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Several international students who have joined Weill Cornell Medicine in Qatar (WCM-Q) have shared their experiences of studying at the university and living in Qatar. Bahram Kazani felt it was great to get world class education. “I have been amazed with what Qatar has to offer its students in terms of outstanding facilities which would promote a safe and healthy environment. Qatar Foundation (QF) offers the best possible facilities at a reasonable price. As a result, students regardless of their background, can enjoy and utilise the resources to maximise their experience,” he said. “I really enjoy the different cuisines that Qatar has to offer which is why going out and trying different restaurants is something which I avidly pursue. I am also a motorsport fan so am always on the lookout for car clubs hosting racing events for the public,” he added. Hamza Rizwan, heard about the university from his father through an uncle who works at QF. “Having been in Canada most of my life, I was curious to attend a medical school in this part of the world. There were also aspirations of living alone. The major factor that decided I should come to this school was the interview - speaking with the students revealed, they enjoyed medical school. Many spoke of vibrant lives outside their studies with an infectious enthusiasm.” Reem Chamseddine, another international student, noted that she was motivated to attending WCM-Q because of the world-class education, the ability to engage with patient care in such a diverse setting, and the opportunity to partake in research with wonderful mentors. “I spend a good amount of time working on various research projects with Cornell-affiliated faculty, and that's allowed me to further explore my interests in medicine. I am also the founder and president of the Health Policy student interest group. WCM-Q provides a uniquely tight-knit, supportive community. The small student body and the welcoming culture create an environment where everyone's success is encouraged and celebrated,” she explained. Twins, Narjis Mhaimeed and Nada Mhaimeed say that WCM-Q offers an American medical degree outside of the US, while being able to stay in the comfort of the Middle East. They feel all educational institutions around the Middle East provide opportunities for growth and success, but Qatar is in a ballpark of its own. “The educational system in Qatar gives you the tools to allow you to thrive. It goes above and beyond to ensure a premium education to all its students. The opportunities offered are immense,” said the duo. “The most memorable aspects of my stay in Qatar have been being able to experience every part of it. From Souq Waqif, Katara, The Pearl-Qatar, the Corniche, all the parks, Msheireb, the farmers market, Sealine there’s just too many to name. Qatar is full of these gems dispersed throughout the country, and I have been able to experience these with all the friends I have made,” said Narjis Mhaimeed Nada Mhaimeed was of the view that the friends she made in Qatar will last a lifetime. "I’ve also loved that I got to experience Qatar’s growth. I am very proud to say that I have witnessed the building of the FIFA World Cup stadiums, the metro stations, Msheireb, all the little cafes that popped up at every corner, Qatar National Library, and so much more. Even though I am not Qatari, I have grown to be a part of the country and the culture,” added Nada Mhaimeed.    

      *QFFD-Gates Foundation project aims at climate adaptation, poverty alleviation       The recently signed project between Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation highlights the commitment of both parties on climate adaptation, poverty alleviation, food security and women empowerment, noted the CEO of Gates Foundation in an exclusive interview with Gulf Times. “We are very much keen on mitigating the climate change impacts and Qatar also shows keen interest in this area. In addition, we want to empower the rural folks, especially the women farmers to alleviate poverty as well to empower them. This aims to create agriculture transformation leading to better food supply and higher income for the rural population,” Mark Suzman, CEO of Gates Foundation, said. QFFD and Gats Foundation signed a $200mn project named ‘Nanmo’, or ‘growing together’ ‘on the final day of Doha Forum, held last week. “The fund will be up to $200mn with each party contributing $100mn over a period of two years in Sub-Saharan Africa. We hope to learn and get some impressive results of the initial investment and then see if we can build up and expand to other regions in future,” Suzman, disclosed. According him, it is a partnership for access, adaptation, and growth. Nanmo invests in innovative, climate-adaptive agriculture to build resilient food systems and markets that provide nutrition, income, and economic opportunities to smallholder farmers and livestock keepers as well as their communities. “We are focused on helping those communities disproportionately affected by climate change to deal with its consequences, especially the poorest is a priority for the Gates Foundation. Majority of the poorest living in Sub-Saharan Africa are the rural folk. They depend on agriculture often on small plots of land in parts of the world that is seeing much greater temperature fluctuation with frequent floods or frequent droughts,” explained Suzman. “We have been prioritising climate adaptation for a while and at CoP 26 in Glasgow, we made a large set of commitments about climate adaptation needs. At the same time, government of Qatar and the Qatar Fund for Development have been also increasing interest in mitigating the climate challenges and how to work with affected communities,” continued the CEO. The official said that both the Gates Foundation and Qatar have a history of partnerships in many fields. “We have had a history of partnering with some initiatives such as ‘ Lives and Livelihood’ project. So we had some conversations if we could do something together and this resulted in the partnership of Nanmo,” he revealed. Suzman said that the project was not country specific per se. “We are looking at Africa as a whole and we are focusing mostly on women farmers. We already have done some pilot projects. A 20mn poultry project is successfully going on in Nigeria and Ethiopia. We have got very successful results here. Now we will each invest $10mn to scale it up. The results were very much encouraging and we already see improvements in nutrition, increased income for the farmers through this pilot project,” highlighted, the CEO. The official said that the pilot project has been going on for about a couple of years and it has empowered the women farmers in a big way. “We hope the project will transform the lives of the people ensuring food security as well as their income levels. It stimulates economic growth and entrepreneurial activities. We are optimistic that the project will also help the efforts of climate adaptation,” added Suzman.     

