HE Sheikha Hind bint Hamad al-Thani, Vice Chairperson and CEO of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF), has stressed the importance attached by the State of Qatar to education, as it is a cornerstone of its efforts to build a modern and prosperous state whose people enjoy prosperity, security and equality.
In an interview with the BBC, Sheikha Hind said she was proud of the status enjoyed by Qatari women, pointing out that 65% of students in QF universities are women. This reflects the values of the State of Qatar and its belief in the role of women in the development of society. "What I'd like people to understand is that we're as normal as you are. We might have different traditions and cultures, but that doesn't make us very different. We all want highly educated citizens. We all want to have opportunities for every single person in our country," she said, while outlining the importance of constructive communication and highlighting the true image of the State of Qatar.
The Vice Chairperson and CEO of QF touched on the achievements of the Qatar Foundation, which has eight branch campuses of the world's leading universities as well as a national university, as part of its sublime mission to promote education, research and development in Qatar and to build an alternative knowledge-economy for hydrocarbon resources-based economy, pointing out that education is the cornerstone of this endeavour.
The State of Qatar is a small country, but it is growing by the achievements of its people, she said.
Sheikha Hind also highlighted academic freedom in the universities and that encourages meaningful and responsible dialogue, adding that democracy has a wide spectrum of meanings.
She spoke about the role of Qatar in helping disadvantaged groups in the world, especially by providing educational opportunities for children deprived of it through various initiatives such as "Education Above All".
After finishing her education in Qatar, Sheikha Hind studied at Duke University in the United States and at University College London in the UK, which provided her with a comprehensive perspective on the principles of global citizenship, dialogue among civilizations, and brotherhood among peoples, without ignoring the importance of preserving the Arab and Islamic identity.
