Education City

Education City is an initiative of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development. Located on the outskirts of Doha, the capital of Qatar, Education City covers 14 square kilometers and houses educational facilities from school age to research level and branch campuses of some of the world's universities. Education City aims to be instructing students in fields of importance to the Gulf Cooperation Council region. It is also conceived of as a forum where universities share research and forge relationships with businesses and institutions in public and private sectors. Moza bint Nasser was a driving force behind the foundation and construction of Education City.

Education City was launched by Qatar Foundation in 1997. The same year, Virginia Commonwealth University became the first institute to establish itself on its campus. The city was officially inaugurated in 2003.

Six American universities, one British university and one French university have branch campuses at Education City. They are:

It also has one Qatari university:

In light of similar arrangements recently made between Abu Dhabi and institutions such as INSEAD, New York University and Université Paris-Sorbonne, observers have noted that while the oil-rich Persian Gulf nations may be using their wealth to buy prestige through these marquee universities, the presence of these Western institutions may have a liberalizing impact on the culturally conservative region.

Other educational centers located at Education City include:

Several centers based at Education City focus on science and research. These include:

Education City is part of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, a private, chartered, non-profit organization in the state of Qatar, founded in 1995 by decree of Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of Qatar. Under Qatar Foundation’s umbrella are Education City which comprises universities, several academic and training programs and Qatar Science and Technology Park which hosts more than 21 companies involved in scientific research and development. Qatar Foundation has also launched the World Innovation Summit for Education – WISE – a global forum that brings together education stakeholders, opinion leaders and decision makers from all over the world to discuss educational issues. The first edition was held in Doha, Qatar from November 16 to 18, 2009, the second from December 7 to 9, 2010. The third edition was held from November 1 to 3, 2011.

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