Author: wpc_editor

Executive Director of Reach Out To Asia (ROTA). He joined ROTA as Senior Operations Manager in 2009 and was promoted to the role of Executive Director in 2010. Since then he has been responsible for continuing the strategic course set by ROTA’s Board of Directors. Under his leadership, the organization has led a variety of initiatives in 13 countries around Asia and Qatar. He has served on the steering committees of various international and local groups in the field of development and social responsibility. Since 2010, he has been a member of the Inter-agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE) Minimum Standards Working Group. In Qatar, he represents ROTA on the Steering Board of the TAMM Volunteer Network, of which ROTA is a founding member.

President of the Institute for Pan-African Strategies, Peace-Security-Governance (IPS). He has been a member of the National Assembly of Senegal since 2017 and became Vice President in October 2019 until 2022. He was the Special Envoy of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to the Central African Republic from 2014 to 2017 and Special Representative of the OIC Secretary General for Africa from 2016 to 2017. He was Minister of Foreign Affairs in charge of the African Union and Senegalese Abroad from 2000 to 2002, before serving as Senior Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Senegal from 2002 to 2009. Former President of the “Dakar International Forum on Peace and Security in Africa”, he is currently the Special Envoy of the OIF (Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie). He holds a Diploma of Advanced Studies (DEA) from Paris-Sorbonne V University and a Ph.D. in Communication and International Development from Ohio State University.

Executive Vice President, CHO of BGI (Beijing Genomics Institute) Group. Previously, she was the Project Director of The Southern Securities Investment Bank, Vice Dean of School of Economics and Management at Tongji University, Executive Dean of Chinese Academy of Science and Technology Management. She was also a visiting scholar of Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (2005-2007) and a visiting scholar of Gothenburg University in Sweden (2012). Her research focuses on innovation management and policy. She has also published a book entitled Power of Innovation and more than 30 papers in high-impact journals and conference domestically and internationally.

Prime Minister of Qatar since 26 June 2013. After serving in different posts in the government, on 15 February 2005, he was appointed Minister of State for Interior Affairs. He was named as Prime Minister on 26 June 2013 in a cabinet reshuffle. He was also named as Minister of the Interior in the same cabinet reshuffle. He graduated from Durham Military College, United Kingdom, in 1984 and received a bachelor’s degree in police sciences in 1995.

Foreign Desk Editor of Les Echos, the French business newspaper. Previously, she was the daily newspaper’s New York correspondent (2008-2012), where she covered the financial crisis and the two Obama presidential elections. Earlier in her career at Les Echos, she held various positions as an IT writer and created in 2000 a special section dedicated to the internet economy and to innovation. Her first job was as a business writer for 01 Informatique, the leading IT trade magazine in France. She is the author of a book L’irrésistible montée de l’économie sociale, Editions Autrement, published in March 2007. In 2021-2022, she was an auditor at the Collège des hautes études de l’institut diplomatique. Virginie is the vice President of the European-American Press Club in Paris and a member of the French Diplomatic Press Association. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Valparaiso University, IN. and a Master of Journalism from Medill School, Northwestern University, ILL. 

Australia’s Ambassador to the United States since March 2023. He served as Australia’s twenty-sixth Prime Minister from 2007 to 2010, then as Minister for Foreign Affairs, before a second term as Prime Minister in 2013. He was Member for Griffith in the Australian Parliament from 1998 to 2013. He started his diplomatic career in 1981 with postings to Beijing and Stockholm. In 1988, he was appointed Chief of Staff to the Hon Wayne Goss and served him as Premier of Queensland. He was Director-General of the Cabinet Office in Queensland from 1991 to 1995, and Senior China Consultant for KPMG from 1996 to 1998. He graduated with Honours in Asian Studies from the Australian National University and received his PhD from Oxford University in 2022. He also studied at National Taiwan Normal University in Taipei. In 2015, he became inaugural President of the Asia Society Policy Institute in New York. In 2020, he was appointed President and CEO of the Asia Society globally and, in 2022, he founded the Asia Society Policy Institute’s Center for China Analysis. In 2019, he was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia for eminent service to Indigenous reconciliation, innovative economic initiatives, and major policy reform, and through senior advisory roles with international organizations.

CEO, He-Sai Photonics Technologies. Formerly Principal Engineer at Western Digital. Before joining Western Digital, he has worked in several Fortune 500 companies including Lam Research and Parker Hannifin. At Tsinghua University, he cohosted “Silk Roads”, an exchange program between students from top universities in China and France. He graduated from Tsinghua University in Beijing, China. He holds a Ph.D in Robotics and Pattern Recognition from the University of Illinois.

