Al Faisal Holding, one of Qatar’s leading diversified business groups, and Carnegie Mellon Qatar have signed an agreement to work together in specific projects and programmes.  
The agreement was signed by Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim al-Thani,  chairman of Al Faisal Holding, and Dr Ilker Baybars, Dean of Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar in the presence of  Fadhel Annan, assistant dean of Government Initiatives and Corporate Affairs.
A spokesperson said the agreement will focus on utilisation of some of Carnegie Mellon Qatar’s most important education programmes, research and strategic studies, including computer science, business administration, biological sciences, computational biology and information systems.
The agreement also extends to programmes provided by Carnegie Mellon Qatar’s selected Schools and Scientific Research Institutes in the US, giving Al Faisal access to the university’s 5,000 global faculty members. In particular, the agreement will see Al Faisal and Carnegie Mellon Qatar co-operate on scientific and strategic research which helps develop the business needs of Al Faisal.  The two organisations will share professional expertise, scientists and researchers in business administration, information systems and public policy.
Al Faisal’s senior leadership and managers will be able to access the leading education and training provided by Carnegie Mellon Qatar.
In return, the university’s students will be able to experience business at first hand through scholarships and placements in Al Faisal’s range of international businesses, and will be encouraged to join in the extensive community and CSR projects that Al Faisal implements.  
The two organisations will also organise a series of joint conferences, seminars, and workshops.
To initiate the partnership, the university invited Sheikh Faisal to share his experience as a businessman through a lecture entitled ‘The Active Role of Family Entrepreneurship in Contributing to Qatar’s National Vision 2030’.
Staged as part of the university’s Dean’s Leadership Series, Sheikh Faisal’s lecture, followed by questions from the students, underlined the strong connection between learning and business.
“I am delighted that we have been able to reach this far-ranging agreement with an organisation as prestigious as Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar” Sheikh Faisal commented.  “I have always believed that business and education go hand in hand.”