The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) have partnered with FIFA for a unique World Cup under the theme 'Healthy FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 - Creating Legacy for Sport and Health' with the first steering committee meeting of the partners taking place on Friday. HE Minister of Public Health Dr Hanan Mohamed al- Kuwari, WHO director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, FIFA president Gianni Infantino, Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC) secretary general HE Hassan al-Thawadi and WHO regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr Ahmed al-Mandhari, attended the meeting. The partners have agreed on a range of measures to be implemented at this year’s World Cup to protect health and take lessons learned from the tournament to share with future mega sporting events. The aim is to protect the health of all those involved in the 2022 World Cup. It will be a healthy and safe event from Covid-19 prevention steps to healthy menu options. The World Cup will be used as a platform to promote healthy lifestyles. It will inspire millions globally to play football and be more active with a global campaign to raise awareness of the benefits of physical activity. Qatar has signed a three-year partnership with WHO to improve healthcare access and promote healthy lifestyles across the country. The event will also be used for creating a blueprint to protect and promote health at future mass gatherings. It represents a unique opportunity to develop a new approach to organising mega sports events factoring-in lessons learnt from the pandemic and reinforcing sports and health as a pathway for recovery. Dr al-Kuwari, who is also the chair of the steering committee said: " Qatar is proud to be the first country from the Middle East to host the FIFA World Cup. Our overall goal is not just to hold a successful sporting event, but to also show how football and sports in general can be drivers of better health for all people. This is why we are working so closely with WHO, FIFA and SC.” At the meeting, the leaders agreed on a range of actions to be taken for the World Cup and future events. One of them is to build on actions taken at the FIFA Arab Cup in 2021, strengthen health emergency preparedness and ensure maintenance of precautionary measures for containing infectious diseases to keep people safe and healthy. Other activities are to: Provide healthy food options inside stadiums and fan zones; enhance tobacco prevention in stadiums, fan zones and other areas; start collaborative agreements with countries to benchmark legacy building activities and exchange lessons with the International Olympic Committee for Paris 2024 and Milano Cortina 2026. “WHO is committed to working with Qatar and FIFA to leverage the global power of football to help people lead the healthiest lives possible,” explained, Dr Ghebreyesus. “This partnership will help to make the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 a role model for healthy sporting events.” “We put our efforts together through this innovative partnership to promote health in a different way, using the power of football to communicate certain messages. We have been working together on different awareness campaigns and what better platform than the FIFA World Cup for passing the ‘Health for All’ message,” observed, Infantino. As part of the agreement, two SC legacy programmes – Generation Amazing and B4Development will provide operational and technical collaboration on a range of projects. Al-Thawadi, highlighted: “As FIFA World Cup hosts, Qatar has worked to underscore the importance of leaving sustainable and transformative social legacies that improve lives – in Qatar, within our region and around the world. This partnership is critical for us as we prepare for hosting the world in the context of Covid-19. We’re engaging in every effort along with local and international partners to ensure a healthy and safe FIFA World Cup.” “WHO looks forward to working closely with Qatar in the months ahead to use the platform that sporting events offer to bring people together and foster solidarity, which is the core of our regional vision of 'Health for all by all: a call for solidarity and action',” remarked, Dr al-Mandhari. ”We want to leave a legacy that touches both sport and health. This will be a great health initiative and can be followed by other countries that host such leading sports events,” Sheikh Dr Mohamed bin Hamad al-Thani, director of public health, MoPH added. Former football international, Didier Drogba was also present on the occasion.    

Kindness, compassion and understanding are the three basic emotional needs of a person with autism, according to a leading coach who supports individuals with autism. As the World Autism Awareness Day is marked on April 2, Sana Ghawas, founder and head coach as well as the CEO of Wonder Fitness Centre, Bahrain told 'Gulf Times': “If all the community really learnt what autism is and what it is all about and tried to understand them a bit, everything will change. Schools will change their policies and will start accepting kids who are nonverbal but have other means of communication like sign languages or PECS ( Picture exchange Communication System), because they understand them well.” “Playgrounds will have different rules because they understand them. Movie theatres will modify some of its setting to accommodate for them. Once you include them in all aspects of life and that is when you help them live a life where they are equal to their peers,” Ghawas continued. The CEO is very optimistic that the autistic people can be brought back to the mainstream of life if proper steps and care is given to them. “Yes, we definitely can bring them to mainstream life. Again, it's a matter of understanding and including them in all aspects of life. Because it is their right to live like everyone else. We need to step out of that box where we isolate them and keep them in a different place, different class, different setting. Yes the setting has to be modified to accommodate them,” explained Ghawas. “We need to educate the children and the kids about it more and more. Therefore, they can understand why this child is spinning and why this child is flapping his hands. That child with autism could be overwhelmed with everything surrounding him or her and they are just trying to regulate themselves,” she noted. The trainer said that there are several technical advances to help the people suffering from this disorder. “There has been the use of robots like Moxie from embodied.com in USA to help kids with autism and other disorders and engage them in creative play, drawing, story-telling, mindfulness practice among others. It helps promote important life skills such as conversation, turn-taking, emotion regulation, and how to make friends,” she remarked. The founder of the Wonder Fitness Centre said that the centre has collaborated with Therapy Centre, Think inc and fitness centre and Crossfit Delmon to raise more awareness about autism through exercises and organises special days just for neurodiversity acceptance. “We are trying more and more to raise that awareness through exercises and to show the community that individuals with autism are capable of learning anything. It's just a matter of breaking the exercises down for them, using visuals, having a space that is accommodating for their needs and the most important part is believing in them with a big heart,” she concluded.    

