After nearly three decades in British education, moving to Qatar marked a significant turning point in Dr Fella Lahmar’s academic career. At Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), she has helped establish the School of Education, developing graduate programmes that connect international educational research with Qatar’s national priorities and intellectual heritage. Her work spans comparative education, Islamic education, decolonisation, and inclusive learning. At its heart is a central question: how can societies learn from the world while remaining confident in their own values, traditions and aspirations? In this interview with Gulf Times, Dr Lahmar reflects on the differences between the British and Qatari education systems, the importance of compassion and inclusion, and the role of teachers in shaping a knowledge-based society. 1. Having worked in both the UK and Qatar, what can the two higher education systems learn from each other? I spent nearly three decades in British education, from community schools in Nottingham to supervising PhD students and leading and validating degree programmes. The UK has considerable strengths from which Qatar can learn, particularly rigorous quality assurance, peer review, and professional recognition for university teaching. However, my research also examines how market-driven reforms have reshaped British education. Since the introduction of tuition fees in England in 1998, higher education has increasingly been framed as a private investment rather than a public good. Tuition fees have risen substantially, maintenance grants for disadvantaged students were abolished in 2016, and graduates face significant repayment obligations. Universities are under pressure to compete for fee income, while schools operate within systems of rankings, inspections and performance measures that can reduce teaching to what an auditor can assess. My research has also explored how Muslim schools in England have had to navigate this competitive environment. Qatar offers a different perspective. It treats education as a public responsibility, providing free government schooling and undergraduate study at Qatar University for Qatari citizens, alongside scholarships that extend opportunities to other institutions and levels of study. The two systems can learn from each other. Qatar can draw on Britain’s established traditions of academic scrutiny and professional development, while the UK can reflect on Qatar’s commitment to public investment in education and widening access. The fundamental question is whether education is primarily an individual financial burden or a shared investment in society’s future. 2. How has Qatar’s culture influenced your academic work and sense of belonging? Doha felt like home from my very first visit. Culture is not simply what we know; it is the environment we breathe. It lives in shared values, manners and unspoken expectations—in how people greet one another, show respect, extend hospitality and care for their families. Here, I no longer need to translate myself. The cultural codes I grew up with, including respect for elders, generosity, the centrality of family and the indirect courtesy of Arab speech, are part of everyday social life. Even the built environment reinforces this connection. Minaretein, where my office is located, incorporates architectural symbolism that reflects the relationship between knowledge and faith. Across Doha, the Museum of Islamic Art and the lanes of Souq Waqif connect the present with a history I recognise as my own. Ramadan and Eid are celebrated throughout society, and the rhythm of the call to prayer is part of daily life. As a Muslim woman who wears the hijab, I have also experienced a profound sense of ease and safety. In England, I was often conscious of being visibly Muslim and, at times, concerned about walking alone after Maghrib. Rebuilding that sense of security took time. In Qatar, my faith is understood as part of who I am, rather than something I must continually explain or justify. That sense of belonging has freed energy that I can devote to my academic work. The move also transformed my scholarly position. In Britain, my research on Islamic education, decolonisation and equity often addressed the experiences of a minority seeking recognition. In Qatar, these questions have become part of a broader national conversation about educational development and societal renewal. Qatar Foundation initially invited me as a consultant to help develop graduate programmes in comparative education that would meet international quality standards while engaging seriously with Islamic civilisational heritage. Comparative education too often measures educational systems against a European benchmark. But a different starting point is possible. Civilisations advance not by importing finished products from elsewhere or by simply imitating their own past, but by bringing ideas into purposeful engagement with people, places and contemporary challenges. At its height, Islamic civilisation translated, debated and developed Greek, Persian and Indian knowledge without abandoning its own intellectual foundations. Our programmes draw on that spirit of openness. We want students to be firmly grounded in their heritage while engaging critically and generously with educational thought from across the world, including the West. The aim is not to replace one intellectual centre with another, but to prepare educators who can learn from everyone without losing their own point of reference. 