adherence issues.
• Sampling did not achieve the target composition of the participants. This may have limit the range of stakeholders by not including patient support groups or the pharmaceutical manufacturing sector.
• The study provides enough data and adds to our understanding of the medicines policy issues and future health challenges and opportunities for Qatar.

Introduction

As of 2020, the population of Qatar is 2.79 million. 1 Qatar has a public and private healthcare system and provides modern healthcare services to its Qataris and non-Qataris. The quality of healthcare in Qatar is very high. 2 The State of Qatar started its National Health Strategy 2018–2022 (Q-NHS 2018) in 2018 and the aim was to develop a comprehensive world-class healthcare system. 3 It is projected that Qatar will spend QAR 18.8 billion (US$5.2 billion) in 2020 on health. 4 5 Wilbur et al 6 reported that the State of Qatar provides healthcare services free of charge to all Qataris. The expatriates have subsidised healthcare services in the public sectors, and they only pay 20% of the cost of pharmaceuticals. Qatar’s most common diseases are non-communicable diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer and chronic respiratory diseases. In Qatar, 69% of the people have cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer, 70% Qatari adults are overweight and 43.9% of the population have a low level of physical activities. The most common cause of mortality in Qatar is cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension, diabetes and cholesterol, and is accountable for 33.1% deaths during 2018. 7

Qatar’s National Medicines Policy

The National Medicine Policy of a country provides guidance regarding quality, safety, effectiveness, access and the use of medicines. 8 There is a need for a generic medicines policy and guidelines in Qatar. 9 The government is supporting the use of generic medicines. 10 It seems that Qatar does not have an official document named Qatar’s national medicines policy. However, there is a set of regulations, policies, strategies related to medicines. These documents govern the use of and access to medicines in Qatar. 11 The pharmaceutical sector and public healthcare governed by Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), including public and private pharmacies and medication warehouses. 6 In 2019, Qatar spent QAR 2.4 billion (US$657 million) on medicines. 12

Use of medicines and access

WHO recommends that the effective implementation of a medicines policy could increase the responsible use of medicines. 13 This could have a positive impact on medicines spending, patient health outcomes and medicines adherence. The use of medicines is an essential element of a country’s national medicines policy. 13 Aljayyousi et al 14 report the significant inappropriate antibiotic use in Qatar. Eighty-two per cent of the consumers were using medicines without a prescription, 45% did not complete the antibiotic course and 23% were taking antibiotics from the pharmacy without a prescription in Qatar. 14 Abdulrhim et al 15 concluded that collaborated pharmaceutical care services and pharmacists’ interventions would improve clinical outcomes in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in Qatar.

Access to medicines is an essential element of pharmaceutical policy, including equitable access, availability, affordability of medicines, as well as cost-effective use of medicines. 16 Qatar’s public hospitals and clinics provide free healthcare services for Qataris and subsidised healthcare and pharmaceutical services for non-Qataris. 6 There are few challenges with regard to the registration and licensing of medicines in Qatar. This includes tender regulations, procurement processes, unpredictable consumption trends and physicians’ preferences. 17 The availability of medicines is also effected by the time required to imports medicines in Qatar.

The research aims to identify priority medicines policy issues for Qatar. The specific objectives are as follows:

• To explore and identify key challenges affecting Qatar in terms of priority medicines policy issues, including medicines use and access.
• To explore the futuristic approach in terms of overall medicines access and use in Qatar.

In this qualitative study, a general inductive method was used and semi-structured exploratory interviews were conducted to carry out the research. It involved recorded interviews from stakeholders and the transcriptions were done followed by a thematic analysis. The interviews were designed to explore participants’ opinions regarding priority medicines policy issues in Qatar.

The researcher contacted 55 stakeholders in Qatar by face-to-face meetup, email, WhatsApp and phone calls. The recruitment method involved meeting with key stakeholders and using a snowball sampling procedure. There were 21 participants selected for exploratory, semi-structured individual interview throughout Qatar using the selection criteria. The participants had been living in Qatar or the Middle East for more than 5 years. The inclusion criteria included: (a) participants working or involved in Qatar’s healthcare system, (b) participants having experience or working knowledge of medicine policy documents, different facets of medicines policy, use of medicines and access to medicines, (c) participants well versed in the English language. It was intended to cover stakeholders from a broad range of healthcare and policy institutions in Qatar. The participants’ details are listed in table 1 .

Participant’s characteristics: participants n=21

HMC, Hammad Medical Corporation; MoPH, Ministry of Public Health.

Development of semi-structured interview guide

The semi-structured interview guides were adapted from the study by Babar and Francis. 18 Also, from the literature synthesis and informal meetings with the key stakeholders, changes, adaptations and amendments were made to this guide. This guide is available in online supplemental appendix for questions details. This was to cater for the Qatar’s healthcare system’s local needs. The final interview guide has four key themes: (a) priority medicines policy issues, (b) access to medicines in Qatar, (c) use of medicines in Qatar, (d) future of overall health and medicines use in Qatar.

Supplementary data

Interviews and data analysis.

A snowball sampling procedure was used to recruit participants. In snowball sampling, participants identify further participants. 19 The recruitment of the stakeholders was carried out by an email invitation, through follow-up emails, or call or through WhatsApp messages. The stakeholders were contacted, and the initial briefing was done on the research project for the introduction and seeking consent. If they showed interest and provided consent, then the invitation letter was sent through email. Fifty-five stakeholders were approached, from which 24 did not reply, 3 referred to their colleagues and 2 replied that they are not confident to participate in the research study. Twenty-one contacts agreed to participate in the study. All stakeholders were contacted and their characteristics for the study are presented in table 2 .

All stakeholders contacted and invited for the study

Of 55 stakeholders contacted, 21 agreed to participate; response rate 38%.

Patient and public involvement

There were no patients or public involvement in this study. This has been included.

All interviews were done by face-to-face meeting, as one-on-one, with privacy. The interviews were conducted between September 2019 and March 2020. Before the interview, an email was sent to all participants, which includes an invitation letter and an interview guide. There was no financial compensation offered to participants. All interviews were conducted in the English language. Each interview lasted for about 40 min. During the interviews, only the questions relevant to the study were asked. Formal consent was asked from the participants before starting the interview questions. All interview audio recordings were made on SONY ICDPX470 Stereo Digital Voice Recorder and saved in the password-protected computer, and all files were named using a code number for further protection of confidential information. The alpha numeric coding format was used and the details are shown in table 3 .

Outline of the participants’ area(s) of practice and professions

MoPH, Ministry of Public Health.

All interviews were transcribed verbatim. The coding was performed after reading the transcribed document, followed by the identification of themes and subthemes for the thematic analysis. The analysis was performed by using the NVivo V.12 software application. 18 The semi-structured interviews provided spontaneous and natural conversation between participants and researcher. 20 21 All stakeholders were contacted and their characteristics for the study are in presented in table 2 .

This study aimed to understand priority medicines policy issues for Qatar and to identify the related opportunities and challenges. For this research, we were invited 55 stakeholders from all healthcare sectors. Table 3 shows participants’ healthcare sector, area of practice, profession. The following themes in table 4 appeared after the analysis of the transcriptions. The themes and subthemes are (a) priority medicines policy issues for Qatar, (b) access to medicines in Qatar, (c) use of medicines for Qatar, (d) future overall health and use of medicines for Qatar.

Themes and subthemes

The following themes appeared after the analysis of the transcriptions.

