It gives me immense pleasure to serve as the Dean of the School of the Social Sciences and Humanities at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies. The Doha Institute is a unique academic institution in terms of its mission, programs and the talent it attracts. I cannot think of another institution in the Arab world that has the ability to affect so much change both locally and regionally. Our future depends on the depth and scope of education that our young women and men receive, and on critical thinking and serious engagement with our past, present and future. The Doha Institute attracts an exceptional student body that we prepare for such an engagement, but one that is informed by our local and regional needs. Thus, the Doha Institute is at the forefront of indigenization of knowledge and its production. In other words, the Doha Institute is leading regionally in global efforts of decolonizing knowledge. Our faculty members are dedicated to this mission and are being immensely creative on that front. Their passion and commitment are contagious. And so are those of our staff, working diligently to execute the daily operations that make the work of students, faculty and administrators possible.
I see my role as a facilitator of the overall operation of the School of Social Sciences and Humanities, and as on overseer of its academic and administrative integrity that enables the School to reach its goals and its full potential. My experience in the classroom, in administration, as well as in community building and engagement helps me implement a holistic vision for the School whereby the well-being of each is the well-being of all, and whereby success is contingent upon collaboration and continuous capacity building among students, faculty and staff.
I have joined at challenging times as we continuously adopt new strategies to accommodate an international body of students whose learning experience is currently online. If those challenges are teaching us anything is that nothing should stand in the way of investing in human capital and in sustained human development, two pillars of the State of Qatar's Vision 2030.
We are looking at the future with much hope despite all challenges.
Dr Amal Ghazal
Dean of the School of Social Sciences and Humanities