3. Beyond academic achievement, what makes an education system successful? It begins with rahma—compassion. The Qur’an describes the Prophetic mission as “a mercy to the worlds” (21:107). The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) also described his mission as that of a teacher who makes things easier rather than causing hardship. Compassion and teaching belong together. I have seen what happens when they become separated. In England, league tables, audits and rankings have reshaped the work of schools and universities. Too often, teachers are encouraged to perform for inspectors while children become data points. What can be measured begins to determine what matters, even though the things that matter most are not always measurable. A society is not built simply by accumulating buildings, devices and qualifications. These are products of civilisation, not its foundations. Education should also cultivate ethical principles, aesthetic appreciation, practical reasoning and the skills through which knowledge becomes part of everyday life. My research for the Decolonising Education for Peace in Algeria project examined five linguistically diverse Algerian communities. It highlighted how oral storytelling, poetry, crafts and inherited social customs transmit values of reconciliation, respect and care across generations. The historian Ibn Khaldun recognised the close relationship between knowledge, craftsmanship and flourishing social life. Knowledge is transmitted not merely through books but through living relationships between teachers and learners, and through habits of thought and practice. Education that breaks this intergenerational transmission risks weakening the foundations on which a society builds its future. That is why Qatar’s heritage of poetry, art, the sea, the desert and the majlis belongs in the classroom. Museums such as the National Museum of Qatar, the Museum of Islamic Art and Mathaf can also serve as open classrooms, connecting young people with their identity and imagination. Yet rootedness must not mean repetition. An idea can be authentic and still fail to translate into meaningful action. Education also needs to develop aql—reason in its fullest sense: the ability to question, solve real problems and turn ideas into institutions. Reason without compassion becomes cold, while compassion without reason risks becoming merely sentimental.A successful education system must also care for vulnerable learners as seriously as it supports the most academically talented. England has decades of experience in mainstream inclusion, legally enforceable support plans and the recognition of British Sign Language. Yet the system faces considerable pressures, including delays in securing special educational needs support. Qatar, meanwhile, is developing specialist provision through institutions such as Renad Academy, the country’s first school exclusively for children with autism established by QF, and Awsaj Academy, a QF non-profit K-12 special education institution for learners with learning differences, while continuing to strengthen the frameworks that support inclusion.Inclusion, however, means more than securing a place in a school. It means enabling every learner to participate fully in the language, faith, culture and life of society. As part of this commitment, I lead a project developing inclusive Islamic education for Deaf learners in Qatari Sign Language. I am also part of a research team working with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education to assess the accessibility of Qatar’s higher education institutions for students with disabilities. Inclusion must extend beyond the school gate and into every stage of education. 4. How can Qatar benefit from international educational practices while preserving its values and identity? There are two dangers. The first is treating heritage as ritual: something memorised and preserved but disconnected from life. The second is importing ideas without considering the context that gave them meaning, potentially reproducing approaches that cause harm when transferred elsewhere. Qatar’s leadership has articulated a vision that combines rootedness with a forward-looking civilisational outlook. Education City brings leading international universities together alongside Qatar’s own institutions. The important question is whether this international presence strengthens national capacity and enables Qatari teachers, researchers and ideas to contribute more substantially to global knowledge. This is why a homegrown School of Education matters. Qatar University’s College of Education plays a major role in preparing the nation’s teachers. HBKU’s School of Education is intended to complement that work rather than duplicate it. As a graduate, research-focused school, it takes a distinctly comparative approach, grounded in the region’s intellectual heritage while engaging critically with educational ideas from around the world. Its location in Education City provides opportunities to connect research, teacher preparation and classroom practice with Qatar Foundation schools, international universities and research centres. The objective is not to choose between local identity and international excellence. It is to bring them into a productive relationship, so that international engagement strengthens Qatar’s capacity to develop its own educational approaches and contribute to the world on its own terms. 