Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) is hosting a number of guest speakers this month as part of a series of events for encouraging leadership among students.
The LeaderShape Guest Leader Panel, which took place recently and a public lecture on ‘Leadership Worldwide and Qatar’, planned for today, provide participants real-life insights about the challenges and opportunities of modern leadership. Earlier this month, HBKU hosted a panel of local leaders from diverse backgrounds to address university students taking part in the popular global youth leadership training programme – LeaderShape.
 Hosted by HBKU for the 11th year, LeaderShape is a six-day programme that brings together the student community across Qatar and focuses on leadership development for youth.
The panel featured Dr Samar al-Emadi, chief of rheumatology at Hamad Medical Corporation, Dr Sami al-Shammari, executive director in the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy and Essa al-Mannai, executive director of Reach Out To Asia.
Dr al-Emadi said, “There is great variety of ideas at this LeaderShape event. Most of the students here have brilliant visions and they just need someone to show them alternative ways, or next steps, through which they can achieve their goal.”
Dr al-Shammari noted that “LeaderShape is a great idea as it gets the students out of their comfort zone and makes them think about their impact on the local community and the world. I have seen ideas here from protecting wildlife to leading medical advances.”
 “I feel inspired hearing the visions of these students,” said al-Mannai, “like developing the healthcare system in Qatar, or starting an Islamic university in Singapore, cultivating creative learning in Pakistan, and developing anti-corruption systems. So I have seen young people with great visions here and ‘inshallah’ they will make it happen in the future.”
Established in the US, LeaderShape’s mission is to create a just, caring, and thriving world where integrity is the core value that drives leaders in public and private sectors. Through the yearly six-day programme, HBKU offers 35 students from across all universities in Qatar, a chance for leadership training outside a traditional classroom environment.
The ‘Leadership Worldwide and Qatar’ public lecture today is organised by the HBKU International Students Club and Student Life.
Sheikh Dr Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahman al-Thani, chairman of Qilaa Training and Consulting, and Zakir Smailagic, talent manager at Al Jazeera Media Network, will provide their insights on leadership and management from a regional and global perspective at the event.