Qatar’s steady progress toward the ambitions of National Vision 2030 has made learning one of the country’s primary engines of socioeconomic transformation. A newly released open-access volume, The Future of Education Policy in the State of Qatar, seeks to capture both the breadth of that journey and the questions it now grapples with. Bringing together academics who track global evidence, as well as practitioners who negotiate daily constraints on the ground, the book traces two decades of educational reform, expansion and transformation. These changes are in response to the ever-changing demands of the education sector amidst a country, and a world, being reshaped by demographic change, technological disruption, and environmental risks.

A thread running through every chapter is the need to reconcile outward-looking ambition with rootedness in local identity. International partnerships undoubtedly enrich curricula, faculty profiles, and research capacity; yet unless students can situate that knowledge within Qatar’s cultural heritage, the payoff for society will remain partial. Consequently, future policy must foster graduates who are engaged globally while anchored in the values of their community.

The book highlights that reaching the desired educational outcomes is not only about improving quality but also enhancing inclusive opportunities for all learners and fostering lifelong learning beyond formal educational settings. This includes addressing the provision of education for children with diverse needs and abilities, as well as enhancing the quality of early-childhood programmes.

Education is a sector that always has to adapt and revise. This book captures that journey in Qatar and looks forward, particularly in light of continued advancements in AI and EdTech. While adapting to a changing educational landscape, the country’s education system must cultivate critical skills that often transcend specific changes, such as critical inquiry, creativity, integrity and resilience. In such an environment, education policy can only be effective if it dovetails with employment, health, and social-welfare strategies, given that human development outcomes emerge from the superposed interaction of these spheres rather than from schooling alone. This complex interaction warrants a magnified role for academia, co-ordination among ministries, closer dialogue with private-sector employers, and structured feedback loops so that programmes are adjusted before they drift out of sync with real-world demand.

Against this backdrop, the book proposes four priorities. First, expand lifelong-learning routes for adult education, professional upskilling, and mid-career reskilling for the workforce to nurture an ability to adapt to rapidly evolving industries. Second, through a focus on teachers and educators, elevate the teaching profession by funding continuous professional development and rewarding innovations in the field of pedagogy. Third, initiate and strengthen university – industry research partnerships for accelerating innovation aligned with national goals and sustainable development priorities. Fourth and finally, engineer governance arrangements through which meaningful civil-society participation is emancipated and increase transparency in policy making as well as policy outcomes.

The volume concludes on the note that education should not be solely looked at as a driver of economic diversification but a more comprehensive force for social cohesion and civic renewal. Critical to achieving this is the pursuit of inclusive reforms, nurturing a culture of curiosity and innovation, and ensuring that graduates see themselves as agents of both local progress and global dialogue. Qatar can build an education system resilient and imaginative enough to meet present challenges and shape the aspirations of future generations.

Dr Esmat Zaidan, Associate Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Dr Evren Tok, Associate Dean for Community Engagement, Dr Asmaa al-Fadala, Assistant Professor, and Dr Logan Cochrane, Associate Professor, are faculty members of Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s (HBKU) College of Public Policy (CPP).

This piece has been submitted by HBKU’s Communications Directorate on behalf of its authors. The thoughts and views expressed are the authors’ own and do not necessarily reflect an official University stance.

About Hamad Bin Khalifa University
Innovating Today, Shaping Tomorrow
Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), a member of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science, and Community Development (QF), is a leading, innovation-centric university committed to advancing education and research to address critical challenges facing Qatar and beyond. HBKU develops multidisciplinary academic programs and national research capabilities that drive collaboration with leading global institutions. The university is dedicated to equipping future leaders with an entrepreneurial mindset and advancing innovative solutions that create a positive global impact.

For more information about HBKU, its colleges, research institutes, and initiatives, please visit www.hbku.edu.qa. To stay up to date on our social media activities, follow our accounts on: LinkedIn, Instagram, X, and Facebook.For any media inquiries, please contact: [email protected].

About the College of Public Policy
The College of Public Policy (CPP) accomplishes HBKU’s priority to contribute to effective policy development, evaluation, and dialogue in support of Qatar National Vision 2030. HBKU’s CPP is one of the leading public policy schools and knowledge hubs regionally and globally. It provides a uniquely situated venue for public conversation in Qatar, and a center for teaching and researching responses to policy questions of local and global relevance. Highly dynamic and open to novel ideas and experimentation, the CPP recruits the world’s best faculty, builds research capacity, educates future leaders who engage with their communities, and acts as a bridge for policy innovations that positively contribute to global public good. For more information about HBKU’s CPP, visit www.hbku.edu.qa/en/cpp.