The University of Doha for Science and Technology (UDST) has been selected to join the inaugural cohort of the Innovation Sandbox, a global peer learning program established by the Future Universities Alliance, a network incubated by Duke University in the United States. UDST is the only institution from Qatar and the broader Gulf region invited to participate in this year-long initiative, which includes 49 universities from 23 countries across five continents.
The Innovation Sandbox aims to support higher education institutions undertaking significant, institution-wide transformations. Participating universities engage in facilitated sessions, milestone meetings, and an annual global summit, sharing challenges and collaborative solutions. Selection into the program involved a competitive process that evaluated strategic priorities, leadership commitment, readiness for change, and the fit within a diverse global cohort.
Noah Pickus, founder of the Future Universities Alliance and head of global strategy and partnerships at Duke University, emphasized the need for stronger structures to connect innovations in higher education and ensure their sustainability. He described the Innovation Sandbox as a response to this challenge and expressed appreciation for the trust institutions place in one another through this collaboration.
UDST President Dr. Salem al-Naemi highlighted the university’s founding principle of agility and willingness to rethink traditional approaches to education. He noted that participation in the Innovation Sandbox allows UDST to bring a Gulf perspective to global discussions about future university models and to collaborate with some of the world’s most forward-thinking institutions.
The Innovation Sandbox offers three distinct pathways: “Startup Institutions,” which supports new institutions and learning ventures; “New Initiatives in Existing Institutions,” focused on transformative changes within established universities; and “Amplifying Signature Innovations,” aimed at scaling successful innovations beyond their original campuses. UDST is participating through the “New Initiatives in Existing Institutions” pathway.
UDST’s contribution to the Sandbox centers on an internally developed artificial intelligence (AI) framework designed to enhance assessment quality. In this system, multiple independent AI agents evaluate exam questions to ensure they accurately measure stated learning outcomes at the appropriate cognitive level. Questions are accepted only when the AI agents reach consensus. This framework is already in use at UDST and the university seeks to refine it for broader adoption by other institutions.
The project aligns with the Future Universities Alliance’s guiding principle to “innovate toward quality,” defined by the Alliance as fostering deep, coherent, and durable learning experiences. The UDST team participating in the Innovation Sandbox includes Dr. Salem al-Naemi; Dr. Seifeddine Bouallague, associate professor and head of the Software Systems Department at the College of Computing and Information Technology (CCIT); Dr. Brian McCommons, a programme development and accreditation specialist; and Robert Ford, a lecturer at CCIT.