The Future of Education Policy in the State of Qatar

This open access book provides a topical overview of education, development plans, the knowledge economy, and human development in the State of Qatar, focusing on socio-political and cultural challenges, from a policy perspective. It describes the ecosystem of education and its features, impacts, and the factors that facilitate or inhibit its current shape and development, including the pendulum of internationalization versus localization of education and indigenous knowledge. The book serves as an arena to engage vital discourse on the importance of early childhood education and inclusive education systems, particularly for those with diverse abilities. In view of the transformations occurring in the education systems in the Gulf Region over the past few decades, the book examines the advancement of education in Qatar and the critical political, economic, and cultural influences shaping education development plans, reforms, and policies. The book identifies the key factors and barriers that continue to hinder governmental initiatives in the region, in terms of the need to elevate the quality of key fields. The authors unpack the requirements imposed on policymakers in the broader Gulf region and pinpoint the need for Qatar to adopt more sustainable and state-of-the-art education policies, programs, and tools, to ameliorate the quality of education. In doing so, the book draws an all-inclusive portrayal of education in the country and its links to human and economic development. It identifies the transformations required to adapt to changing conditions, particularly within a dynamic and increasingly competitive job market. Bringing together academics and experts in public policy, education, development, and related social sciences in the Arabian Gulf, this book contributes to co-creating innovative and multidisciplinary solutions within higher education, relevant to both students and scholars in these respective fields.

Dr. Esmat is an associate professor at the College of Public Policy (CPP), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU). Prior to joining HBKU, she worked as an associate professor of Public Policy, Planning, and Development at Qatar University, an assistant professor of Urban Planning and Sustainability at United Arab Emirates University (UAEU), and a lecturer in Development and Environment at the College of Environment, University of Waterloo, from which she holds her master’s and Ph.D. degrees. Her previous professional appointments include the World Bank, the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), and the United Nations (UNDP). Dr. Zaidan has solid interdisciplinary scholarly work and activities; her research focuses on human development (education) and on cultural planning, sustainable cities and societies, community-based policies, energy transition, and the technological and human factors in smart transformation (society and technology).

Dr. Evren Tok is Associate Dean of Community Engagement and Associate Professor at College of Public Policy, Hamad Bin Khalifa University. Dr. Tok also acts as the regional coordinator for the Executive Master’s Program (Development Policies and Practices) jointly offered by Graduate Institute of Geneva and Hamad Bin Khalifa University. He is the co-editor of Policy Making in a Transformative State: The Case of Qatar, published by Palgrave MacMillan, 2016 with Leslie Pal and Lolwah Al Khater. He is the director of a QNRF funded cluster (2021-2026) entitled “Education for Sustainable Development Qatar”. He is the founder of the maker space entitled Maker Majlis: Islam in a Global World, which received Qatar Sustainability Award under Best University Initiative in 2020 and OIC Shaikh Hasina Award of Best Innovative Idea in 2022. Dr. Tok is also the recipient of Best Research Project Award in HBKU in 2022 and Service Excellence Award in 2024.

Dr. Logan is an associate professor in the College of Public Policy at HBKU. His research includes diverse geographic and disciplinary foci, covering broad thematic areas of food security, climate change, social justice, and governance. For the last 15 years, he has worked in non-governmental organizations internationally, including in Afghanistan, Benin, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. Logan has served as a director for two non-governmental organizations and worked as a consultant with clients such as Global Affairs Canada, International Development Research Centre, Save the Children, Management Sciences for Health, the Liaison Office, UNICEF, and UNAIDS.

Dr. Al Fadala, is an Assistant Professor at  College of Public Policy, Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU). Prior to joining HBKU, Dr. Al Fadala was the director of Research and Content Development at WISE. She is also a visiting fellow at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, USA. She has twenty years of professional experience in K-12 education and higher education and policy development. Prior to joining WISE in 2014, Dr. Al Fadala was an associate policy analyst at the RAND-Qatar Policy Institute. She has been a governmental policy writer, professor, and author on leadership for learning, education transformation, teacher development, innovation, and SDGs. She holds a Ph.D. and M.Phil from the University of Cambridge in Educational Leadership and Policy.