Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s (HBKU) College of Public Policy (CPP), Geneva Graduate Institute, and Qatar Fund For Development (QFFD) held an opening ceremony for the 2023-24 edition of the Executive Programmes in Development Policies and Practices (DPP) for the Middle East and North Africa (DPP-Mena) programme and Conflict and Fragility Management (CFM) programme.
Dr Leslie Pal, dean, HBKU’s CPP; Dr Alex Dormeier Freier, director, Geneva Graduate Institute; and Khalifa bin Jassim al-Kuwari, director-general, QFFD, gave keynote speeches to welcome the programme’s participants, which comprise professionals operating in the development and humanitarian fields to bolster their careers.
Two participants - Saiid Saber, DPP-MENA, and Nsamba Ahumedi, CFM - gave speeches to their fellow colleagues wishing them luck as they embark on the six-month programmes together. The programme coordinators, including Dr Evren Tok, associate dDean for Community Engagement, CPP, and Dr Alaa Tartir, academic coordinator for DPP-MENA Region; Dr Seda Duygu Sever, regional coordinator, CFM; and Dr Margaux Pinaud, academic coordinator for CFM, introduced the attendees to their respective programme’s curricula.
Both programmes’ first modules, running from September 3-22 are being held at Minaretein in Education City.
“Our long-running partnership with QFFD and the Geneva Graduate Institute embodies our collective commitment to strengthening the field of international development in the Mena region. It underlines HBKU’s CPP as a proactive institution that transcends borders in order to facilitate expertise and build capacity in Qatar, the region, and beyond,” said Dr Pal.
The six-month programmes comprise three modules in total; after completing the Doha-based course, participants will then undergo an online learning portion from their respective countries. The final module, held in Geneva, Switzerland, will see the professionals meet fellow DPP-Mena and CFM participants from around the world and complete their curricula together.
The DPP-Mena and CFM coursework utilise case studies that explore contemporary regional and global development challenges to enhance participants’ strategic analysis and leadership skills. Each participant is tasked with developing a professional thesis tied to their professional work that addresses their organizations’ needs, which draws upon their strategic analysis and leadership skills refined throughout their studies in the DPP-Mena and CFM programmes.
Opening Ceremony for the DPP and CFM programmes.
