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 Uzbekistan’s newly inaugurated Islamic Civilisation Centre reflects the country’s efforts to preserve the legacy of renowned Muslim scholars while strengthening cultural co-operation with Qatar and the wider Islamic world, ambassador Ashraf Khodjaev has said.Speaking at a presentation in Doha dedicated to the Islamic Civilisation Centre, the envoy described the institution as a major national project initiated by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in 2017 and inaugurated recently.The event was attended by a number of dignitaries, including HE the Minister of State and Qatar National Library (QNL) President Dr Hamad bin Abdulaziz al-Kawari, HE the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) Secretary-General and Qatar Committee for the Alliance of Civilisations Chairman Dr Ahmad Hassan al-Hammadi, MoFA Protocol Department director Ibrahim Yousif Fakhro, HE the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education and chairman of the Board of Directors for the Doha International Centre for Interfaith Dialogue Dr Ibrahim bin Saleh al-Nuaimi, and Katara Cultural Village general manager Prof Dr Khalid Ibrahim al-Sulaiti, in addition several ambassadors and diplomats.Khodjaev said the centre holds special significance not only for Uzbekistan but also for the broader Islamic world, highlighting the country’s rich intellectual and spiritual heritage rooted in the historic cities of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva.He noted that the region produced some of the Islamic world’s most influential scholars and scientists, including Imam al-Bukhari, Imam al-Maturidi, al-Khwarizmi, al-Beruni and Mirzo Ulugbek, whose contributions shaped the development of mathematics, astronomy, medicine and philosophy.“The Islamic Civilisation Centre was created to preserve and present this extraordinary legacy in a modern and meaningful way, particularly for younger generations,” Khodjaev said.He described the centre as more than a museum, saying that it is envisioned as a platform for education, research, dialogue and cultural exchange.Khodjaev also lauded Qatar’s role in promoting culture, education and diplomacy, citing institutions such as the QNL, Katara, Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) and Education City.“Both of our countries recognise that long-term development is ultimately built not only through infrastructure and economic growth, but through investment in people, education, culture and historical memory,” he said.The envoy stressed the importance of helping younger generations remain connected to their identity, values and intellectual heritage, especially in a rapidly changing world.He also highlighted Central Asia’s historical role as a crossroads of civilisations where knowledge, trade and ideas connected different parts of the world.Khodjaev thanked Al Jazeera Media Network for supporting plans to produce documentary films about the Islamic Civilisation Centre and other historical landmarks and personalities from Uzbekistan.The ambassador invited people in Qatar to visit Uzbekistan and explore its cultural and historical landmarks, including the newly inaugurated Imam Al-Bukhari Complex in Samarkand, which he described as one of the region’s most important spiritual and cultural projects.He also revealed ongoing co-operation between the MIA and the QNL on a special publication featuring artefacts and manuscripts linked to Uzbekistan’s history that are preserved in museums across Qatar.Khodjaev thanked Qatari officials and institutions for supporting efforts to deepen cultural and intellectual ties between Uzbekistan and Qatar. 

The Qatar-US cultural and educational cooperation has been the epitome of the core pillars of the strategic partnership between the two nations for decades. Throughout recent years, this partnership has increasingly thrived in multiple educational, academic, research, and cultural fields, the Cultural Attache at the Embassy of the State of Qatar to the United States, Nasser Mohammed Al Nuaimi, told Qatar News Agency (QNA). Al Nuaimi added that the US is one of the key global partners of the State of Qatar in the academic domain, with universities among the most advanced globally, including four among the world's top ten. This makes cooperation with them an imperative for realizing Qatar's aspirations to build a modern educational system that keeps up with global standards. The State of Qatar aspires to forge long-term partnerships with those institutions, which would benefit both Qatari students and American universities through sharing expertise, setting top-notch educational curricula, and launching training programs that hone the alumni' skills, he highlighted. Al Nuaimi further explained that the State of Qatar is working to boost these partnerships through its various institutions, foremost among them being the Qatar Leadership Centre, which positions itself as a quintessential model for collaboration with American academic institutions in the areas that advance leadership and build research capabilities. These efforts are diligently ongoing, in parallel with energized efforts to increase the number of Qatari scholarship students in US universities throughout the years ahead, through holding coordination meetings with US university administrations to explore their enrollment opportunities in a variety of disciplines, he outlined. He averred that bilateral cultural cooperation is embodied in outstanding initiatives under the superintendence of the Ministry of Culture and Qatar Museums, alongside US institutions, particularly Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), noting the annual technical exhibition VCU organizes to showcase the artworks of artists and students from VCU's branch campus in Doha for a broader US audience, which literally positions itself as a cultural bridge between the two communities. Al Nuaimi delved into the foremost educational projects currently ongoing, noting the existing cooperation between Qatar University (QU) and several US universities to implement joint student projects. He emphasized that Qatari and US students are working together on research and academic tasks, which are assessed as part of their educational curricula. The Ministry of Education and Higher Education regularly participates in prestigious academic conferences such as the NAFSA Annual Conference and Expo and the Washington Higher Education Council, which promote Qatar's presence in the academic and global arenas, he highlighted. Al