The Neurological Disorders Research Centre (NDRC) at Qatar Biomedical Research Institute, part of Hamad Bin Khalifa University, is working to establish a regional centre for autism research and an autism registry in Qatar, an official told 'Gulf Times'. “The NDRC is committed to establishing a regional centre for autism research that will contribute to improving early diagnosis, intervention, and treatment of autism spectrum disorders,” disclosed Dr Lawrence Stanton, director, NDRC. As the World Autism Awareness Day is marked today, increased efforts and awareness programmes are being undertaken all across the country and beyond to bring individuals with autism to the mainstream of life and provide them necessary tools to face the challenges. Dr Stanton also highlighted the efforts of the centre in awareness raising of the disorder. “NDRC is also working on establishing the first ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) registry in Qatar and to develop innovative early diagnostic and screening tools using eye tracking technology in collaboration with the Cleveland Clinic,” Dr Stanton said. “In addition, NDRC aims to establish the first Arabic digital phenotyping for social communication behaviours as a diagnostic tool for Autism, using machine learning and artificial intelligence in collaboration with Argus Cognitive Inc., US,” he continued. Dr Stanton noted that NDRC focuses on investigating neurological disorders of increasing prevalence in Qatar and the region. “These disorders range from neurodevelopmental conditions such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, intellectual disability and epilepsy to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease,” explained the director. NDRC focuses on research in neurological disorders of high prevalence in Qatar and pan-Arabic region to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanism for diagnosis and therapeutic interventions. These disorders are diverse and range from neurodevelopmental diseases, such as ASD, intellectual disability and epilepsy, to neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. NDRC has the potential to greatly impact the visibility of neurological disorders in Qatar and the region, not only by bringing new treatments and hope to patients, but also by significantly accelerating the pace of therapeutic development using technologies, such as experimental disease modelling, biomarker analyses, gene therapy, and stem cell. Current projects of NDRC on autism include: Identification of Genes Associated with Autism Spectrum Disorders in the Qatari Population; Creating Stem Cell lines from Autistic Qataris and their Non-affected Family Members to Study Autism and generation and Functional Characterisation of Autistic Neurons and Brain Organoids.    

Brazil are the favourites to win the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, feels former Brazilian international footballer Ricardo Kaka. “It is Brazil in 2022. It is not that I am a Brazilian but I feel that Brazil has a well-balanced team and I believe that Brazil will win the 2022 World Cup,” Kaka told Gulf Times on the sidelines of the World Cup official match ball event organised by adidas in the Sealine area on Wednesday. “Other than Brazil, I feel that France has a got a very good and balanced team and are good contenders for this year’s World Cup title. In addition, Spain and Germany also have very good teams and are in contention for the title this year,” he felt. Kaka noted that Argentina and Portugal have great individual players. “With some outstanding performance by Cristiano Ronaldo for Portugal and Lionel Messi for Argentina, they may have their chances. However, Brazil is surely one of the favourites of the tournament for me, followed by France, Spain and Germany,” he emphasised. On Italy failing to qualify for the World Cup, Kaka said: “It is a big disappointment that Italy has not qualified for the World Cup. It is a big loss for the country as well as the fans. Italy just won the European championship but were not able to get into the World Cup consecutively for two times. It is a real miss for fans and for the World Cup.” With success at both the club and international levels, he is one of eight players to have won the FIFA World Cup, the UEFA Champions League and the Ballon d’Or. According to Kaka, this year’s World Cup will be an amazing one and would do a world of good to Qatar and the Arab world. “The World Cup brings in a lot of people, and the World Cup and football bring a lot of good things and opportunities. Because of the World Cup and football, a lot of good things can happen in Qatar and the region. I hope that after the World Cup there will be more investments in Qatar and the region,” he noted. Kaka also expressed his appreciation and happiness about Qatar’s preparation for the 2022 World Cup. “It seems that the country is ready for the World Cup and we will experience it during the tournaments. The stadiums look very nice and everything is really good, with most of the stadiums being brand-new,” he said. The Brazilian star pointed out that it is a great opportunity for fans as the tournament a compact one. “Fans can watch two or even three matches a day. This is something very unique about this World Cup, and fans can take advantage of that. After the World Cup, these stadiums can be used for nurturing young talents in a big way,” he remarked.      

For the smooth and successful conduct of mega sports and other events in the country, the Qatar Mobility Innovations Centre (Qmic) has launched a homegrown platform, named “Falcon-I”. "With Falcon-I, we can make any space a smart place using real time data about the location," chief executive and executive director Dr Adnan Abu-Dayya told a press conference Monday at the Qmic headquarters in the Qatar Science and Technology Park. Successfully deployed during the FIFA Arab Cup, Falcon-I uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) to deliver automated intelligence to help solve problems across different application domains. The platform uses AI and computer vision to provide continuous monitoring and automated actions and alerts to optimise business operations, enhance customer experience, and deliver new services. It can be used to provide real time information of parking availability and traffic queues, among others, and can alert the operators accordingly. This in turn can be accessed in real time by the end users through the Qmic’s Wain platform. “Falcon-I has been used to deliver two main applications: Smart Intersections and Parking Operations, while other applications are at different stages of development,” Dr Abu-Dayya said. “The scalable video analytics platform can fully utilise our extensive technology expertise and product operational knowledge in IoT, AI, and data management,” he added. “Realising smart spaces in different application domains is a major step towards realising smart and safe living.” “We look forward to continue working with existing and new partners to support all existing projects in Qatar in 2022 and beyond,” Dr Abu-Dayya concluded. Road traffic operators can use Falcon-I to efficiently manage mobility operations at road intersections. Under this, it has different solutions for a number of operational issues, such as Real Time Queue Length Monitoring, Yellow Box Monitoring, and Smart Parking Monitoring. Falcon-I uses AI to detect and quantify traffic pile-ups at and around road intersections, and provides road operators valuable insights into the traffic conditions at intersections to make fast and best decisions to improve traffic flow and reduce congestion. Traffic jams around road intersections due to the occurrence of incidents inside the intersection, or the Yellow Box, can also be addressed through this platform. Falcon-I intelligently and timely detects such incidents and alerts the road traffic operator for taking suitable action. Efficient parking experience, especially during mega events, is another service provided by the platform. The Falcon-I Parking Monitoring System provides real time and accurate information about parking occupancy levels and availability trends across many large outdoor parking lots that accommodate thousands of cars. Based on a real deployment in support of the Arab Cup event, this intelligent parking system provided the organisers with a comprehensive real-time view about parking status, and allowed them to direct flow of vehicles into the proper lot or to open new lots. Dr Hamid Menouar, lead technology manager of Falcon-I, said: “We are witnessing the start of the era of automation, where resources and assets will be managed with the finest optimisation.” “AI will play an important role in realising this, by replacing some of the manual steps in the operation process and eliminating the unnecessary operation and decision mistakes,” he said. “Falcon-I can make any space smart and ready for the automation of the both the monitoring and actions.” “Falcon-I can run on any video stream, making it an ideal cost-effective solution to augment CCTV infrastructures with intelligence,” Dr Menouar continued. “We will continue developing the solution further, to support more application domains, and help our partners optimise their operations.” Falcon-I can use any video feed such as drones, CCTV (closed-circuit television) networks, or others as sources of data or even use its own dedicated network of cameras if needed. The data collected is processed and analysed by the AI-enabled platform to produce specialised smart applications that can be used easily by targeted customers. Many other smart applications under “Falcon-I” will be ready for initial market deployment in the coming few weeks and months, such as pedestrian crossing spaces, which can serve an important role in crowd management for mega events. Moreover, the agility and versatility of this platform, its ability to deploy intelligence at the edge or in the cloud, and its ability to integrate with existing camera data infrastructure will significantly broaden the addressable market of Falcon-I.