Priority medicines policy issues for Qatar

The participants had differing opinions on medicines policy issues. However, the two most common issues were where to find the policy as well as issues regarding medicines registration processes in Qatar.

Most participants felt it was a challenge to find, understand and follow the medicines policy in Qatar. A pharmacy manager replied about the medicines policy in the following manner.

I think there is no strict policy for medicine in Qatar. So, maybe this makes it like not much clear for every health care provider; you know, there are some issues that I am not clear, maybe regarding some of the rules for some medicines. Just some issues, prescribing issues, I am not sure about, not everything is clear, maybe this is because it is not stated. Because I think reason for that, it is not created. There is no medicine policy clear for everyone. (PM1)

Also, a drug supply manager said about the medicine policy in Qatar:

it would be better to have one policy that covers everything. (DSM1)

An academic pharmacist emphasised the importance of the medicines policy, and regulators were aware that there is a need for a written national medicines policy:

Priority medicine policy issues are very, extremely, incredibly important and definitely this comes as part of medicine policy in the country under the umbrella of national medicine policy. Unfortunately, we do not have the national medicine policy, that does not mean in the state of Qatar. We do not have issues from the regulatory authorities and other healthcare institutions related to the priority medicines. I think the policymakers are fully aware about the priority medicine issues, but a written policy because of the lack of national medicine policy. So also, there is no any kind of priority medicine policy that is written. (AP2)

Here is the statement of a registration and drug pricing manager related to medicines policy in Qatar:

We do not have like such one bundle of documents, which is called Medicine policy but to have it in different documents. Yeah, but it is not like a one booklet, which is known as Medicine policy to be available in one document. (RDPM1)

On the other hand, participants believed that the medicines policy was not available Here is the opinion of an academic pharmacist on Qatar’s medicine policy.

The state of Qatar does not have any written medicine policy. This is to the best of my knowledge. There is lack of National medicine policy in the state of Qatar, but in place, of course, there are some Unwritten regulations and rules related to access to medicine. So issues to access, availability, affordability, there are some written documents, even with the Pharmacy and Drug Control, but there is no consolidated national medicine policy that covers all this aspect as well as aspects related to generic medicines, which are also part and parcel on national medicine policy. (AP2)

Access to medicines in Qatar

Process for high-cost medicines for qataris and non-qataris.

All medicines are paid for by MoPH in all public sector hospitals and primary care clinics. This payment is in full for Qataris and up to 80% for non-Qatari. The 20% medicines cost for non-Qataris is paid by either employer insurance or private insurance, including for high-cost medicines. In the private sector, all medicines cost is paid by MoPH for Qataris, but all non-Qataris have to pay the full cost of medicines. Here is what an academic pharmacist had to say about access to medicines in Qatar:

Well, as far as I know, there is no differentiation. If an expat needs like an expensive chemotherapy medicine, they are not denied access to it. So, if that particular drug is needed and it’s in stock and available in this country, the patient will receive it, and you know this is the big benefit about living in this country is that the Expats are not denied medical care. (AP1)

The following is a statement from a registration and drug pricing manager about the cost of medicines:

For Qatari, no problem as they are not paying. But the good thing also for the expats. Government always paying 80% of the bill. They only pay the 20% and even for the chronic diseases such as cancer and diabetic patients and cardiac patients, paying only 10%. (RDPM1)

Additionally, a pharmacist in the hospital stated the following on high-cost medicines:

So our organization, there is a high-cost committee, so that reports to the pharmacy and therapeutics committee. They provide some conceptual structure around a high-cost medicines and some clinical governance on when and how they should be used. So we do have some, you don’t have to be national. Whether it is national or the expat in terms of the patients, there is no beyond distinction between the two. Some of the organizations do. We don’t. (P1)

For non-Qataris, the high-cost medicine prices or copayment can also be financially managed by their insurance and/or other societies in Qatar. Here is what the pharmacist at the public hospital stated about the insurance:

The insurance has not been there, so I would emphasize insurance. The country looked at the insurance before, and they’re still working on the insurance now. So once the insurance comes, then probably it should not be a problem with a higher cost, even at this point. It’s not a problem at all. But for private sectors, there are many issuance companies which is covering that cost, but in HMC (Hamad Medical Corporation), the price is not a problem. (P2)

Current issues about access to medicines

Transportation from the manufacturing country to Qatar is a concern because sometimes this could delay the medicines. The manager of registration and drug pricing stated this as follows:

We are trying to encourage local manufacturing plants to manufacture this kind of product locally. Because other issue is waiting for the transportation issue, you know, have the medication timely. It takes time. Yeah, it takes time. Sometimes you are not receiving at the time we need. (RDPM1)

Also, the senior nurse manager talked about medication supply issues:

We have good and easy access for the drugs that are available in the country. You know, again, I know that limits are what the prescribers can offer to some patients based on, you know, what is available in-country and this goes down even both to the type of the drugs and the formulation. So I know those are the same challenges, and we don’t have a consistent access to drugs supply. (SNM1)

Additionally, a physician in the hospital stated the following regarding availability:

One thing I noticed over the last couple of years of working here in Qatar is that range of medicine availability, range of medicine is an issue. Again, there is a limited range of available medicine in some areas, so that is … and especially the narcotic, analgesic and their prescription of the patient and availability of patient for taking home is an issue. (Phy4)

The pharmacist in acute care highlighted issues including access to medicines without a prescription, repeat supplies of narcotic medicines and holding medicines in stock, as availability is uncertain.

A lot of things are built, or they are made for sale without a prescription, which means that people can access them but we are not sure if they are using them properly. Because you can just buy it without a much control. (P1) Other access issues are narcotics and psychotropics because of the prescription length. That can cause a bit of a problem because patients have to return to the pharmacies quite often to pick up the medications. Yeah, it’s a five day supply. So as per the policy, it is a limited number of days. Also, medications that need more than that you have to return again. So it’s quite strict laws on narcotics mainly but also on psychotropics. (P1)

The availability of a national medicines policy and the use of generic medicines were also some of the issues described by an academic pharmacist:

The issues surrounding around access to medicine … the issue of the national medicine policy, because when there is national medicine policy, national medicine policy was clearly state all that is needed in terms of giving access to the medicine and so on, and when it does not exist, it creates a kind of disparities or differences or inconsistencies in terms of how different organizations operate in terms of giving access to the medicine. (AP2) They are barriers in terms of access to medicines, and those who will understand when you talk about most of the institution, there is kind of misconception, for example, about the use of generic medicines. So because of these misconceptions, the clinicians don’t trust, and the patients also they don’t trust if you give them anything. This is a huge expenditure on health and therefore, there are … there could be also barriers from that perspective. (AP2)

On the other hand, access to medicines without prescription emphasises the pharmacist’s role at community pharmacies. This should be to educate and optimise medicines use. The following was stated by the academic pharmacist.