Nuaimi stressed that Qatari cultural diplomacy represents a significant contributor to promoting dialogue among peoples, given the state of play in the region and the world, noting that the domains of education and culture offer broader opportunities to forge acquaintances and make overtures. He added that they contribute to pitching the Qatari mores in a framework of shared appreciation. The Qatari educational missions in the US would project an honored image of the Qatari and Islamic identity if this identity were correctly and systematically pitched, he underlined.Al Nuaimi further outlined that the Attache performs a significant role and operates to provide all kinds of support for scholarship students, in terms of the academic, social, or psychological levels, by helping them focus on their studies and accomplish the excellence that projects an honored image of their homeland.The Attache annually convenes students to regularly check on their situation, either via relaying monthly messages or by reaching out to them and the academic supervisors in US universities directly, to ensure that a supportive and integrated educational environment is in place, assured Al Nuaimi.Al Nuaimi averred that there are steadfast endeavors to enhance academic cooperation between Qatari universities and US ones as part of future plans, through creating practical training opportunities for students while they are on campus, in addition to connecting US universities with Qatari institutions that teach the Arabic language, namely QU and Qatar Foundation.These endeavors, he said, would contribute to broadening the apertures of cultural and academic cooperation, noting the preparation to host an international conference for higher education in Doha in collaboration with key US universities, something that would ultimately open new prospects for academic and research exchange.Finally, Al Nuaimi stressed that the State of Qatar considers investment in education and culture as investment in human capital, laying the groundwork for the national development path. He emphasized that academic and cultural partnerships with the US will remain a core pillar in supporting the Qatar National Vision and promoting its stature on the global stage.

Bilateral relations between the State of Qatar and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan are deep-rooted across all levels, including the cultural field, which represents a model of cooperation between the two countries, given their strong historical ties. Cultural cooperation is reinforced by the alignment of political visions between the two countries, offering an exceptional model of bilateral relations, particularly in the cultural sphere, placing the two countries at the forefront of influence both regionally and internationally. Relations between the State of Qatar and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan are based on integration and mutual respect, thanks to the wisdom of the two leaderships and their shared visions, which contribute to enriching the cultural landscape and strengthening the Arab cultural identity. Cooperation between the two countries has been strengthened by the recent signing of a number of agreements and partnerships, which have contributed to advancing bilateral cultural relations to broader horizons. During this year, the State of Qatar and Jordan signed a cultural cooperation agreement that includes coordination and joint exchange in all cultural and artistic affairs between the two countries. The agreement was signed on the Qatari side by HE Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the HashemiteKingdom of Jordan Sheikh Saud bin Nasser bin Jassim Al-Thani, while it was signed on the Jordanian side by HE Minister of Culture Ali Al Ayed. The agreement aims to deepen fraternal relations and cooperation to serve the interests of the two brotherly countries, enhancing their bonds in joint Arab action. Historically, the first cultural cooperation agreement between the two brotherly countries was established in 1972, followed by an executive program for cultural cooperation for the years 1995-1997, signed in 1994, and in June 2021, a new cultural cooperation agreement was signed to deepen the bonds of cultural and artistic cooperation. Cooperation between the national libraries of the two countries is no less important than other cultural tributaries. The most prominent forms of this cooperation include the exchange of manuscripts, publications, and scientific information, the restoration of manuscripts, joint library training, the participation of Jordanian publishing houses in the Doha International Book Fair (DIBF), and Qatari participation in the Amman International Book Fair, where the State of Qatar was the guest of honor at the 22nd edition of the Amman International Book Fair. The State of Qatar showcased its distinguished presence at the exhibition through a rich and diverse cultural program that reflects the excellence of the Qatari cultural scene, offering the exhibition's audience an opportunity to explore its most prominent features, as it represents a new chapter in the cultural relations between the two brotherly countries, particularly the ties that connect Jordanian publishers with Qatari cultural institutions concerned with publishing and distribution. It also highlights their joint work through the International Publishers Association (IPA) and the Arab Publishers Association (APA), in which Jordan holds important positions. The Ministry of Culture also participated in the 37th edition of Jordan's Jerash Festival of Culture and Arts, where its pavilion attracted a large turnout from the Jordanian public and festival visitors of various nationalities who came to learn about the various aspects of authentic Qatari culture and heritage, as part of the Ministry's commitment to introducing the world to Qatar's rich heritage through participation in international events and festivals. Jordanian intellectuals and writers have received the lion's share of Qatari literary awards, including the Katara Prize for Arabic Novel and the State Prize for Children's Literature, over multiple editions. Furthermore, over the years, the two sides have exchanged artistic performances, including theater and musical concerts, during major events such as the selection of Doha as the Arab Capital of Culture in 2010, Doha as the Capital of Culture in the Islamic World 2021, and Irbid as the Arab capital of culture for 2022. In addition, a number of popular bands have been hosted to perform at the Souq Waif Spring Festival.