Professor of International Politics at Keio University, Tokyo. He is Director of Research at the Asia-Pacific Initiative, Tokyo. He is also Senior Researcher at the Nakasone Peace Institute, Senior Fellow at The Tokyo Foundation for Policy Research, and Senior Adjunct Fellow at the Japan Institute of International Affairs. His research interests include postwar international history, British diplomatic history, Japanese foreign and security policy, and contemporary East Asian international politics. He was a member of the Prime Minister’s Advisory Panel on Reconstruction of the Legal Basis for Security from 2013 to 2014, and the Prime Minister’s Advisory Panel on National Security and Defense Capabilities in 2013. He was a Visiting Professor and Japan Chair at Sciences Po in Paris between 2009 and 2010, a Visiting Fellow at Princeton University between 2008 and 2009 and Visiting Fellow at the University of Cambridge between 2021 and 2022. Professor Hosoya studied International Politics at Rikkyo (BA), Birmingham (MIS), and Keio (Ph.D.).

Technical Director for Energy and Environment at Qatar National Research Fund, a member of Qatar Foundation. He is member of the strategic committee of QF R&D. Before joining Qatar Foundation in 2014, he was Deputy Director General at the French National Research Agency (ANR) in charge of scientific affairs. In 2005, he joined ANR at its inception, first as Head of the Department on Sustainable Energies and Environment up to 2010. He is a member of the strategic water and energy R&D committee of Qatar chaired by the minister of industry and energy. He holds a PhD from University of Strasbourg (France).

Chief coordinator of the High Negotiations Committee, Syria. He was Prime Minister of Syria. He held various posts within the Syrian State, such as member of the national command and the Central Committee of BAATH party. He created the Free National Movement for employees in the institutions of the Syrian State in December 2012 and he stayed its President until March 2015. He is a member of the national coalition for revolutionary forces and the Syrian opposition. He holds a PhD in agricultural engineering.

Vice-President of the Board, Polish Oil and Gas Company (PGNiG). He worked at the Ministry of Finance and at the Ministry of Economy, where he led the Oil and Gas Department (2003-2008). He represented Poland at IEA Governing Board meetings. He was Poland Prime Minister’s chief adviser on Energy Security (2008-2010). He represented Poland in the Visehrad Four High-Level Group on Energy and the EC’s Group for the Baltic Energy Market Interconnection Plan. He advised the Environment Minister and Chief Geologist on the geological and mining law reform on shale gas (2011-2013). He graduated from Cracow University of Economics and the National School of Public Administration.

Author and journalist, specialising in geopolitics as a contributing editor to The Economist and Project Syndicate. A graduate in Arabic from Cambridge University and in education from London University, he taught at the University of Libya and then at the American University of Beirut before embracing journalism in time for the Lebanese civil war. His subsequent career with The Economist included positions in London as industry editor and Asia editor, along with foreign postings that ranged from Hong Kong and Singapore to Brussels, Paris, Los Angeles and Washington DC. More recently he has worked with the UN Environment Programme, with the Rockefeller Foundation on fragile states and with BBVA’s OpenMind on world conflicts. In July 2021 he became head tutor for The Economist‘s first online course on global trends in geopolitics, with a particular focus on China and the USA.

Secretary General of the Qatar National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, since 2014. She has been an education researcher and Director of Cultural Relations Department and Evaluation Institute. She is an active member of the Committee of Trustees of the State Appreciation and Recognition Awards, National Coordinator for Education for All 2030, member of the Executive Council of ISESCO, member of the Executive Council of the ALESCO, Chair of the Committee of Co-operation Agreement between the State of Qatar and UNESCO, Executive Chairperson of “Education Excellence Award”. She graduated from Qatar University. She also has a Master’s Degree in education from Ain Shams University. She holds a PhD from this same university.

A Saudi strategic expert specializing in international politics and regional security issues, he is the Founder and Chairman of the Gulf Research Center. Dr. Sager has also been a visiting professor at a number of universities, and member of various councils, advisory and academic committees, institutes and international research centers. He participates in international and regional conferences that address issues pertaining to the Gulf region. Notably, he has authored and edited numerous publications and has many articles in local and international newspapers related to Gulf affairs and regional issues, and he frequently contributes to major international media outlets. He is also the editor-in-chief of Araa a monthly Arabic-language magazine focused on Gulf affairs and is the editor-in-chief of The Gulf Yearbook. Dr. Sager holds a PhD in politics and international relations from Lancaster University.

