Qatar University Hosts Research and Innovation Day to Celebrate Excellence

By the Editorial Team · Thursday, September 10, 2026

Qatar University hosted its “Research and Innovation Day” event to showcase recent achievements and strategic plans in research, featuring awards for faculty and student innovations in areas such as therapeutic robotics and cancer treatment. The event emphasized the university’s commitment to leveraging scientific research for practical solutions that support both institutional growth and national development objectives.

Qatar University (QU) recently held its “Research and Innovation Day: Celebrating Excellence” event, aimed at highlighting new directions and achievements in research and innovation. The event took place at QU’s campus in Doha and brought together university leadership, faculty members, students, and invited guests, including Salem Anzan Al-Naimi, executive vice president of Public Relations at QNB Group, the event’s sponsor.

The program featured a panel discussion on the university’s research and innovation strategy, moderated by Afra Al-Kholifi, senior research assistant at QU’s Ibn Khaldon Center for Humanities and Social Studies. The discussion included insight from several academic leaders at QU, such as Dr. Mohammed Alsafran, associate vice president for Research Centers; Prof. Bassim Hammadi, associate vice president for Planning and Research Support; and Prof. Saud Abdulaziz Abdulghani, associate vice president for Innovation and Development. These leaders examined strategic priorities and future plans to strengthen QU’s role as a hub of research and innovation.

During his opening remarks, Prof. Aiman Erbad, vice president for Research and Innovation, emphasized the growing importance of scientific research not only for knowledge generation but also for its translation into practical solutions. He highlighted the university’s commitment to addressing societal needs through innovation that benefits both the institution and the wider community.

The event also recognized outstanding research contributions through the presentation of several QU Innovation Awards. Among full-time faculty and staff, Prof. John-John Cabibihan received an award for developing a Smart Robotic Therapeutic Learning Toy. The award for undergraduate and graduate students was shared by Ola Hussein and Arij Hassan for their research on novel pyridine-based chalcone analogs aimed at treating prostate cancer and triple-negative breast cancer.

Additional accolades were granted for outstanding dissertations and theses across various disciplines. Khalid Fahad Al-Mahamadi from the College of Law received the Best Dissertation Award in Social Sciences and Humanities, while Muhammad Ammar Zahid from the College of Pharmacy earned the Best Dissertation Award in Applied Sciences. The Best Thesis Award in Social Sciences and Humanities was presented to Heba Majdul Sbahi from the College of Sharia and Islamic Studies, and the Best Thesis Award in Applied Sciences went to Samra Zafar of the College of Engineering. The Best Graduation Project was awarded to Fatema Saeed Al-Muraikhi from the College of Business and Economics.

The event underlined Qatar University’s ongoing efforts to advance research capacity and innovation in alignment with national development goals.

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