Speaking to Northwestern Qatar faculty and staff at the school’s annual NU-Q Colloquium, Dean Marwan M. Kraidy outlined the institution’s strategic priorities and said the beginning of the academic year represented a time of “renewal and reconnection.” The event, which comes at the start of every academic year, also included Kraidy welcoming new faculty and staff to the Northwestern Qatar community.
With the school strategically returning to pre-pandemic operations, Kraidy called on faculty and staff to take the start of this academic year as an opportunity to renew their commitment to Northwestern’s values and mission of excellence. “Renewing is very important,” said Kraidy. “[It is about] renewing the commitments we have towards educating students, towards producing meaningful knowledge, towards operating an institution at the very best level of professional practice.”
Kraidy went on to underscore Northwestern Qatar’s position as an “impactful institution,” anchored in multiple contexts: Qatar, Education City, the Gulf, Northwestern, and at the convergence of continents and cultures. In outlining his vision, he said the school will capitalize on its unique positioning and diverse community and scholarly output to lead the production of evidence-based storytelling and the “production of meaningful knowledge in the Global South.”
With the school strategically returning to pre-pandemic operations, Kraidy called on faculty and staff to take the start of this academic year as an opportunity to renew their commitment to Northwestern’s values and mission of excellence. “Renewing is very important,” said Kraidy. “[It is about] renewing the commitments we have towards educating students, towards producing meaningful knowledge, towards operating an institution at the very best level of professional practice.”
Kraidy went on to underscore Northwestern Qatar’s position as an “impactful institution,” anchored in multiple contexts: Qatar, Education City, the Gulf, Northwestern, and at the convergence of continents and cultures. In outlining his vision, he said the school will capitalize on its unique positioning and diverse community and scholarly output to lead the production of evidence-based storytelling and the “production of meaningful knowledge in the Global South.”
“Renewing is very important. [It is about] renewing the commitments we have towards educating students, towards producing meaningful knowledge, towards operating an institution at the very best level of professional practice.”
- Marwan M. Kraidy, dean and CEO of Northwestern Qatar
Kraidy said the school will continue to prioritize supporting students and enhancing all aspects of the student experience, from academics and research to student life and health and wellbeing. He went on to list revamping faculty and staff professional development as one of his priorities, revealing new faculty advancement programs that include research and teaching initiatives and grants as well as opportunities for exchange programs with the Evanston campus.
The colloquium also included a panel moderated by Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs Zachary Wright on faculty research and creative work, featuring Professors Sam Meekings, Claudia Kozman, Leila Tayeb, Fatima El-Issawi, Ilhem Allagui, Heather Jaber, Yasmeen Mekawy, and Marda Dunsky discussing their scholarly and creative engagements in the upcoming year. In another session by the Institute for Advanced Study in the Global South, Clovis Bergère, assistant director of the institute, presented the institute's plans to engage faculty and students in several multidisciplinary scholarly and research opportunities on the Global South in the upcoming academic year.
Amira Hariri, director of admissions, who presented the school’s strategic student recruitment strategy in the session, introduced the Class of 2026 and shared the efforts put into recruiting the incoming class while preserving Northwestern’s legacy.
This year’s colloquium also included a session where the business and finance, communication and public affairs, human resources, and health and safety department directors presented their strategic plans.
The colloquium also included a panel moderated by Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs Zachary Wright on faculty research and creative work, featuring Professors Sam Meekings, Claudia Kozman, Leila Tayeb, Fatima El-Issawi, Ilhem Allagui, Heather Jaber, Yasmeen Mekawy, and Marda Dunsky discussing their scholarly and creative engagements in the upcoming year. In another session by the Institute for Advanced Study in the Global South, Clovis Bergère, assistant director of the institute, presented the institute's plans to engage faculty and students in several multidisciplinary scholarly and research opportunities on the Global South in the upcoming academic year.
Amira Hariri, director of admissions, who presented the school’s strategic student recruitment strategy in the session, introduced the Class of 2026 and shared the efforts put into recruiting the incoming class while preserving Northwestern’s legacy.
This year’s colloquium also included a session where the business and finance, communication and public affairs, human resources, and health and safety department directors presented their strategic plans.