General Manager, Editor in Chief of Al Arab News Channel. He began his career as a correspondent for the Saudi Gazette daily. From 1991 to 1999, he was a foreign correspondent to cover events in countries such as Afghanistan, Algeria, Kuwait, Sudan and the Middle East. He was Deputy Editor in Chief of Arab News. In 2003, he became Editor in Chief of Al-Watan daily and then was appointed as media advisor to Prince Turki Al Faisal, the Saudi Ambassador in London and later Washington. In 2007, he returned to Al-Watan as its Editor in Chief. He graduated from the Indian State University.

Qatar University’s 6^th President since 2015. He was previously Vice-President for Research, Qatar University (2007-2015). He also served in several roles at Qatar University including Associate Vice President for Research and Head of Civil Engineering at the College of Engineering. His research interests include construction productivity, project optimization, legal contracts and procurement. He is also a member of several professional international societies and organizations. He holds a PhD from the University of South Wales, UK, and a Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering from Georgia Tech, USA.

Director of Public Health Department, Ministry of Public Health of Qatar. He is also, among others, Chair of the National preventive health care committee, Qatar since 2013 and Chair of the International Health Regulations Committee, Qatar since 2011. He has been a Member of the Executive Committee for GCC Countries, Saudi Arabia since 2008 and Representative, Qatar Health in the World Health Assembly, Switzerland since 2007. He has a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University and an EMBA from HEC Paris.

Former Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey (2014-2016). Previously, he served as Minister of Foreign Affairs (2009-2014). Following the November 2002 elections he was appointed as Chief Adviser to the Prime Minister and Ambassador-at-Large and continued to serve until 2009. Between 1995 and 2002, he taught and also had administrative duties at different universities in Istanbul. He published several books and articles on foreign policy. He graduated from Bosphorus University. He holds a PhD from the Department of Political Science and International Relations, Bosporus University.

Chief Palestinian Negotiator and Head of the Negotiations Affairs Department since 2003. He is also Head of the Palestinian Side of the Steering and Monitoring Committee since 1996. He is an elected member to the Palestinian Legislative Council since 1996. He was Minister of Local Government, Palestinian National Authority (1994-2003), Head of the Palestinian Election Commission (1993-1996), Vice-Chairman of the Palestinian Negotiating Delegation (1991-1993) and Professor of Political Science at Al-Najah University/Nablus (1979-1991). He graduated from the University of San Francisco. He holds a PhD from Bradford University, United Kingdom.

Chairman of SNCF’s Executive Board and Chairman and CEO of SNCF Mobilités. After holding various positions in public and government service – including terms as Head of Staff for the Minister of Public Service then for the Minister of Employment and Social Affairs, and in the private sector as Deputy CEO of SOFRES, he has worked for more than 15 years as a top executive within SNCF. He was Director of Strategy and then Director of Passenger activities before becoming acting CEO in 2008. He was first appointed Chairman of SNCF in 2008 and was reappointed in 2013. Other responsibilities have included his Chairmanships of Eurostar Group, of Voyages sncf.com and of SYSTRA, as well as being a Board member of Keolis.

International Affairs Executive Director of Abu Dhabi Global Market. Previously, he was International Affairs Directo of the French Prudential and Resolution Authority (ACPR), an institution integrated into the Banque de France.

Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Global Movement of Moderates Foundation, an organisation established as a referral point for the consolidation and dissemination of information and material pertaining to moderation and the fight against extremism. Concurrently, he is also Chairman of the Nassar Foundation and he was recently appointed as a panel member of the Consultation and Corruption Prevention Panel of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). He was a Member of the Malaysian Parliament (1999-2004 and 2008-2013). He graduated from the University of Jordan and the International Islamic University of Malaysia. He holds a PhD from the University Utara Malaysia.

Program Associate, African Higher Education Program, TrustAfrica. She is an independent consultant specialized in education reforms, vocational training and youth empowerment in Africa. Since 2010 she works with international donors, governments and non-profits to create a stronger nexus between policies and community’s needs. She recently coordinated the first continental summit on the ‘Revitalization of African Higher Education’. She also works for the economic and social reinsertion of street children. In 2016 she was honored with President Obama’s prestigious Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders. She graduated from ISM and from the Sorbonne.

Senior Fellow, OCP Policy Center. Former Ambassador of Morocco to the United Nations and Professor at Al Akhawayn University, Ifrane. Previously, he was Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office in Geneva (2006-2008). He served as Director-General of Multilateral relations and Global Cooperation (2003-2006). He had earlier served as Deputy Permanent Representative at his country’s Mission in New York (2001-2003). He was also Morocco’s Coordinator with the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), in Laayoune (1999-2001). He was Ambassador to Hungary, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina (1995-1999). He was also a member of the Cabinet, then person in charge of the Cabinet of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (1991-1995).