* Qatar has made lot of efforts to enhance security and stability Qatar’s ties with the US and Turkey are "very strong and successful", HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs Dr Khalid bin Mohamed al-Attiyah said Sunday. He made the observation while speaking at a panel discussion on *The Evolving Landscape of Strategic Alliances on the second and concluding day of the Doha Forum. He was joined on the panel by Turkey Defence Minister Hulusi Akar, and Patrick Turner, the assistant secretary-general for defence policy and planning at the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato). The session was moderated by Wolfgang Ischinger, the president of the Munich Security Conference Foundation. “Our ties with the US and Turkey are very solid as they are based on strong foundations,” HE Dr al-Attiyah said. “Qatar understands well the importance of alliances and the meaning of being part of a great alliance.” “We have a responsibility not only to our people but also to almost the entire world as we are the second largest exporter of energy,” the deputy prime minister added. He said that Qatar has made a lot of effort to enhance security and stability, and that the country plays a major role as a mediator state in communicating with all parties, especially as political stability is important for the region and for all countries of the world. HE Dr al-Attiyah noted that the lack of political cohesion is one reason for alliances not reaching desired goals. He said that many countries are changing their alliances due to the lack of a strong foundation. Most of them adopt "new" approaches in avoiding facts, and some parties do not distinguish between protection agreements and strategic alliances. On the importance of reaching a nuclear agreement with Iran, HE Dr al-Attiyah said Qatar has been looking forward for a while for a positive ending to this agreement to be reached. "If this is achieved, we must move to the second stage, which we encourage the partners to follow and establish a framework for security among the players in this region," he said. HE the Deputy Prime Minister affirmed that any development on the issue of the agreement with Iran will reflect positively on regional issues. He said that it is not possible to separate the countries of the region, as they have to live with each other and establish a security framework agreement that will serve as a stable ground between them. Meanwhile, Turkey Defence Minister Akar highlighted his country’s role as an essential member of Nato and how Turkey has empowered Nato to face challenges. Turner detailed the role and strength of Nato and its efforts to ensure safety and security for the member states.

The youngest Nobel Prize laureate has urged the world community to take up the cause of girls' education around the world and make it a priority. Malala Yousafzai was interacting at Doha Forum Sunday with Ghida Fakhry, presenter, TRT World and moderator of Doha Debates. Yousafzai said: “Countries around the world should take up the issue of girls’ education. In Afghanistan, girls are still not allowed to attend classes. The longer it takes, the more difficult for the girls to return to schools.” “I was hoping that on March 23 girls of class six and above in Afghanistan would pack their bags, wear the uniform and get to their classrooms. I thought they would be reading and writing in their classrooms. Unfortunately that didn’t happen and as Taliban reversed their decision to allow girls to attend the schools. I don’t think that Taliban is able to provide any justification for that and cant understand why those girls can’t be in schools,” Yousafzai said. “These girls have their dreams, hopes and ambitions. They are the future of Afghanistan as women make up half of the population of the country. When half the population is not allowed education, the country is losing, the society is losing and the world is losing,” she said. She also congratulated Qatar for promoting and empowering women. “In Qatar we have amazing young women in different roles and different positions. There are women ministers, heads of organisations and those who hold top positions in various organisations and many more,” she said. According to Yousafzai, 130mn girls are out of school currently. “This is happening in the 21st century. Those girls have dreams and ambitions to bring change in their lives. Education gives them hope for their future. Malala Foundation is working in eight countries and support activists and advocates of education and support organisations that train the teachers,’ she said. She stressed : “I believe in the power of girls. Our foundation is working for the girls and with the girls. I know that they can be decision makers and I think we should start believing and engaging young people as they have the ideas and expertise to face the challenges of modern times.” She also said that there are several factors affecting girls’ education. “Lack of finance in education is one factor. When the financing gap continues to widen, it has a huge impact on the infrastructure, facilities and the quality of education. There are social norms that drive the girls away from education.” The activist also said that digital education is the way forward and there needs to be more investment in it.

Gulf Times, Qatar’s leading English newspaper, signed a partnership agreement with Korea Times Sunday on the sidelines of Doha Forum to exchange exclusive content between the media organisations. The agreement was signed by Mohamed al-Moadhadi , representative of the Board of Directors of Gulf Times and Kwon Mee-yoo, Politics and City Desk Assistant Editor, Korea Times. According to the agreement both parties shall discuss and exchange areas of media cooperation between them. After the signing ceremony al-Moadhadi said: “We are delighted to sign a co-operation agreement with Korea Times. Gulf Times as the leading newspaper in the country, welcomes another leader from Korea. We are hopeful that this partnership will be fruitful and help to expand the media visibility of Qatar in Korea, and vice versa.” “We know that in the fast changing global media scenario, partnerships such as this one, will help disseminate facts and figures through reliable channels. We look forward to a successful and fruitful partnership,” added al-Moadhadi. Mee-yoo highlighted that her newspaper wanted to get more information and content about Qatar and the Middle East through the tie up with Gulf Times. “We know that Gulf Times is the leading newspaper in the country and we want to exchange ideas and content. We hope to exchange content first and then we plan to exchange human resources. Through this partnership, we hope to get direct access to the contents from Qatar and the region,” she said. As per the agreement, there will be sharing and covering of news, interviews and events organised by the Gulf Times and the Korea Times. Both parties also will support contact points and regular communication.

Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have jointly announced a new strategic partnership called 'Nanmo' under which they jointly pledged up to $200mn to support smallholder farmers and their communities in African countries. Nanmo or “growing together” will invest in climate-adaptive agriculture tools and technologies, to build resilient food systems and markets that provide nutrition, income and economic opportunities to small-scale producers in drylands on the African continent, who are bearing the brunt of the effects of climate change. The announcement was made by HE Khalifa al-Kuwari, director-general of QFFD, and Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, in the presence of Mark Suzman, CEO of the Foundation, during a panel discussion at the Doha Forum 2022 Sunday. The partnership will aim to strengthen economies throughout the Global South via four key areas, namely equity as a primary driver of inclusive growth, enterprise as a means of job creation and poverty alleviation, agriculture as a primary source of food, jobs and income in Sub-Saharan Africa, and provision of access to technologies, financial tools, and emerging best practices as a driver of productivity, nutrition and climate adaptation. The partnership will also seek to ensure women small-scale producers positively contribute to and benefit from decisions about how their communities grow food and create jobs. The project will support climate-adaptive tools, practices, policies and markets as sustainable drivers of resilient food systems that provide nutrition, income, and economic opportunities to small-scale producers and their communities. It will also include systems-level research and country-level implementation to adapt to local environments. Gates addressed the gathering through a video message and said, “Today, I am happy to announce a joint partnership with QFFD for $200mn focused on agriculture, climate resilience and economic development. “Our foundation has adopted climate adaptation a priority. Hundreds of millions of smallholder farmers, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, are already seeing their livelihoods threatened by higher temperatures and changing weather patterns. We’re building on our longstanding collaboration with QFFD to help these farmers adapt. Together, we can prevent millions of people from falling into poverty and hunger due to climate change and increase agricultural yields to jumpstart equitable economic growth where it’s most needed." Al-Kuwari said, “We are thrilled to be announcing a new initiative in collaboration with our strategic partner, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, titled Nanmo, which aims at ensuring that sustainable development goals are met everywhere. “We have high hopes that these valuable partnerships will expand our efforts to improve the lives of vulnerable communities, ensuring their economic security against the backdrop of this ever-evolving planet." One of the first projects funded by Nanmo will focus on improving the livelihoods of low-income women farmers in a number of African countries, working with the World Poultry Foundation to provide them with improved breeds of chicken for egg and meat production. The partnership will also fund projects with a clear path to achieving impact across multiple United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including poverty alleviation, agricultural transformation, nutrition and youth and women’s and youth economic empowerment. Investments like these are especially important at a time when conflict in one part of the world can threaten food security across the globe. For her part, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gate Foundation Melinda French said the agricultural sector contributes to economic growth, but it does not automatically benefit society equally. "The Nanmo initiative is not only limited to protecting the agricultural sector from climate change, but also empowering small farmers, including millions of women, to lift themselves out of poverty and invest in a better future for their families and communities," she added. (With inputs from QNA)

A top climate advocate has highlighted the need to act immediately to reduce the worst impacts of climate change and suggested that oil producing countries should diversify their economies. John Kerry, the United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate and Former Secretary of State stressed the point while interacting Saturday with Nick Clark, environment editor, Al Jazeera English during the Newsmaker Interview of the Doha Forum 2022. Describing his efforts to raise awareness about the serious implications of climate change at several COP summits and the efforts to get assurance from member states to reduce green house gas emission, Kerry said, “During our COP summit in Glasgow, the issue was at the forefront again. If everybody does what they promised in Paris COP summit, we could actually hold the temperature by 1.8 degrees by 2050. But the problem is that we are not doing everything we told in the summit.” He said that several countries in Europe are taking steps to move away from fossil fuels and many countries have already made significant progress in renewable energy sector. “The best scientists in the world repeatedly over the 30 years and now more dramatically, have been telling us that we have these numbers of years to make credible decisions and implement them to avoid the worst consequences of climate crisis. Let me emphasis it. This is not to avoid the crisis but to avoid the worst consequences of the crisis and it is avoidable only, if we cut the emissions by 45% between now and 2030,” Kerry said. He also said that some of the leading economies have promised to reduce emissions rapidly and transition to green energy. “There must be investments in these transitions to stop the loss of trillions of dollars of damage that far exceeds the money that is invested. No government alone can have such huge amounts to invest. The only way to get there is to get the private sector fully involved in the transition. It needs that we have to be more creative,” remarked Kerry. The climate advocate highlighted the drastic rise in temperatures in the Arctic and Antarctic regions and the rise in temperatures globally year after year suggesting that global temperature is set for rise year after year and rapid actions are necessary to meet the challenges. He also suggested that countries that mainly depend on oil as the main source of economy should think of diversifying its economies to face the outcomes of the transition. “Diversify, think not only about being an oil and gas company but as an energy company. Many are doing it. This is doable and we have to look at the reality. This is happening and the only issue is- if this is happening fast enough. What is happening is that there will be new methodologies to deal with the problems,” concluded Kerry.