We have too much access actually, and with that in any one of the public can now go to the pharmacy and buy antihypertensive that you know, without any prescription. So we have too much access that has to be restricted honestly on some drugs, yes. (AP3) The pharmacist is not really offering a good advice to the patient. Since the majority of the medications are available over the counter, pharmacist should have a role in that more in educating the public about the optimal use of medications. (AP3)

Need for further research

The following section elaborates thoughts on areas for future research. For example, a pharmacy manager at the community pharmacy stated that research is needed on leftover medicines at patients’ homes:

Yeah, probably, what people do with the incomplete medications or unused medicines. One of my concerns. I would love to have a research done on that so that there is no left-over medicines at home which can harm another person. (PM2)

A registration and drug pricing manager stated that there is a need to develop a comprehensive national medicines policy:

Like further research and to compile these [medicines policy] documents in one document together … Because most of the practitioners are coming from abroad expect the same thing from the home country but this country is very unique for the medicine access. (RDPM1)

This view was echoed by a hospital pharmacist:

I would be interested to know about over the counter sales and the clinical effectiveness of doing that, so where you are frequently selling products without having much guidance from the physician or the prescriber and then a pharmacist too. What is the impact of that and how does it compare to some of the standards around the world? (P1)

Use of medicines for Qatar

As shown earlier in table 4 , four subthemes were observed within this theme. These include ‘general description on the use of medicines’, ‘present issues with regards to use of medicines’, ‘challenges and opportunities with regards to use of medicines’ and ‘future research on the topic’.

Use of medicines

There were differences of opinion regarding the use of medicines. An academic pharmacist made an interesting point:

This seems to be a very broad question, and I don’t know where to start, in fact. So, the use of medicine from the perspective of utilization, from the perspective of healthcare institutions or from the perspective of regulatory authority or from the consumer perspective; I think if you talk about use of medicine, you should look at it in different perspective. (AP2)

An academic pharmacist described this from a patient’s point of view:

If I will say from the patient’s perspective, it’s how the patient is using the, basically, the medication, so proper or not proper according to the direction or not direction. Is it the right drug dose, not a right dose, for there is good duration or not a good duration? Yes. (AP3)

Present issues related to the use of medicines

The study participants stated concerns about a number of issues related to patients using medicines; these also include prescriber issues and broader medicines policy issues. An academic pharmacist emphasised the need to educate patients regarding the appropriate use of medicines:

Well, I think the biggest thing has to be that the general public has to know more about how they should be using the medicines properly. They get the prescription, they don’t get much of the information from doctor, and they go to the pharmacist at the pharmacy, and the pharmacist tells a bit of an information, but still, they don’t know much that much, and that leads to a big problem. (AP1)

The registration and drug pricing manager at MoPH described this in the following manner:

We realized that patients are misusing this medication. For this, we added it to one of the controlled drugs, which is done once in a month only in order to avoid this kind of misuse. (RDPM1)

Because medicines are free or subsidised, patients have more medicines, which increases misuse and harmful effects of the medicines. He explained that.

Issue is that the medicines, although is coming from abroad very expensive, and registry is free and being dispensed to patients, some of them are free and some are highly subsidized. This affects the use of medication. (RDPM1)

Challenges and opportunities regarding the use of medicines

The participants suggested that a computerised patient’s health record system for all healthcare providers would resolve prescribing and medication management issues. A pharmacist would like to have a national health record database system in place:

A unified health record system, national health record system for the whole country, should be implemented in this country, so that every health care provider knows what medications are being used by each one. (P1)

Healthcare providers face challenges including patient education and awareness. This is the view of a physician working in a private hospital:

Challenges for the physicians are that they face because they have to restrict the excessive medication usage. In this regard, physicians face challenges. So it just needs some sort of education and proper continuous education, public awareness. (Phy1)

A pharmacy manager suggested that there is a need to educate society on the proper use of medicines:

Probably the need to educate more the society about the importance of the right usage of medication and honest medical fraternity, physicians, pharmacists to ensure that this education reaches the society. Probably there can be outreach methods, joining the universities and the community pharmacies, community medical facilities, where the patient medical personal interaction is more. (PM2)

Future research on the use of medicines

A number of participants suggested more research should be done on various issues. An academic pharmacist stated this in the following manner:

They should do more research on what are the barriers that are preventing the advancement of pharmacy practice in community pharmacies. What is it that causing the barriers, and how those barriers can be overcome, because this is got to be one of the biggest areas where it can be improved in community pharmacy practice. (AP1)

Another hospital pharmacist also stated the need to research areas such as patient counselling and the use of medicines:

I would like to understand better on what the information is given to the patients on the use and how is that information is given in quality of that; so we talked little about the things like labelling and counselling and advice, like how do we capture some data or not to understand how about the work and what can be done differently. (P1)

The objectives of the study were to identify priority medicines policy issues for Qatar. The specific objectives were to explore and identify key challenges affecting Qatar in terms of priority medicines policy issues, including medicines use and access, and to explore what the future approach should be in terms of overall health and medicines use in Qatar.

Access to medicines policy

The research also showed that most participants were not aware of Qatar’s medicines policy and suggested that a medicines policy may be available from the MoPH. However, the literature shows that Qatar’s national medicines policy is neither available nor published. However, there is a National Health Strategy 2018. 22 It was observed that Qatar’s national medicines policy is not available as one single document, but is an amalgamation of a set of regulations, procedures, rules, strategies, control processes and standard operating procedures regarding the use of and access to medicines. 11

Medicines registration in Qatar

The findings showed that some participants could not find a written policy for the registration of medicines. Another issue is that due to the blockade, it took some pharmaceutical companies at least 9 months to register a medicine. Moreover, even post-Qatar blockade, it may take four to 6 months, although there is fast-track registration for specialised medicines, including blood products and any medicines required urgently. The research also revealed that a pharmaceutical product must be registered in Qatar every time someone decides to bring the product into Qatar, and the detailed registration procedure and requirements are available on Qatar’s MoPH website. All pharmaceutical product registration is under the MoPH in Qatar. The registration process includes the registration of a company and the manufacture of pharmaceutical products. 23

Process of high-cost medicines for Qataris and non-Qataris

The research reveals that both Qataris and non-Qataris have access to the healthcare system and medicines. Qatari citizens do not pay for their medicines, while non-Qataris pay only 20% of the medicine’s price in the public sector and Qatar’s government pays 80% of it. For cancer medicines, non-Qataris pay only 10% of the price of medicine. The non-Qataris pay for medicines from their health insurance coverage or from their own pocket. There is a National Health Insurance Scheme for all Qataris, which pays for all their healthcare services and medicines in the public and private sector. The government of Qatar is planning to offer the National Health Insurance Scheme to non-Qataris too.

Additionally, there are support systems available for non-Qataris to pay for medicines, including expensive medicines; non-profit organisations, for example, the Multiple Sclerosis Society, Red Crescent and other charity organisations support non-Qataris. The medicines pricing method in the public sector is not publicly available, but medicine prices in the public sector are noted to be considerably lower than in the private sector. 11

Issues with access to medicines in Qatar

The participants have the opinion that overall, consumers and patients have access to a large number of medicines in Qatar, though there are issues with a few medicines. Specifically, the public sector in Qatar has a satisfactory level of availability of medicines, 24 but the issues mentioned included inconsistency of the medicines supply, limited range of some classes of medicines, and the fact that not all registered medicines are available. The research revealed that many companies are not registering their medicines due to the small market size. However, the MoPH is working to formalise the National Formulary. Additionally, the participants revealed during interviews that labourers have a different level of access to medicines in the private sector because of the different copayment method for health insurance plans.

