Sheikha Abdulla Al-Misnad

Sheikha Abdulla Al-Misnad – President of Qatar University, "is a leading Qatari educator, and occupied numerous prestigious positions in teaching, administration and research before assuming the presidency of Qatar University in 2003. Prior to that date, she served Qatar University as Vice President for Research and Community Development, Head of the Department of Foundations of Education, and as a member of the University Council. Professor Al-Misnad received her undergraduate training at Qatar University where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Education (1977), and subsequently a diploma in Education in 1978. She then enrolled in doctoral studies at Durham University in the United Kingdom, where she was granted the title of Doctor of Philosophy in Education in 1984. Professor Al-Misnad became active in research pertaining to education in the Gulf area in general, and education pertaining to women in particular during her graduate studies at the University of Durham. Professor Al-Misnad's involvement in educational reform is not limited to her duties at Qatar University. For many years, she has played a key role in the reform of primary, secondary, and private education in Qatar. The reform of publicly funded education in Qatar has been entrusted to the Supreme Education Council. This ambitious and massive reform project aims to establish progressive and modern independent schools that are privately operated but publicly funded. Professor Al-Misnad is considered one of the most active members of the Supreme Education Council overseeing this project. At the international level, Professor Al-Misnad is a member of several prestigious bodies and delegations. She was a contributing member of the Steering Committee of the Symposium at the UNESCO World Conference on Higher Education Applicability to the Arab States of the Gulf, held in Doha in 1999. Since June 2004, she has been a selected member of the United Nations University Council (UNU). Professor Al-Misnad’s long and illustrious record in education has gained her a wide and esteemed reputation not only in Qatar, but also in the Arab Gulf region and international arenas. In January 2008 she was awarded an honorary doctorate in Civil Law by Durham University in recognition of her outstanding achievements in the field of education."

• Trustee, American University in Cairo
• Director, Qatar Foundation
• Advisory Board, Soliya