Qatar believes in resorting to dialogue and diplomacy in dealing with conflicts and has been following the path every occasion, noted HE Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Saturday. Taking part in a plenary session at Doha Forum 2022 under the topic ‘Transforming for a New Era,’ Sheikh Mohamed said: “We can't be isolated from what is happening around the world. We have to play an active role and provide at least a positive contribution to international peace and stability. I believe that Qatar has been building a track record in dialogue and diplomacy in different complex areas.” The other members at the panel included Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud, Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia; Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and US Senator Lindsey Graham, Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Budget. The session was moderated by Dr Comfort Ero, president and chief executive officer, International Crisis Group. HE Sheikh Mohamed said that Qatar is conscious of regional stability and international peace. “Being an effective member of international community is very important. It is satisfying if we can contribute to the peace and stability of our region and maintain international security. For us it is very important to maintain the international order, to maintain international legitimacy and preserve the UN charter and preserve the international law,” explained HE Sheikh Mohamed. He noted: “For us to make sure that our region is safe is directly in our national interest. To be a platform for diplomacy and dialogue is also important for us.” According to him, any transition is normally a bumpy one. “We have developed an inter-connectedness with other countries in the past decades. We cannot be isolated or unaffected by any global crisis. One major issue we are talking about is climate change, which is a global issue. That is going to affect all of us. What the international community is doing today in order to anticipate the consequences of this crisis is a 'late answer', but we must work collectively to confront this phenomenon," he said. “Another issue is the pandemic of Covid-19. We are still living through the consequences of Covid. Another major problem is the geopolitical crisis. It directly has its impact, first on the direct neighbours and then on others and the entire world,” he said. HE Sheikh Mohamed said that dialogue is the only way forward and the only way to end any crisis or any potential conflict. “It has been proven that dialogue is the right way. For the current crisis, we need to provide, short-term, midterm and long-term solutions in order to preserve international peace. Conflicts result in many ways. The Russia-Ukraine issue is impacting the food supply and it is impacting the energy market too. All the conflicts should be addressed diplomatically,” he said. Al-Saud noted that it is important to work with all the countries to set the transformation into a new era. “We are working with other countries and the global south in every major issue such as access to water, access to education, access to health as well as all other basic needs. Priority is always given to the suffering population and to address the issues in line with national and international guidelines,” he said. Senator Graham highlighted the need to stop Russian aggression on Ukraine and Borrell advocated the need for implementing rule of law in every action. HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani underlined that Qatar has a long record of dialogue and diplomacy in several areas of conflict, including Sudan and Lebanon, and between Djibouti and Eritrea, stressing that dialogue is the only way forward and the only way to end any potential crisis or conflict, Qatar News Agency reported. Speaking at the opening session of Doha Forum 2022 Saturday, he highlighted Qatar's commitment to the international principles and international law, which represent the basis for all its stances with all political crises, affirming that Qatar is against assaulting the sovereignty of any country, interfering in its internal affairs, or using force against it, "Qatar is against any use of force against civilians," he stressed. HE Sheikh Mohamed noted the importance to deal with all international issues on an equal footing, especially with regard to humanitarian crises. "In Ukraine, we know that there are concerns between the two parties, and these concerns must be addressed diplomatically. This also applies to the Palestinian issue and the Israeli occupation, and we want to see the same results. Our standards have always been unified and consistent to a large extent despite all the pressures, and we must abide by these principles. We also urge all countries in the international community to work to protect and apply these principles on an equal footing," he added. "We have never seen a war that ended on the battlefield. The solution to any crisis is always around the dialogue table through diplomatic talks and agreement between the two parties, and this is the only way. Therefore, we believe that in light of the current crisis in Ukraine, we must provide solutions in the short, medium and long term in order to preserve the world order," he continued. HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs added that the suffering seen in Ukraine was similar to the suffering of many countries in the region for years, however, nothing have happened and there was no global response to this suffering. "We were praying for a precedent in the region in response to the brutality against the Palestinian, Syrian, Iraqi, Libyan or Afghan people." He indicated that the absence of a global response to these actions and the lack of accountability of the people responsible for violence will lead to more violence, expressing his hope that the war of Ukraine would serve as a wake-up call for the international community to look at "our region" and deal with the issues that emerge in it on the same level of commitment that have been seen in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and that this crisis is dealt with in a diplomatic manner that leads to an end to the conflict and human suffering. HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs stressed the importance to maintain the world order and international legality and preserve the Charter of the United Nations and the principles of international law, "because we are already a small country protected by these multilateral measures, as well as all other countries." "Some claim that we are a small country that aspires to more than it can achieve, this is not the issue. Rather, it is the issue of stability of the region and ensuring peace in it if we are able to play a role for more stability and peace in the region and for the maintenance of international peace and security, which is in our direct national interest. Therefore, it is important for us to be a platform for diplomacy and dialogue, and to contribute to enhancing security and stability in the region. We cannot be isolated from what is happening in the rest of the world, rather we must play an active role in order to make a positive contribution to achieving international stability," HE Sheikh Mohamed said. Regarding the current situation with Iran and whether there is an imminent peace agreement with it, he underlined the importance of maintaining stability in the region, and that there be an agreement on the nuclear issue in Iran, stressing the need for this step to be followed by other regional steps in order to deal with the security repercussions. He believed that the only way to ensure international security is the same way Qatar views all disputes, which is to deal with them diplomatically, because it is the best way to deal with the elements of concern for each party separately. He added that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) is an important agreement at least to ensure that there is no nuclear arms race taking place in the region, noting the need to supplement this agreement with interaction and participation in the Gulf region with Iran so that they have a comprehensive approach.

* To generate 1.6 GW by 2030: minister   Qatar is taking every effort to reduce gas emission and increase the use of renewable energy, said HE Sheikh Faleh bin Nasser bin Ahmed bin Ali al-Thani, Minister of Environment and Climate Change at a panel discussion on day one of the Doha Forum Saturday. The minister noted that Qatar will start producing solar power from this year. “We will produce 800MW this year. This is the first plant in Qatar working on photovoltaic technology. This is the first phase of the project and we are going to produce 1.6 gigawatts (GW) by 2030,” disclosed Sheikh Faleh. “We have taken every efforts to minimise the gas emissions. Al Shaheen Gas field is considered as one of the biggest gas fields in the world. We have managed to reduce 80% of gas emission in the field which is recorded by the World Bank,” said Sheikh Faleh . “We have the largest carbon capture storage in the Mena region. The capacity of the storage is about 2mn tonnes of carbon dioxide. We are aiming to expand it to 9mn by 2030. We have done several initiatives to enhance the air quality and reduce the impact of dust storms. We have also planted one million trees in the country and we are committed to increase this number to 10 million by 2030,” explained, the minister. The minister noted that Qatar is taking effective steps to meet the challenges of water which is a main challenge in this part of the world. He also pointed to enhancing the biodiversity of the country and the programme for waste management. “We have our own programme for waste management. We aim to achieve zero waste in ten years as well as zero landfill. We are also thinking of maximising the use of the land and increase productivity in the country,” he added. Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, global leader of Climate & Energy at WWF; former minister of environment of Peru; former president of COP20; Vincent Keaveny, Lord Mayor of London; Jane Madgwick, president and CEO, Wetlands International and Dr Gonzalo Castro de la Mata, executive director, Earthna Centre for a Sustainable Future were the other members of the panel.