Challenges and opportunities for the use of medicines

The results suggest that there are policies and guidance with regards to the use of medicines in Qatar public sector institutions, including Hammad Medical Corporation, Sidra Medicine, and others; however, not all private institutions have clinical guidelines. Also, there is no national health record database for all patients’ health information which can be accessed by healthcare providers, public and private institutions, hospitals, clinics and pharmacies. A national medical database would help to improve the use of medicines. It would also help to improve and build prescribing policies for medicines. Awaisu et al concluded that a nationally organised project should be started to develop a generic medicines policy, guidelines and a comprehensive national medicines policy in Qatar. 25 Regarding generic medicines use and prescribing, a study by Awaisu et al found that 89% of Qatar’s pharmacists agreed that bioequivalence data should be available before marketing a generic medicine. Most also agreed that community pharmacists should be authorised to dispense generic substitution of medicines in Qatar. 25

Community pharmacy in Qatar

The community pharmacy services provided are mostly ‘traditional’ with no extended pharmacist roles or cognitive services in Qatar. Community pharmacy has not developed the essential steps to be recognised as an essential source for public health and primary healthcare. 6 Babiker et al also concluded that pharmacists need more education and training for medicine use reviews in Qatar. 26 Babar explains that to improve community pharmacy, training in clinical skills and patient-oriented pharmacy services is needed. 27 Private community pharmacies in Qatar also need to be involved in the government health coverage system to improve the affordability and access of medicines. 27 In developed countries, most pharmacists are remunerated for pharmacy services they provide; however, this is not the case in many countries including Qatar. 28 More research is needed in Qatar to identify challenges in developing community pharmacy and how to overcome those difficulties, as well as how to improve communication with patients.

A conceptual model has been built to identify and synthesise priority medicines issues arising from this work ( figure 1 ). ‘Healthcare practitioners’ and ‘academics’ are feeding into this model and their thoughts, ideas and knowledge are shaping the model. As shown below, the outer circle of the model represent ‘broader healthcare’ and ‘public policy’. The main issues arising from this model include (a) extended community pharmacy services; (b) antibiotics use, medicines compliance and counselling; (c) access to high-cost medicines for Qataris and non-Qataris; (d) issues related to medicines registration, import and availability of medicines; (e) forming a comprehensive national medicines policy for Qatar and (f) centralised health data for patients, pharmacists and healthcare professionals.

A conceptual model deriving priority medicines issues for Qatar.

The research concludes that though there is no comprehensive national medicines policy in Qatar, there are a number of rules, regulations, policies and procedures in place. There are challenges in following and understanding these policies, as they are not available as a single document. The access issues identified include availability of medicines, inconsistency of medicines supply, limited range of some classes of medicines, and the fact that not all registered medicines are available. There are misconceptions about the use of generic medicines among clinicians and the public. There are instances when clinicians are reluctant to prescribe and patients do not trust generic medicines, resulting in increased cost for patients. The challenges with regard to medicines use include prescribing of antibiotics, pharmacovigilance system implementation, and generic medicines availability and prescribing. The community pharmacy services provided are mostly ‘traditional’, with no extended pharmacist roles or cognitive services. There is a need to extend the role of the pharmacist and this can be done by providing financial incentives, education and training for pharmacists, as well as improvement in policies, procedures and regulations. This also includes authorisation to dispense generic substitution of medicines. There is also a need to have a national health record database for all patients’ health information, which can be linked to healthcare providers, public and private institutions, hospitals, clinics and pharmacies.

Future research areas to focus on include quality of clinical consultations, pharmacists providing counselling and advice to patients, and reassessing clinical and therapeutic guidelines. Other research areas could be outcome research, use of medicines among Qatariss and non-Qataris, and availability of over-the-counter medicines at community pharmacies in Qatar.

Implications for policy and practice

This study has achieved its objective by identifying vital issues related to medicines policy, access and use of medicines, future overall health and use of medicines. The study has identified empirical data points, which have formed and fed into a conceptual model. Vital research points are coming from medicines use and access, if implemented these can improve patient health outcomes and can improve the use of medicines in the country.

Limitations of the study

For many of the participants, English was not their first language. In addition, of the 55 stakeholders who were contacted and invited, only 21 participated in the interviews. This may have limited the range of stakeholders by not including patient support groups or the pharmaceutical manufacturing sector, who did not participate in this study. However, despite these limitations, the study provides enough data to portray an overall picture in terms of medicines use and access. These data add to our understanding of the medicines policy issues, and future health challenges and opportunities for Qatar.

Recommendations

• The findings suggest that in the last 20 years, Qatar has moved towards advancing healthcare; however, there are gaps and opportunities. These are quite pertinent with regards to improving medicine use, access and developing a medicines policy in Qatar.
• A national medicines policy should be developed through a consultative broad-based process in which prescribers, physicians, pharmacists and healthcare professionals be given a chance to contribute. A framework should also be developed regarding the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of this medicines policy.
• Based on these study findings, strategies need to be developed to resolved access to medicines issues, the priority being medicines registration, import and so on.
• With the rise of chronic diseases and a growing population, there is also a need to improve adherence to medicines among patients. The strategies need to be developed on patient counselling. There is also a need to improve professional training and continuing education for pharmacists to advance pharmacy practice. This would help to improve medicine use among patients and consumers.

Supplementary Material

Acknowledgments.

We are thankful to Dr Faraz Masud, Attending Physician at Sidra Medicines, Doha, Qatar, and Dr Syed Shahzad Hassan, Senior Research Fellow at the University of Huddersfield, UK.

Contributors: NZ and ZUDB conceptualised and designed the study. NZ and ZUDB contribution to the analysis and interpretation of the data and writing the study for submission. FA substantial contribution to the acquisition of the data for the study. All authors interpreted the results, contributed to writing the article and approved the final version for submission. Nadeem Zia is the guaranteer of this study.

Funding: The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

Competing interests: None declared.

Provenance and peer review: Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

Supplemental material: This content has been supplied by the author(s). It has not been vetted by BMJ Publishing Group Limited (BMJ) and may not have been peer-reviewed. Any opinions or recommendations discussed are solely those of the author(s) and are not endorsed by BMJ. BMJ disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on the content. Where the content includes any translated material, BMJ does not warrant the accuracy and reliability of the translations (including but not limited to local regulations, clinical guidelines, terminology, drug names and drug dosages), and is not responsible for any error and/or omissions arising from translation and adaptation or otherwise.

Data availability statement

Ethics statements, patient consent for publication.

Not applicable.

Ethics approval

This study was approved by the University of Huddersfield Ethics Research Committee Reference Number SAS-SREIC 14.5.19-2. Ethics approval was also obtained from Sidra Medicine, Qatar, Reference Number IRB-A-SIDRA 2019-0029, and ABHATH Research Center of Hamad Medical Corporation, Qatar.

Qatar and the 2022 FIFA World Cup

Politics, Controversy, Change

• © 2022
• Paul Michael Brannagan 0 ,
• Danyel Reiche 1

Faculty of Business and Law, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK

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Georgetown University in Qatar, Doha, Qatar

• Provides the first academic analysis of the politics and controversy surrounding the Qatar 2022 World Cup
• Explores the innovative attempts of a small state in enlarging its significance within international affairs
• Explains the political motivations of non-state actors in their attempt to discredit major event hosts

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Table of contents(5 chapters)

Front matter, introduction.

• Paul Michael Brannagan, Danyel Reiche

The State of Qatar: A Background

The politics and power of small states: the 2022 world cup and qatar’s global sports strategy, the controversial games: responses to qatar’s 2022 world cup, qatar in 2022 and beyond: changes, opportunities, challenges, back matter.

• 2022 World Cup
• international relations
• sports events
• political sociology
• small states
• global sports strategy

This book offers the first, full academic analysis of the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup. Adopting an international relations perspective, the authors critically interrogate the politics and controversy that has surrounded arguably the most controversial sports event ever. In doing so, this text offers up an imperative examination of Qatar’s desired objectives through their investment in global sport and sports events, as well as provides readers with an academic explanation on why major event hosts – such as Qatar – receive so much international scrutiny in the pre-event stage of the event hosting process. On the back of this international scrutiny, this text also provides the first full analysis on how such negative scrutiny has forced Qatar to implement various social-political changes at home. 

