As Georgetown University in Qatar celebrates its 20th anniversary, Georgetown leaders signed an agreement to continue operating its campus in Doha for the next 10 years.
Georgetown opened its campus in Qatar in partnership with the Qatar Foundation in 2005 as part of its global engagement and Jesuit tradition of preparing students to serve the common good. Over the past two decades, nearly 1,100 undergraduate and master’s students have graduated from Georgetown in Qatar (GU-Q).
On April 16, Georgetown Interim President Robert M. Groves signed a 10-year renewal agreement with Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, CEO of the Qatar Foundation, which founded Education City, a seven-mile campus home to GU-Q and other branch campuses of international universities.
“Our campus in Education City and our partnership with Qatar Foundation have enabled Georgetown to extend its Jesuit tradition of educating the whole person — mind, body, and spirit — into a truly global context,” said Groves. “Over the past two decades, GU-Q has advanced Georgetown’s mission of academic excellence, civic engagement and a commitment to intercultural dialogue.”
GU-Q is part of a growing network of Georgetown programs and centers around the world that strive to educate the whole person and engage with international issues.
“As a global research university Georgetown engages students, scholars, practitioners and international leaders in dialogue, research and teaching on critical global issues and transnational challenges,” said Thomas Banchoff, vice president for global engagement. “We look forward to continuing our outreach and engagement to prepare future leaders to contribute to the global common good.”
On April 16, Georgetown in Qatar celebrated its 20th anniversary, recognizing seven alumni with the Alumni Impact Awards (far left) and signing a renewal agreement for the next 10 years with H.E. Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, CEO of the Qatar Foundation (far right).
20 Years of Academic Excellence
GU-Q’s campus is in Education City, a seven-mile campus home to six other branch campuses of international universities.
GU-Q is one of six global programs and centers Georgetown established abroad.
GU-Q offers a bachelor’s degree in foreign service, an executive master’s in diplomacy and international affairs from the School of Foreign Service, and an executive master’s in leadership from the McDonough School of Business — an immersive exploration of global issues in a Middle Eastern setting.
After beginning with a graduating class of 18 students, GU-Q has grown to enroll hundreds of students from all over the world. This year, the school enrolled its largest class ever, with 464 students representing 40 nationalities.
Georgetown in Qatar celebrated its first graduating class in 2009.
“What began as an ambitious vision has become a defining achievement for both Georgetown and Qatar Foundation,” said Safwan M. Masri, dean of GU-Q. “This renewal calls on us to reimagine what global higher education at its best can be. In a region where tradition and transformation are held in creative tension, GU-Q stands as a space for fearless inquiry, moral imagination, and the pursuit of ideals that transcend the self.”
GU-Q Dean Safwan M. Masri spoke at the 20th anniversary celebration.
Graduates of GU-Q have included two Rhodes Scholars, award-winning journalists, start-up founders, and leaders in diplomacy, global businesses and humanitarian agencies. On campus, the school has grown vibrant student clubs and athletics, like its cricket and women’s basketball teams, and GU-Q’s Model United Nations team, which recently celebrated its 20th anniversary and has expanded over the years to help more students apply their classroom work to real-world situations.
GU-Q’s Center for International and Regional Studies is also marking the 20th anniversary of its founding. The center has become established as a leading regional research institute, sponsoring major studies of emerging socio-economic and political trends in the Gulf region, including research on international relations, political economy and domestic politics.
As part of its global lens, GU-Q alumni hail from more than 80 countries, a number represented by the international flags that line the school’s atrium.
The school also provides experiential learning opportunities for students and scholars to engage cross-culturally. Its Bridging Two Capitals course invites students to learn more about global diplomacy, religion and governance in Washington, DC, followed by hosting their classmates in Doha. This year, in partnership with the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, GU-Q created an inaugural Doctoral Fellowship program to invite late-stage Ph.D. candidates from the Hilltop Campus to spend a year on the Qatar campus.
Most recently, 21 students traveled to Jakarta, Indonesia as part of GU-Q’s Zones of Conflict, Zones of Peace program to learn about causes of conflict and the process of reconciliation. Students engaged with Georgetown’s newly launched School of Foreign Service Asia Pacific (GSAP) program based there — part of its growing footprint and engagement around the world.
Global Engagement
Georgetown’s newest program, GSAP in Jakarta, educates master’s students in geopolitics and diplomacy, with a multi-location learning model in Jakarta, Doha and DC. The university also unveiled an MBA in Dubai, offered for executives and managers who want to deepen their understanding of leading in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia region.
Its Center for Global Health Practice and Impact, which works to address global health challenges and improve health outcomes, has an on-the-ground presence in Botswana, Cameroon, Eswatini, Haiti, Kenya and Nigeria. Georgetown has also maintained offices in Nairobi, Kenya, and Rome, Italy, to expand its global engagement.