*Calls for an era of peace, security and coexistence His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani opened this year's edition of Doha Forum under the theme 'Transforming Into a New Era’ Saturday at Sheraton Doha and highlighted the need for an ‘era of peace, security and coexistence for all’. “The new age that we dream of, and that I personally work for, is the era of peace, security and coexistence for all, the era of social justice, the era in which all people can access their basic needs in education, health, water resources, and living with dignity, and where they can fulfill themselves and exercise their lifestyle and cultures,” the Amir said in his opening address. The opening session was attended by President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani, Prime Minister of Lebanon Najib Mikati, Prime Minister of Palestine Mohamed Shtayyeh, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, World Economic Forum President Borge Brende and the heads of delegations of friendly countries. Amir presents the Doha Forum Award to the CEO of the Digital Citizen Fund, Roya Mahboob from Afghanistan, for her tireless efforts in empowering the women in her country. It was also attended by HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz al-Thani, a number of ministers and heads of diplomatic missions accredited to the state, leading academics, policy makers, parliamentarians, intellectuals, businessmen, media personalities, representatives of regional and international organisations, as well as representatives of non-governmental organisations. Addressing the gathering, His Highness the Amir said that the world has reached a pivotal stage on all political, economic, environmental, and social levels, and this stage requires radical revisions to spare the world from reaching a state of imbalance. “At the societal level and people’s livelihood, the social and economic gap among states and within a single society, is indicative of a serious defect in the overall economies, especially after the strengthening of the technology sector and its role in the economy and the lives of individuals. This is in addition to the horrific increase in global poverty rates, the difficulty of accessing the basic necessities of life, and the deterioration into famines in some cases,” the Amir explained. The Amir cautioned against the exclusionary populist voices in a time of societal tensions and economic recession and said that such exclusionary phenomena that have increased in recent years, is the phenomenon of Islamophobia. The Amir also lamented the decrease in political and diplomatic means to solve the disputes and instead the use of military expansion and armed solutions. His Highness Sheikh Tamim remarked that Qatar has chosen a path of rational dialogue that is simultaneously based on balancing common values and interests to resolve disputes. “We have chosen the path of mediation to resolve disputes by peaceful means. We have an accumulated experience in this field, which we put at the service of peace, stability and just solutions to conflicts." At the opening session, the Amir presented the Doha Forum Award to the CEO of the Digital Citizen Fund, Roya Mahboob from Afghanistan, for her tireless efforts in empowering the women in her country. Mahboob is the leader of the Afghan Girls Robotics Team. In a video message, president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, warned that the world is risking food shortage as a result of the war Russia waged on his country, stressing that no one is safe from the food supply disruptions. He also called on energy-producing countries to increase their supply to ensure that everyone understands that no country can use energy as a weapon and blackmail the world. He praised the efforts of Qatar in supplying the world with energy, saying it was a trusted country. At the opening ceremony, Abdulla Shahid, president of the United Nations General Assembly, said the Doha Forum is yet another example of the vision of His Highness the Amir. “ The success of Doha Forum and its emergence as a premium forum of choice for the world’s top decision makers and influencers is also reflective of Qatar’s role as a key strategic and international partner for conflict resolution, preventive diplomacy, soft power diplomacy and humanitarian assistance,” said Shahid. The opening session was followed by a plenary discussion.