Paul Michael Brannagan

Danyel Reiche

Book Title : Qatar and the 2022 FIFA World Cup

Book Subtitle : Politics, Controversy, Change

Authors : Paul Michael Brannagan, Danyel Reiche

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-96822-9

Publisher : Palgrave Macmillan Cham

eBook Packages : Social Sciences , Social Sciences (R0)

Copyright Information : The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022

Hardcover ISBN : 978-3-030-96821-2 Published: 29 March 2022

eBook ISBN : 978-3-030-96822-9 Published: 28 March 2022

Edition Number : 1

Number of Pages : XIII, 186

Number of Illustrations : 2 b/w illustrations

Topics : Political Sociology , Sociology of Culture , Sociology of Sport and Leisure , Sport Science , International Relations , Human Geography

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Articles on Qatar

Displaying 1 - 20 of 93 articles.

Gaza war: how Qatar used its business connections to become a leading mediator in the Middle East

Vassilis K. Fouskas , University of East London

How Saudi Arabia’s unchallenged 2034 World Cup bid could weaken Fifa’s human rights demands

David McGillivray , University of the West of Scotland

Will the Israel-Hamas war become a regional conflict? Here are 4 countries that could be pivotal

Jessica Genauer , Flinders University

Israel-Gaza conflict: how could it change the Middle East’s political landscape? Expert Q&A

Simon Mabon , Lancaster University

What will putting the interests of Qantas ahead of Qatar Airways cost? $1 billion per year and a new wave of protectionism of legacy carriers

Rico Merkert , University of Sydney

Grattan: Albanese’s government has questions to answer on competition

Michelle Grattan , University of Canberra

Paris Olympics: with 365 days to go, will this mega-event clinch a sustainability gold medal?

Jannsen Santana , EM Lyon Business School

South African Tourism wants to sponsor football club Tottenham Hotspur - is it a good idea?

Brendon Knott , Cape Peninsula University of Technology

Will Australia receive a red card for gender equity at the 2023 Women’s World Cup?

Michelle O'Shea , Western Sydney University ; Alison Pullen , Macquarie University ; Hazel Maxwell , Western Sydney University ; Sarah Duffy , Western Sydney University , and Sonya Joy Pearce , University of Technology Sydney

Lionel Messi’s black cloak: a brief history of the bisht, given to the superstar after his World Cup triumph

Pardis Mahdavi , University of Montana

Looking back on the 2022 FIFA World Cup: A tournament of surprises and controversy

Tim Elcombe , Wilfrid Laurier University ; Alanna Harman , Wilfrid Laurier University , and Alun Hardman , Cardiff Metropolitan University

A hat trick of essential reads to accompany the World Cup final

Matt Williams , The Conversation

Qatar lobbying: European Parliament scandal shows urgent need for tighter regulations

Olivier Costa , Sciences Po

World Cup’s ‘middle income trap’ – why breaking into soccer’s elite is so hard to do (as Morocco might soon find out)

Stefan Szymanski , University of Michigan

FIFA’s mirage of unity: why the World Cup is a vessel for political protest

Daryl Adair , University of Technology Sydney

Qatar: why we are critical of some countries’ human rights records and not others

Ross Bennett-Cook , University of Westminster

Hosting the World Cup: what Qatar can learn from South Africa about nation branding

World Cup 2022: either Morocco or Senegal could break the glass ceiling

Wycliffe W. Njororai Simiyu , University of Texas at Tyler

When hosting mega-events like FIFA, cities market themselves at the expense of the most vulnerable

David Roberts , University of Toronto

World Cup 2022: how sponsorship has become less about selling drinks and more about geopolitics

Simon Chadwick , SKEMA Business School

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• FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022
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Professor of Sport and Geopolitical Economy, SKEMA Business School

Chair, Department of Judaic and Near Eastern Studies, and Associate Professor of Middle Eastern Studies and Public Policy, UMass Amherst

Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney

Professor and Chair of Kinesiology and Health Science, Stephen F. Austin State University

Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

Professor of Politics, University of Sussex

Professor of Sport Management, University of Michigan

Associate Professor, Cape Peninsula University of Technology

Principal Research Fellow in Sociology of Sport, University of Brighton

Professor of International Relations, Lancaster University

Fellow for the Middle East at the Baker Institute, Rice University

Lecturer in Politics and International Relations, University of Aberdeen

Henry J. Leir Professor of Practice in Economics of the Middle East, Brandeis University

Associate Professor of International Relations, Gulf University for Science and Technology

Associate Professor, Defence Studies Department, King's College London

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Generative AI develops potential new drugs for antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Stanford Medicine researchers devise a new artificial intelligence model, SyntheMol, which creates recipes for chemists to synthesize the drugs in the lab.

March 28, 2024 - By Rachel Tompa

Acinetobacter baumannii infection is a leading cause of death related to antibiotic resistance. Stanford Medicine researchers employed artificial intelligence to provide recipes for drugs that can treat it.  Kateryna Kon /Shutterstock.com

With nearly 5 million deaths linked to antibiotic resistance globally every year, new ways to combat resistant bacterial strains are urgently needed.

Researchers at Stanford Medicine and McMaster University are tackling this problem with generative artificial intelligence. A new model, dubbed SyntheMol (for synthesizing molecules), created structures and chemical recipes for six novel drugs aimed at killing resistant strains of Acinetobacter baumannii, one of the leading pathogens responsible for antibacterial resistance-related deaths.

The researchers described their model and experimental validation of these new compounds in a study published March 22 in the journal Nature Machine Intelligence .

“There’s a huge public health need to develop new antibiotics quickly,” said James Zou , PhD, an associate professor of biomedical data science and co-senior author on the study. “Our hypothesis was that there are a lot of potential molecules out there that could be effective drugs, but we haven’t made or tested them yet. That’s why we wanted to use AI to design entirely new molecules that have never been seen in nature.”

Before the advent of generative AI, the same type of artificial intelligence technology that underlies large language models like ChatGPT, researchers had taken different computational approaches to antibiotic development. They used algorithms to scroll through existing drug libraries, identifying those compounds most likely to act against a given pathogen. This technique, which sifted through 100 million known compounds , yielded results but just scratched the surface in finding all the chemical compounds that could have antibacterial properties.

Kyle Swanson

“Chemical space is gigantic,” said Kyle Swanson , a Stanford computational science doctoral student and co-lead author on the study. “People have estimated that there are close to 10 60 possible drug-like molecules. So, 100 million is nowhere close to covering that entire space.”

Hallucinating for drug development

Generative AI’s tendency to “hallucinate,” or make up responses out of whole cloth, could be a boon when it comes to drug discovery, but previous attempts to generate new drugs with this kind of AI resulted in compounds that would be impossible to make in the real world, Swanson said. The researchers needed to put guardrails around SyntheMol’s activity — namely, to ensure that any molecules the model dreamed up could be synthesized in a lab.

“We’ve approached this problem by trying to bridge that gap between computational work and wet lab validation,” Swanson said.

The model was trained to construct potential drugs using a library of more than 130,000 molecular building blocks and a set of validated chemical reactions. It generated not only the final compound but also the steps it took with those building blocks, giving the researchers a set of recipes to produce the drugs.

