Innovation and STEM talent at Qatar University

Qatar University (QU) has been selected as Education Partner for MWC Doha, the first such partnership in the history of the MWC, as part of our ongoing commitment to education, research and innovation. It’s a partnership that comes together naturally, as MWC works tirelessly across its footprint to support the thought leaders and cutting-edge researchers building bridges to tomorrow’s digital societies. 

Since its founding in 1977, Qatar University has flourished from a community of a few hundred students into one of the Gulf’s most important experimental hubs, launching collaborative projects in over 130 countries. Today, it plays a key role in supporting regional aspirations to create knowledge economies – from AI and biomedicine to cybersecurity and intelligent infrastructure – and the world is taking notice.  
 

Inside the labs powering an era of innovation 

The Middle East has a long history of intellectual firsts and talented inventors. Its polymaths and scholars have influenced scientific and philosophical thought across the world from the Golden Age until the present day. That spirit of inquiry lives on at Qatar University, where meticulous investigation paves the way for real-world understanding and application. 

QU’s academic distinction is anchored in a purpose-built Research Complex. Projects span an eclectic mix of fields – advanced materials, protein discovery, drug targeting, robotics, data science, environmental sciences – all reflecting a wide-angled approach to innovation.  

These diverse disciplines are powered by hyper advanced facilities: on a guided tour through the complex, visitors can find electron microscopes, mass spectrometry units, high-performance AI computing clusters and automated imaging systems. 

Transformative science in physics, health tech and energy 

Qatar University is tackling some of the trickiest questions in science and the natural world. Thanks to its in-house positron beam, the university contributes to CERN’s Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment, part of the Large Hadron Collider. The development of Gas Electron Multiplier detectors has placed the university on the global map of experimental particle physics and links Qatari researchers to one of the world’s most advanced scientific infrastructures. 

Qatar’s place on the world stage as an energy giant puts it in a unique position to lead the movement towards greener energy. The university’s Gas Processing Center focuses on two main initiatives: carbon dioxide capture and sulphur dioxide removal. QU’s multidisciplinary H2 Sustainable Energy Solutions Group is working to raise the bar on hydrogen supply chain management, clean energy and circular models. Direct collaboration with Qatar’s energy industry boosts national decarbonisation strategies and explores novel techniques that have global resonance. 

With the region’s first zebrafish facility for genetic disease modelling, QU’s Biomedical Research Center is pushing the frontiers of health research. Its programmes are focused on the most pressing medical concerns of the region, using AI to predict diabetes progression and uncover biomarkers that are setting the course for national strategies on obesity and cancer. 

Advances such as these that can benefit wider society are exactly the technology verticals that telecoms operators can support by leaning into 5G and 5G-Advanced enablement for research institutions. Learn more at 5G Futures, a dedicated summit at MWC’s first MENA edition this November. 
 

Reinforcing STEM opportunities for women 

Approximately 70% of Qatar University students are women – placing it among the world’s top-performing universities for women in tertiary education. Women also account for over half of Qatar’s STEM graduates – well above the world average of 35% according to UNESCO – with strong representation in engineering, computing and natural sciences. Across the country, Qatar’s inclusive enrolment campaigns are resonating with the growing movement for equitable opportunities for women in the MENA region as a whole. 

This focus on human development through education aligns with GSMA successes in amplifying women’s voices in technology on the global stage, with forums such as Tech4Girls and Women in Tech. 

Top research minds from Qatar, MENA and the world 

Acknowledging that connectivity is a key step to solving global challenges, Qatar University set up the International Research Collaboration Co-Funds in 2018. Statistics available on the university’s website show that over a period of five years QU collaborated with 1,787 worldwide institutions and co-authored around 4,550 publications, of which 2,842 were journal articles across a broad range of research themes. Together, these partnerships have created a global network driving discoveries at local and international levels, which includes: 

• UNESCO: marine science, conservation and education
• CERN: experimental particle physics 
• The Space Exploration Center (Switzerland) and the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory: microbial environmental science
• Harvard Apparatus Regenerative Technology Inc.: health technology
• Microsoft: education Transformation Agreement, deploying cloud, AI and cybersecurity tools to transform teaching, learning, and campus infrastructure 

This global outlook and the principles of knowledge share reinforce the university’s role not only in research but also as investor in the young people who will innovate the societies of the future and write tomorrow’s policies. Goals such as these apply across borders and, by choosing an Education Partner for the first time, MWC aims to elevate learning and youth technology outreach throughout the widespread network of the GSMA. 
 

Charting new territory in marine conservation 

Flourishing maritime industries in the State of Qatar and across the GCC, along with the introduction of increasingly innovative networked ports to handle more shipping traffic, mean that ocean stewardship and sustainable growth are more important than ever. The university’s Environmental Science Center holds a region-first UNESCO Chair in Marine Sciences and the department plays a key role in investigating oceanography issues affecting the Arabian Gulf, such as coastal erosion, climate change and sea acidification. QU also holds the region’s first chair in Desalination and Water Treatment. 

Qatar University is home base to a sophisticated marine research vessel, Janan. Active projects include monitoring of critically endangered hawksbill turtles, advanced fisheries technologies, and tracking microplastics and other marine pollutants. Notably, artificial reef technologies developed at the university have been successfully transferred under licence to Brazil, showing how local marine research can be exported as global conservation solutions. 

Visit Qatar University at MWC Doha 

Across conference panels, exhibitions, and engagement initiatives, MWC25 Doha will provide all-new opportunities for international leaders, researchers, and technology experts to engage with students and faculty.    

QU will be welcoming delegates to its stand at the heart of the MWC showfloor. Find out about student-led innovation alongside the latest global collaborations in cybersecurity, smart mobility, 5G-Advanced networks, and intelligent infrastructure, and explore opportunities to develop concepts with scholarships and partnerships. The university is part of the nationwide Innolight collaboration platform for resources, funding and expert networks in research and development. 

Just a few steps away, 4YFN at MWC Doha will be inviting entrepreneurs to pitch their products and startup solutions – a thriving connection space for the next generation of founders and CEOs to discover new inspiration. 4YFN has a long association with universities as a springboard for innovation, brought to life through its ongoing Universities & Spin-Offs track at MWC Barcelona.  
 

Keep discovering at MWC Doha 

Knowledge exchange will always be at the very core of the GSMA community, connecting thought leaders, tech pioneers and government innovators who drive digital transformation forward. Our partners, too, are a vital part of our ecosystem as we strengthen the network of people inspiring change across the world. We look forward to convening everyone who values research this November in Doha – a UNESCO Learning City with a rich tradition of education, where lifelong learning is promoted for all. 

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