The Children's and Young Adult's Library at Qatar National Library has lent out over 1mn books so far and is providing a space to pursue and expand children’s and young adults' love of books, noted an official of the library. “In 2021, we checked out our one millionth book to a member. This was a huge milestone for the Children's and Young Adults' Library and a testament to our commitment to providing open space and collections that allow children to explore their curiosity and fall in love with reading,” said, Maram al-Mahmoud, head of the Children’s and Young Adult's Library. “Children and young adults can discover new interests and talents at the Children's and Young Adults' Library. We house more than 120,000 print books in our collection, the majority of which are in English and Arabic. We also offer access to many electronic resources, including e-books, e-magazines, and other online resources specifically designed for children as well as educational toys, games, arts and crafts materials, and computers and iPads equipped with the latest learning programmes,” explained, al-Mahmoud. The Young Adults' Library includes more than 30,000 fiction and non-fiction books, graphic novels, and magazines. Young readers also have access to college preparatory resources and the opportunity to explore their creative side with video game consoles and musical instruments. It also includes school curricula and college preparation textbooks. “We host numerous activities and events for children, young adults, and their families throughout the year such as Interactive Storytime, Creative Workshops, Early Literacy Programmes, Book Discussions, Science, Arts, literature, and theatre programmes amongst others. This aims to support them to discover new and unexpected areas of interest, share ideas, and widen their knowledge,” the official said. Al-Mahmoud said that one of the projects the library embarked on recently was storytelling. “Keeping the tradition of storytelling alive in the 21st century, the library, in collaboration with the Alexandria Library in Virginia, US, and Qatar Foundation, conducted virtual storytelling and art sessions in which members of the Arab American community in the US, had the opportunity to listen to 'live' stories about their cultural heritage. This was their chance to reconnect with their roots, understand the evolution of cultural heritage, the importance of its preservation, and the significance of the Arabic language itself,” said, al-Mahmoud. Another initiative of the library is a project called the “Story Box” that included giving more than 500 books from the library to the Alexandria Library’s three branches in Virginia, US. “These books aimed to allow children with Arab backgrounds to connect with their culture and traditions. The resources offer them the ability to improve their Arabic language skills and provide exposure to both Arab and Qatari cultures. While most of the books were in the Arabic language, there were some bilingual and English books as well. This variety helped us reach out to both Arabic and non-Arabic speakers of Arab origin,” highlighted the head of the library. According to the official, the library played a critical role in helping students and young learners continue their education when schools closed during the pandemic. “Children, young adults, and families were able to access ebooks, audiobooks, learning tools, and other educational resources from home. We have also seen a sharp increase in online resource usage with downloads jumping from 2,840,027 in 2019 to 3,091,566 in 2020. We held over 236 virtual educational programmes from March through December in 2020. The pandemic provided us with a great opportunity to re-imagine how we deliver our services and resources,” added al- Mahmoud.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced the launch of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Volunteer Programme during a glittering ceremony at Katara Amphitheatre. At the tournament, a total of 20,000 volunteers will work across 45 functional areas at official and non-official sites such as stadiums, training sites, the airport, fan zones, hotels and public transportation hubs. Applications to be a part of the volunteer team at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 are now open via volunteer.fifa.com     Focusing on the role of the volunteers, Infantino said: “It will, of course, be an incredible journey, a journey that will give you memories that will follow you for the entire life.” “But more importantly, you are the first face, the first smile that any visitor who comes to attend the world Cup in November-December will meet,” he added. “You are the heart, you are the soul and you are the smile of the World Cup.” “Thanks to you, we can show Qatar, the Middle East and the Arab world to the entire world,” the official continued. “The world will unite here in Qatar during the World Cup, the world will unite in this part of the universe. “The world will be together and will be celebrating an unforgettable event. We can expect the amazing and we will deliver an amazing World Cup. “The World Cup will bring together the world and we will celebrate and rejoice a peaceful and wonderful event, an event that brings in a lot of emotions.” HE Hassan al-Thawadi, secretary-general of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy and the chairman of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 LLC, appreciated the efforts of the volunteers and motivated them to be part of the great journey. “I invite you to be an integral part of the journey, an integral part of the story,” he said. “As volunteers, you will be the heart of our journey.” “Over the years, our country has got a strong volunteering culture that will continue through the World Cup until the last ball has been kicked,” HE al-Thawadi added. “It will be a momentous one that will continue to inspire us day in and day out for many years to come.” “During the FIFA Arab Cup, we witnessed the passion and enthusiasm of the people for football, for friendship and for volunteering. This will keep increasing during the FIFA World Cup. Volunteering gives a lot of opportunities and and volunteers are the crucial part of the success of any tournament,” he added. Three volunteers – from Brazil, Algeria and Kenya – introduced during the programme described their journey of volunteering. In a related statement, the SC stressed that “behind every ticket, every TV shot, every game, and every goal, is another team”. The volunteers are essential to the joyful and friendly atmosphere of the FIFA World Cup and provide incredible support to the operational delivery of the event. They will create memories that will last a lifetime for fans, players, media, Qatar and the world – as well as for themselves. Applicants for volunteering at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 must be at least 18 years old on October 1, 2022, and speak English. Arabic is an advantage. No previous experience is needed and candidates from all backgrounds and different parts of the world are welcome to apply. Selected volunteers will receive a limited-edition Adidas uniform along with a meal during their shift and free access to public transport. The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 will take place from November 21 to December 18, but some volunteer roles will start from October 1. “I’ve always loved volunteering, even when I was little,” said 31-year-old Fatema Hassan Almajid, a legal officer, who was a volunteer at the FIFA Arab Cup 2021. “When the idea came up to volunteer for the FIFA World Cup, I thought it would be amazing to take part in a sporting event taking place in the Arab world and the Gulf for the first time,” she said. “As a Qatari woman, I would be very proud to give my contribution and make new friends.”    

The HEC Paris in Qatar campus is the hub for its programmes for the GCC countries and the region, dean, Dr Pablo Martin de Holan said Sunday. “All the activities of the HEC for the GCC region are done through the Doha campus, and we aim to bring students from the other GCC countries and beyond for all our major programmes,” he explained. HEC Paris in Qatar officials Dr de Holan was replying to a question from Gulf Times during a media visit of the new digitally enhanced Msheireb Downtown campus of the HEC Paris in Qatar. The dean also highlighted the cutting-edge hologram technology, which is unique and produced and installed by ARHT, a Canada-based company that has been a pioneer in the field of holographic telepresence. “This technology allows professors to instruct participants from wherever in the world by recreating a live classroom situation and interact with students,” Dr de Holan explained. “It also comes with the positive effect of reducing the school’s carbon footprint and enhances the breadth of expertise that the HEC Paris can bring to the classroom.” The Msheireb Downtown campus of the HEC Paris in Qatar Joshua Kobb, executive director for partnerships and growth at the HEC Paris in Qatar, described the university's new home in Msheireb as one which "embodies excellence and thought leadership, helping our participants and alumni drive the growth and success of Qatar and the region”. Jean-Amiel Jourdan, senior executive director of the Career Centre at the HEC Paris, said: “Knowing that the skills we are teaching at the HEC Paris equip leaders to effect global change, our campus in Qatar contributes to the global opportunities, offering the same level of excellence to participants and clients in the region.” The new campus, which has full access for the physically challenged, facilitates an enhanced learning and socialising environment for up to 250 participants across four classrooms. The green building campus, which is certified for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, also has large meeting and socialising areas and a dedicated co-working space made available to alumni of the HEC Paris in Qatar. A classroom in the new campus “Our new campus demonstrates our support to Msheireb Downtown, which is transforming the centre of Doha and recreating a lifestyle rooted in Qatari culture,” said Dr de Holan. “It has taken the HEC Paris to the heart of Doha’s new social and civic hub.” “This new modern campus captures the spirit and identity of Qatari heritage and architecture and the HEC Paris in Qatar,” he added. “It reflects our 11 years in the country and our strong connection to the local community and our 140 years of operations in France.” “It shows our promise for a future with even more impact and excellence, and it is an inspiring backdrop to our ever-expanding activities,” Dr de Holan remarked.