HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser opens the new state-of-the art building of QFIS. Picture: AR Al-Baker/HHOPL

Doha

Qatar Foundation chairperson HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser officially opened the new building of Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies (QFIS) in Education City on Friday morning.

HH Sheikh Moza, wife of HH Father Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, toured the new building, starting from the five columns representing the five pillars of Islam, then the library and the classrooms.

A delegation, including Qatar Foundation (QF) president Saad Ibrahim al-Muhannadi, Hamad Bin Khalifa University provost and executive vice president Dr Ahmad Hasnah, QFIS dean Dr Aisha al-Mannai, and the architects of the new building accompanied Sheikha Moza.

The Friday prayer at the mosque inside the QFIS building was led by Sheikh Saleh al-Maghamsy.

As a college of HBKU, a member of Qatar Foundation, QFIS was established in 2007. The opening of the new building demonstrates its continuous growth and development to serve the higher education needs of Qatar and wider Islamic societies.

The building also reflects QFIS’s strong commitment to its philosophies of originality, plurality, and contemporaneity.

The new facilities support Qatar Foundation’s vision to unlock human potential through the delivery of world-class education, with architectural features in line with QF’s mission to foster an engaged society appreciative of its Islamic and Arabic heritage.

Dr. Hasnah said: “Since it was established as part of HBKU, QFIS has worked to fulfil the vision and mission of QF by unlocking human potential. It strives to provide the best education to students, help them realise their potential and spread a culture of creativity and enlightenment that balances a commitment to traditions alongside innovation.”

Dr. al-Mannai said: “The opening of the new building will help us perform our mission as it provides the right atmosphere to broaden our activities and accommodate our staff to allow an expansion of the student body in the future. This college represents one of many institutions contributing to the comprehensive educational cycle offered by QF that provides quality learning to students to unlock their potential and enhance the culture of innovation and creativity in Qatar.”

QFIS has 114 newly admitted students enrolled for the 2015-2016 academic year. In total, 47 nations are represented in the student body, with 36% from Qatar and some 198 students have graduated from QFIS to date.

QFIS offers six masters courses: Islamic Studies in Contemporary Fiqh, Public Policy in Islam, Islamic Finance, the Study of Contemporary Muslim Thought and Societies, Urban design and Architecture in Islamic societies, and Islamic Studies in Comparative Religions. There are also three diplomas, in Islamic Finance, Public Policy in Islam, and Islamic Studies offered by the college.

QFIS also includes the Centre for Islamic Legislation and Ethics (CILE) to address Islamic legislation and ethics. It specialises in areas such as methodology, arts, environment, economics, education, food, gender studies, media, medicine and bioethics, migration and human rights, politics and psychology.

The college also has five research centres for the development of research work: The Al Qaradawi Centre for Islamic Moderation and Renewal; the Centre for Islamic Economics and Finance; the Centre for the Study of Contemporary Muslim Societies; and the Mohammed Bin Hamad Al Thani Centre for Muslim Contribution to Civilisation.

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