Doha: Hadaba, an initiative under Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s (HBKU) College of Public Policy (CPP), conducted the Summit of the Future: Hadaba Edition in parallel to the UN’s Summit of the Future: Multilateral Solutions for a Better Tomorrow.

Held from September 22 to 24, 2024, the event paralleled the UN Summit of the Future’s efforts to establish the Pact for the Future by emphasizing the importance of the renewed social contract outlined in the UN’s Common Agenda. Hosted at Minaretein in Education City, the summit combined expert talks and roundtable dialogues with workshops, masterclasses, and activities designed to engage a range of audiences, from K-12 and university students to public and private-sector professionals.

Internationally renowned experts including Dr. Ignacio Packer, Executive Director, Initiatives of Change, Caux Forum and Peshawa Ahmed, Head of the Community Development Unit, Prime Minister's Office of Initiatives and Communication, Kurdistan Region of Iran, gave high-level talks highlighting the need for communities to invest in sustainable development. Qatari professionals operating within pivotal market sectors, including Dana Al-Anzy, Head of Strategic Partnerships, Education Above All Foundation, and Lujain Al Mansoori, Co-Founder of award-winning 3D-food printing startup I-Foods, highlighted how the country is working to preserve the well-being of its community and the strength of its economy for the future.

Several UN experts from the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) also participated in panel discussions and led workshops focusing on policy writing and principles of design thinking.

Commenting on the collaborative nature of the event, Dr. Leslie Pal, Dean, CPP, said: “Our mutual drive to answer pressing policy questions of local and global relevance enabled us to partner with several UN bodies and prominent local and international organizations to deliver the Hadaba Edition. As a global hub for international public policy education, evaluation, and research in Qatar, HBKU’s CPP was eager to foster a dialogue on how we can craft policies that ensure a sustainable future.”

Local youth got the chance to participate in several unique experiences at the Summit. Doha Debates conducted Necessary Tomorrows - an educational series of workshops aimed at inspiring creativity and a future-oriented attitude among high school students. The Summit’s World Café experience invited post-graduate students to discuss the policy briefs published by the UN to lay out the foundations of the Common Agenda.

The Summit also featured the participation of the Ashtar Theatre, the first organization dedicated to training Palestinian youth in the theatrical performing arts, who offered masterclasses and conducted readings of the Gaza Monologues.

Situated within HBKU’s CPP, Hadaba fosters a vibrant community dedicated to breaking silos and building bridges within policymaking while crafting tools and solutions that resonate with diverse communities. The initiative reflects that challenges in policymaking regularly manifest as monumental hurdles and opportunities that are nevertheless waiting to be harnessed. With this in mind, Hadaba seeks to redefine the boundaries of policymaking by seamlessly intertwining public policy and design for the common good.

-Ends-

About Hamad Bin Khalifa University

Innovating Today, Shaping Tomorrow

Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), a member of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science, and Community Development (QF), is a leading, innovation-centric university committed to advancing education and research to address critical challenges facing Qatar and the world. HBKU develops multidisciplinary academic programs and national research capabilities that drive collaboration with leading global institutions. The university is dedicated to equipping future leaders with an entrepreneurial mindset and advancing innovative solutions that create a positive global impact. For more information about HBKU, visit www.hbku.edu.qa.

About the College of Public Policy

The College of Public Policy (CPP) accomplishes HBKU’s priority to contribute to effective policy development, evaluation, and dialogue in support of Qatar National Vision 2030. HBKU’s CPP is one of the leading public policy schools and knowledge hubs regionally and globally. It provides a uniquely situated venue for public conversation in Qatar, and a center for teaching and researching responses to policy questions of local and global relevance. Highly dynamic and open to novel ideas and experimentation, the CPP recruits the world’s best faculty, builds research capacity, educates future leaders who engage with their communities, and acts as a bridge for policy innovations that positively contribute to global public good. For more information about HBKU’s CPP, visit www.hbku.edu.qa/en/cpp.