The researchers also trained the model on existing data of different chemicals’ antibacterial activity against A. baumannii . With these guidelines and its building block starting set, SyntheMol generated around 25,000 possible antibiotics and the recipes to make them in less than nine hours. To prevent the bacteria from quickly developing resistance to the new compounds, researchers then filtered the generated compounds to only those that were dissimilar from existing compounds.

“Now we have not just entirely new molecules but also explicit instructions for how to make those molecules,” Zou said.

A new chemical space

The researchers chose the 70 compounds with the highest potential to kill the bacterium and worked with the Ukrainian chemical company Enamine to synthesize them. The company was able to efficiently generate 58 of these compounds, six of which killed a resistant strain of A. baumannii when researchers tested them in the lab. These new compounds also showed antibacterial activity against other kinds of infectious bacteria prone to antibiotic resistance, including E. coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and MRSA.

The scientists were able to further test two of the six compounds for toxicity in mice, as the other four didn’t dissolve in water. The two they tested seemed safe; the next step is to test the drugs in mice infected with A. baumannii to see if they work in a living body, Zou said.

The six compounds are vastly different from each other and from existing antibiotics. The researchers don’t know how their antibacterial properties work at the molecular level, but exploring those details could yield general principles relevant to other antibiotic development.

“This AI is really designing and teaching us about this entirely new part of the chemical space that humans just haven’t explored before,” Zou said.

Zou and Swanson are also refining SyntheMol and broadening its reach. They’re collaborating with other research groups to use the model for drug discovery for heart disease and to create new fluorescent molecules for laboratory research.

The study was funded by the Weston Family Foundation, the David Braley Centre for Antibiotic Discovery, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, M. and M. Heersink, the Chan-Zuckerberg Biohub, and the Knight-Hennessy scholarship.

For more news about responsible AI in health and medicine,  sign up  for the RAISE Health newsletter.

Register  for the RAISE Health Symposium on May 14.

• Rachel Tompa Rachel Tompa is a freelance science writer.

About Stanford Medicine

Stanford Medicine is an integrated academic health system comprising the Stanford School of Medicine and adult and pediatric health care delivery systems. Together, they harness the full potential of biomedicine through collaborative research, education and clinical care for patients. For more information, please visit med.stanford.edu .

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 113 great research paper topics.

General Education

One of the hardest parts of writing a research paper can be just finding a good topic to write about. Fortunately we've done the hard work for you and have compiled a list of 113 interesting research paper topics. They've been organized into ten categories and cover a wide range of subjects so you can easily find the best topic for you.

In addition to the list of good research topics, we've included advice on what makes a good research paper topic and how you can use your topic to start writing a great paper.

What Makes a Good Research Paper Topic?

Not all research paper topics are created equal, and you want to make sure you choose a great topic before you start writing. Below are the three most important factors to consider to make sure you choose the best research paper topics.

#1: It's Something You're Interested In

A paper is always easier to write if you're interested in the topic, and you'll be more motivated to do in-depth research and write a paper that really covers the entire subject. Even if a certain research paper topic is getting a lot of buzz right now or other people seem interested in writing about it, don't feel tempted to make it your topic unless you genuinely have some sort of interest in it as well.

#2: There's Enough Information to Write a Paper

Even if you come up with the absolute best research paper topic and you're so excited to write about it, you won't be able to produce a good paper if there isn't enough research about the topic. This can happen for very specific or specialized topics, as well as topics that are too new to have enough research done on them at the moment. Easy research paper topics will always be topics with enough information to write a full-length paper.

Trying to write a research paper on a topic that doesn't have much research on it is incredibly hard, so before you decide on a topic, do a bit of preliminary searching and make sure you'll have all the information you need to write your paper.

#3: It Fits Your Teacher's Guidelines

Don't get so carried away looking at lists of research paper topics that you forget any requirements or restrictions your teacher may have put on research topic ideas. If you're writing a research paper on a health-related topic, deciding to write about the impact of rap on the music scene probably won't be allowed, but there may be some sort of leeway. For example, if you're really interested in current events but your teacher wants you to write a research paper on a history topic, you may be able to choose a topic that fits both categories, like exploring the relationship between the US and North Korea. No matter what, always get your research paper topic approved by your teacher first before you begin writing.

113 Good Research Paper Topics

Below are 113 good research topics to help you get you started on your paper. We've organized them into ten categories to make it easier to find the type of research paper topics you're looking for.

Arts/Culture

• Discuss the main differences in art from the Italian Renaissance and the Northern Renaissance .
• Analyze the impact a famous artist had on the world.
• How is sexism portrayed in different types of media (music, film, video games, etc.)? Has the amount/type of sexism changed over the years?
• How has the music of slaves brought over from Africa shaped modern American music?
• How has rap music evolved in the past decade?
• How has the portrayal of minorities in the media changed?

Current Events

• What have been the impacts of China's one child policy?
• How have the goals of feminists changed over the decades?
• How has the Trump presidency changed international relations?
• Analyze the history of the relationship between the United States and North Korea.
• What factors contributed to the current decline in the rate of unemployment?
• What have been the impacts of states which have increased their minimum wage?
• How do US immigration laws compare to immigration laws of other countries?
• How have the US's immigration laws changed in the past few years/decades?
• How has the Black Lives Matter movement affected discussions and view about racism in the US?
• What impact has the Affordable Care Act had on healthcare in the US?
• What factors contributed to the UK deciding to leave the EU (Brexit)?
• What factors contributed to China becoming an economic power?
• Discuss the history of Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies  (some of which tokenize the S&P 500 Index on the blockchain) .
• Do students in schools that eliminate grades do better in college and their careers?
• Do students from wealthier backgrounds score higher on standardized tests?
• Do students who receive free meals at school get higher grades compared to when they weren't receiving a free meal?
• Do students who attend charter schools score higher on standardized tests than students in public schools?
• Do students learn better in same-sex classrooms?
• How does giving each student access to an iPad or laptop affect their studies?
• What are the benefits and drawbacks of the Montessori Method ?
• Do children who attend preschool do better in school later on?
• What was the impact of the No Child Left Behind act?
• How does the US education system compare to education systems in other countries?
• What impact does mandatory physical education classes have on students' health?
• Which methods are most effective at reducing bullying in schools?
• Do homeschoolers who attend college do as well as students who attended traditional schools?
• Does offering tenure increase or decrease quality of teaching?
• How does college debt affect future life choices of students?
• Should graduate students be able to form unions?