5. What is the biggest lesson you have learned from establishing a new School of Education? I had previously designed and validated academic programmes, but founding a school taught me something different: an institution is built through relationships before it has a building or a curriculum. What gives a new school life istrust among faculty, students, university leadership and external partners, including the Ministry of Education and Higher Education and schools across Qatar. These relationships needs to be grounded in a shared understanding of the kind of educator society needs. Working closely with HBKU’s senior leadership, especially colleagues in the Provost’s Office, has been particularly formative. It brought me into discussions about strategy, governance and long-term institutional impact much earlier and more deeply than I might have experienced in a conventional academic role. That experience pushed me beyond my comfort zone, but it also demonstrated how much can be achieved when people combine expertise, ethical leadership, a clear vision and a genuine commitment to excellence. The challenge is to balance ambition with academic rigour: to establish programmes that meet international standards while responding meaningfully to Qatar’s educational priorities and regional challenges. Ultimately, a new school is not established simply by launching programmes. It grows when a community comes together around a shared purpose and builds the relationships and structures needed to sustain it. 6. What educational priorities should Qatar focus on to prepare future generations? Qatar invests in resources that many countries can only aspire to: modern facilities, technology, international partnerships and scholarships. But while a country can import the products of other civilisations, it cannot import the people who will build its own future. The priority is to turn these resources into human capability.I would highlight five areas. First, turn knowledge into action. The real measure of education is not how much information students accumulate, but whether they can apply it to solve problems, build institutions and innovate. Learners should engage with real challenges in schools, communities, industry and research. Second, invest in teachers. Every reform ultimately succeeds or fails in the classroom. Teachers need rigorous initial preparation, continuing professional development, professional trust and career pathways that attract and retain talented people. No education system can rise above the quality of its teaching. Third, combine rootedness with openness. Arabic, Islam and cultural identity are most powerful when they remain foundations of learning rather than ceremonial symbols. A secure sense of identity enables young people to engage confidently with the world, learning from other civilisations without being absorbed by any one of them. The movement of knowledge across borders has always enriched intellectual life. Qatar’s openness to international talent is part of that tradition. Fourth, cultivate character, compassion and inclusion. Prosperity brings opportunities, but it also presents challenges. Education can nurture responsibility, perseverance, a respect for time and a commitment to serving others. It must also cultivate rahma (compassion), ensuring that no learner is pushed to the margins because of disability, language or background. Fifth, develop discernment in an age of misinformation. The danger today is not only ignorance but the illusion of knowledge. AI-generated content can appear authoritative while being inaccurate, and qualifications can sometimes signal achievement without demonstrating genuine understanding. Education needs to teach students to verify information, evaluate sources, question assumptions and distinguish information from knowledge. Our intellectual tradition has long emphasised the importance of verifying reports and examining claims before accepting them. That discipline is increasingly essential.Ultimately, the goal is to nurture a generation that does not merely consume the achievements of others but contributes original ideas and solutions to the world, drawing confidently on its own intellectual and cultural foundations. 7. How does Qatar Foundation empower educators, and what opportunities does its wider ecosystem offer teachers? Qatar Foundation offers something that was much harder to access in the UK: a remarkable concentration of educational, research and professional resources in close proximity.Within Education City and the wider Qatar Foundation ecosystem, educators can connect with international universities, a national research university, Qatar National Library, Sidra Medicine, schools serving diverse learners, research institutes and the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE). In Britain, comparable collaborations can take years of competitive funding applications and co-ordination across institutions and cities, with no guarantee that resources will materialise. Qatar Foundation brings international talent together and supports opportunities for research, collaboration and professional development. For teachers, the potential is significant. They can work alongside researchers, engage with new evidence and help translate research findings into classroom practice. Students and teachers can benefit when universities and schools are connected through shared projects, joint supervision and sustained professional relationships. The opportunity now is to turn this institutional proximity into deeper, lasting collaboration. That is central to the work of HBKU’s School of Education. We are developing partnerships with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, as well as with schools and institutions across Qatar’s education sector.When research, teacher preparation and classroom practice inform one another, education becomes more than a collection of separate institutions. It becomes a connected ecosystem in which knowledge can be tested, refined and put to work. For me, the central challenge is how we continue transforming Qatar’s investment in education into transforming its investment in education into the human capability, ethical purpose and intellectual confidence needed to shape its own future. That means preparing educators who are rooted in their heritage, open to the world’s knowledge, compassionate towards learners and equipped to turn ideas into meaningful change.
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