• What are different ways to lower gun-related deaths in the US?
• How and why have divorce rates changed over time?
• Is affirmative action still necessary in education and/or the workplace?
• Should physician-assisted suicide be legal?
• How has stem cell research impacted the medical field?
• How can human trafficking be reduced in the United States/world?
• Should people be able to donate organs in exchange for money?
• Which types of juvenile punishment have proven most effective at preventing future crimes?
• Has the increase in US airport security made passengers safer?
• Analyze the immigration policies of certain countries and how they are similar and different from one another.
• Several states have legalized recreational marijuana. What positive and negative impacts have they experienced as a result?
• Do tariffs increase the number of domestic jobs?
• Which prison reforms have proven most effective?
• Should governments be able to censor certain information on the internet?
• Which methods/programs have been most effective at reducing teen pregnancy?
• What are the benefits and drawbacks of the Keto diet?
• How effective are different exercise regimes for losing weight and maintaining weight loss?
• How do the healthcare plans of various countries differ from each other?
• What are the most effective ways to treat depression ?
• What are the pros and cons of genetically modified foods?
• Which methods are most effective for improving memory?
• What can be done to lower healthcare costs in the US?
• What factors contributed to the current opioid crisis?
• Analyze the history and impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic .
• Are low-carbohydrate or low-fat diets more effective for weight loss?
• How much exercise should the average adult be getting each week?
• Which methods are most effective to get parents to vaccinate their children?
• What are the pros and cons of clean needle programs?
• How does stress affect the body?
• Discuss the history of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.
• What were the causes and effects of the Salem Witch Trials?
• Who was responsible for the Iran-Contra situation?
• How has New Orleans and the government's response to natural disasters changed since Hurricane Katrina?
• What events led to the fall of the Roman Empire?
• What were the impacts of British rule in India ?
• Was the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki necessary?
• What were the successes and failures of the women's suffrage movement in the United States?
• What were the causes of the Civil War?
• How did Abraham Lincoln's assassination impact the country and reconstruction after the Civil War?
• Which factors contributed to the colonies winning the American Revolution?
• What caused Hitler's rise to power?
• Discuss how a specific invention impacted history.
• What led to Cleopatra's fall as ruler of Egypt?
• How has Japan changed and evolved over the centuries?
• What were the causes of the Rwandan genocide ?

• Why did Martin Luther decide to split with the Catholic Church?
• Analyze the history and impact of a well-known cult (Jonestown, Manson family, etc.)
• How did the sexual abuse scandal impact how people view the Catholic Church?
• How has the Catholic church's power changed over the past decades/centuries?
• What are the causes behind the rise in atheism/ agnosticism in the United States?
• What were the influences in Siddhartha's life resulted in him becoming the Buddha?
• How has media portrayal of Islam/Muslims changed since September 11th?

Science/Environment

• How has the earth's climate changed in the past few decades?
• How has the use and elimination of DDT affected bird populations in the US?
• Analyze how the number and severity of natural disasters have increased in the past few decades.
• Analyze deforestation rates in a certain area or globally over a period of time.
• How have past oil spills changed regulations and cleanup methods?
• How has the Flint water crisis changed water regulation safety?
• What are the pros and cons of fracking?
• What impact has the Paris Climate Agreement had so far?
• What have NASA's biggest successes and failures been?
• How can we improve access to clean water around the world?
• Does ecotourism actually have a positive impact on the environment?
• Should the US rely on nuclear energy more?
• What can be done to save amphibian species currently at risk of extinction?
• What impact has climate change had on coral reefs?
• How are black holes created?
• Are teens who spend more time on social media more likely to suffer anxiety and/or depression?
• How will the loss of net neutrality affect internet users?
• Analyze the history and progress of self-driving vehicles.
• How has the use of drones changed surveillance and warfare methods?
• Has social media made people more or less connected?
• What progress has currently been made with artificial intelligence ?
• Do smartphones increase or decrease workplace productivity?
• What are the most effective ways to use technology in the classroom?
• How is Google search affecting our intelligence?
• When is the best age for a child to begin owning a smartphone?
• Has frequent texting reduced teen literacy rates?

How to Write a Great Research Paper

Even great research paper topics won't give you a great research paper if you don't hone your topic before and during the writing process. Follow these three tips to turn good research paper topics into great papers.

#1: Figure Out Your Thesis Early

Before you start writing a single word of your paper, you first need to know what your thesis will be. Your thesis is a statement that explains what you intend to prove/show in your paper. Every sentence in your research paper will relate back to your thesis, so you don't want to start writing without it!

As some examples, if you're writing a research paper on if students learn better in same-sex classrooms, your thesis might be "Research has shown that elementary-age students in same-sex classrooms score higher on standardized tests and report feeling more comfortable in the classroom."

If you're writing a paper on the causes of the Civil War, your thesis might be "While the dispute between the North and South over slavery is the most well-known cause of the Civil War, other key causes include differences in the economies of the North and South, states' rights, and territorial expansion."

#2: Back Every Statement Up With Research

Remember, this is a research paper you're writing, so you'll need to use lots of research to make your points. Every statement you give must be backed up with research, properly cited the way your teacher requested. You're allowed to include opinions of your own, but they must also be supported by the research you give.

#3: Do Your Research Before You Begin Writing

You don't want to start writing your research paper and then learn that there isn't enough research to back up the points you're making, or, even worse, that the research contradicts the points you're trying to make!

Get most of your research on your good research topics done before you begin writing. Then use the research you've collected to create a rough outline of what your paper will cover and the key points you're going to make. This will help keep your paper clear and organized, and it'll ensure you have enough research to produce a strong paper.

What's Next?

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Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

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Research: Leaders Undervalue Creative Work from AI-Managed Teams

• Shane Schweitzer
• David De Cremer

Beware the unintended consequences of using algorithmic tools for management.

Because of AI’s ability to learn from vast amounts of data and maximize efficiency, companies have predicted that humans working with it will be able to free up their time and expand their creative efforts, thereby driving greater innovation. But, despite the enthusiasm of tech gurus and companies alike, is this really how adopting AI tools will play out? A series of experiments that how algorithmic tools changed the consideration and resources workers were given for creative and innovative work suggest that these tools — specifically, the algorithmic tools that oversee employee productivity — could actually undercut employees’ ability to do this work, and that companies that deploy these tools haphazardly could find their optimism souring.

How will creative work be impacted by artificial intelligence (AI)? With AI’s immense and growing capabilities — it can do everything from structuring work schedules, managing administrative tasks , and giving advice to decision-makers — industry thought leaders are understandably optimistic about its potential. Much of this optimism hinges on the claim that, because of AI’s ability to learn from vast amounts of data and maximize efficiency, humans working with it will be able to free up their time and expand their creative efforts, thereby driving greater innovation. Numerous analyses and corporate reports have been written in favor of this claim.

• SS Shane Schweitzer is an Assistant Professor of Management and Organizational Development at the D’Amore-McKim School of Business.
• David De Cremer is a professor of management and technology at Northeastern University and the Dunton Family Dean of its D’Amore-McKim School of Business. His website is daviddecremer.com .

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Regions & Countries

How temporary protected status has expanded under the biden administration.

Since President Joe Biden took office in January 2021, his administration has greatly expanded the number of immigrants who are eligible for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) – a designation that gives them time-limited permission to live and work in the United States and avoid potential deportation.

The federal government offers TPS to qualifying immigrants who live in the U.S. and come from selected nations that are deemed unsafe to return to because of war, natural disasters or other crises.

Pew Research Center conducted this analysis to determine the number of immigrants in the U.S. who are eligible for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). The federal government, as directed by the president, determines the countries whose immigrants living in the U.S. would be eligible for TPS. TPS is granted to nationals of designated countries and to those with no nationality, but who last habitually lived in a designated country (immigrants). To apply, immigrants must have continuously lived in the U.S. at or before a date specified by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

For this analysis, we collected information about the TPS program published on the DHS website; Federal Register announcements about TPS benefits ; and information from the Congressional Research Service .

In this analysis, TPS beneficiary numbers for most countries are taken from DHS statistics provided to the Congressional Research Service, which exclude recipients who also have lawful permanent resident status or U.S. citizenship. Some may have left the U.S. or died. For immigrants eligible for TPS from the redesignations of Cameroon, Myanmar, Syria and Venezuela, estimates of the number of people eligible were included in the most recent Federal Register notices regarding those countries’ TPS designations.

Nearly 1.2 million of the roughly 21.6 million noncitizen immigrants living in the U.S. are either receiving or eligible for TPS. These immigrants come from 16 countries : Afghanistan, Cameroon, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Haiti, Honduras, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, Venezuela and Yemen.

Federal immigration officials may grant TPS for up to 18 months based on conditions in immigrants’ home countries, and they may repeatedly extend this eligibility if dangerous conditions in those countries persist.

The Biden administration cited dangerous conditions in Cameroon, Myanmar, Syria and Venezuela when it recently expanded TPS protections to immigrants from those countries. The Federal Register provides detailed information about each of these countries’ designations .

The recent TPS expansions continue the Biden administration’s efforts to broaden the program .

Since 2021, the Department of Homeland Security – which oversees the program – has added Afghanistan, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Myanmar, Ukraine and Venezuela to the list of countries whose immigrants may qualify for TPS. It also extended the terms of eligibility for immigrants from most countries that were already covered by TPS.

The Biden administration’s expansions stand in contrast to the Trump administration’s efforts to end TPS for nearly all beneficiaries. On his first day as president, Biden asked Congress to pass legislation that would allow TPS recipients who meet certain conditions to apply immediately for green cards that would let them become lawful permanent residents. Green card holders may be granted U.S. citizenship if they pass additional background checks and meet the usual naturalization conditions of knowledge of English and U.S. civics.

TPS recipients are not currently eligible for permanent residency or U.S. citizenship unless they pursue those statuses through other immigration processes.

Some TPS recipients have lived in the U.S. for decades

Immigrants with TPS live in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories, according to the Congressional Research Service . The largest numbers live in Florida, Texas, California and New York – all of them states with large immigrant populations.

Some current TPS beneficiaries have lived in the U.S. for two decades or more. For example, those from Honduras and Nicaragua have been eligible because of damage from Hurricane Mitch in 1998, provided they have been living in the U.S. since Dec. 30 of that year. And current protections for immigrants from El Salvador apply to those who have lived in the U.S. since Feb. 13, 2001, following a series of earthquakes that killed more than a thousand people and inflicted widespread damage there.

Deferred Enforced Departure also offers protection from deportation

Another form of temporary relief from deportation, called Deferred Enforced Departure (DED), is granted at the president’s discretion, rather than as a result of an administrative process in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. It usually follows catastrophes in immigrants’ home countries similar to those that have triggered TPS. Currently, certain immigrants from Liberia, Hong Kong and the Palestinian territories are eligible for this benefit and are also allowed to apply for authorization to work. Liberian immigrants with DED have  relief until June 30, 2024 , and those from Hong Kong until Feb. 5, 2025 . The president recently enacted DED for immigrants from the Palestinian territories for 18 months starting Feb. 14, 2024.

To be granted TPS, applicants must meet filing deadlines, pay a fee, and prove they have lived in the U.S. continuously since the events that triggered relief from deportation. They must also meet criminal record requirements . For example, they must show that they have not been convicted of any felony or two or more misdemeanors while in the U.S.; persecuted others; or engaged in terrorism.

Once the Department of Homeland Security determines that a nation’s immigrants are eligible for TPS, those immigrants can apply for deportation relief if they entered the U.S. without authorization or entered on a temporary visa that has since expired. Those with a valid temporary visa or another non-immigrant status, such as foreign students, are also eligible to apply.

Federal officials are required to announce 60 days before any TPS designation expires whether it will be extended. Without a decision, it automatically extends for another six months.

Congress and President George H.W. Bush authorized the TPS program in the 1990 immigration law , granting the White House executive power to designate and extend the status to immigrants in the U.S. based on certain criteria.

Note: This is an update of a post originally published Oct. 28, 2021.

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Undergraduates convene at Johns Hopkins for humanities research symposium

The fifth annual richard macksey national undergraduate humanities research symposium featured 175 student presentations on original research.

By Rachel Wallach

In one Gilman Hall classroom, the discussion had turned to questions of honor. What was it, did it historically apply to women as well as men, and had U.S. ideas about it changed since the time of the infamous Hamilton-Burr duel?

One floor up, the focus was on what defines the genre of gothic or occult novels. One panelist held that ghost stories don't need actual ghosts; that their psychological aspects are sufficient. Another said that disconnection is what allows the occultic to take place, and a third proposed an additional type of occultic-defining narrative to add to the accepted two: multigenerational circularity. "It taps into our deep fear that an individual's life and death are predetermined," said Audra Nikolajski, an undergraduate at the University of South Florida. A fourth panelist discussed Latina characters in gothic literature, noting that there are few.

The presentations and their lively Q&A sessions took place during the Richard Macksey National Undergraduate Humanities Research Symposium , held on the Homewood campus March 21-23. It's the fifth year for the symposium, which brings together undergraduate humanities students from across the country to present their work to a national audience. This year, 175 students gave presentations all day Friday and Saturday in panels of three to four students each.

"It's really interesting to learn about a variety of things that you don't necessarily get in the classroom. I'm super excited because of how different all of the topics are, and I'm already feeling inspired for future research," said Kayleigh Fick of the University of the Pacific. Fick would later present a rhetorical analysis of Eva Perón's speeches, and had just finished moderating a panel titled Episodes in U.S. History.

Each panel was moderated by a student volunteer—supported with guidelines and video tutorials—who also presented in a different session. Panels included themes like Culture and Community in the U.S. South, Reflections on Poetry, Humanistic Perspectives on Medicine, and The Sacred and the Spiritual.

"I was so shocked looking at the program with how interdisciplinary this conference is. I had not imagined something with so many different topics," said the College of William and Mary's Amy Weitzman, who had given the presentation about honor. "When I was choosing the panels to go to, I specifically chose ones I'd never heard anything about before. The questions that I've been asked really made me think about things I wouldn't have thought about otherwise."

A Friday evening keynote was given by Sami Schalk, associate professor of gender and women's studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her talk, open to the public, explored the Black Panther Party's involvement in 1977's 504 Sit-in—when a group of people with disabilities protested in San Francisco to demand greater accessibility and accommodations for people with disabilities—as an example of how Black cultural workers have engaged with disability as a political issue. Schalk also signed copies of her books, Black Disability Politics and Bodyminds Reimagined: (Dis)ability, Race, and Gender in Black Women's Speculative Fiction .

A Saturday afternoon plenary featured ongoing collaboration between student researchers at Johns Hopkins and Morgan State University on the Black Panther Party in Baltimore, making use of the almost complete collection of The Black Panther , the party's newspaper, recently acquired by the Sheridan Libraries .

Mingling with panelists—and the family members many brought with them—conference chair Jennifer Wester overheard discussions that didn't stop when sessions ended, and conversations sparked by passion for a common author.

"It's a nice way of highlighting what humanities research can do to engage with contemporary issues and really put a new lens on things that we thought we understood, and that's what I see these students doing, especially as young scholars," said Wester, director of the Krieger School's Office of Undergraduate Research, Scholarly & Creative Activity (URSCA) .

"We're always trying to convince undergraduates that you have an important voice. Your unique voice, your unique perspective, is needed. I want them to have the confidence of 'I am a scholar; I am part of the scholarly conversation.'"

The symposium is named in honor of the late Richard A. Macksey , Professor Emeritus in the Department of Comparative Thought and Literature, a legend in the fields of critical theory, comparative literature, and film studies and a leader in the humanities overall. The event is hosted by URSCA, which also publishes a peer-reviewed journal of the proceedings—the Macksey Journal —the first undergraduate journal of its kind. URSCA oversees research grants, fellowships, and programs for Krieger School undergraduates and visiting undergraduate researchers from across the U.S.

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