QF’s HBKU Participates as a Main Partner at the Global Security Forum 2021

Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) is participating as a main partner at the Global Security Forum (GSF) 2021. To highlight the partnership, Dr. Ahmad M. Hasnah, president of HBKU, jointly delivered the opening remarks at the GSF 2021, with Michael G. Masters, chairman of the board at The Soufan Center. GSF 2021 is organized by The Soufan Center in collaboration with several organizations. 

As a partner in the 2021 forum, HBKU, a member of Qatar Foundation, is able to amplify its visibility among a multidisciplinary international network of participants from academia, government, law enforcement, the media, humanitarian organizations, and private sectors - all with the purpose of addressing complex global security challenges. 

During his speech, Dr. Hasnah said: “The relationship between universities, governments, the private sector, as well as the community is key in being able to deal with future global security challenges. I think universities need to leave their comfort zones and become more involved with their communities and governments, working together, and feeding their research outcomes into those entities, as well as learning from the practices and challenges being faced on the ground.”

GSF 2021 is focusing on the imperative of balancing cooperation and competition in ensuring security and addressing critical challenges in governance and development. A dynamic lineup of high-level speakers that includes prominent experts, ministers, and heads of security agencies will be examining rapidly evolving geopolitical dynamics amid the increasing competition among states. 

Conversations will evolve around the complex intersection between issues such as climate change, security, health, transnational terrorism, far-right extremist networks, and the nexus between disinformation, technology, and finance. The discussion will carry unique national and regional responses.

Dr. Marc Owen Jones, assistant professor of Middle East Studies at the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, HBKU, will be speaking at a session titled “Disinformation and Conspiracies: Assessing Threats and Risks Online” on October 14. Leveraging his expertise in the analysis of digital disinformation, he will consider the risks posed by disinformation and conspiracies in the online space, and the potential offline impacts on social cohesion, politics, and security.

Commenting on his participation, Dr. Jones said: “Digital disinformation and propaganda are continually changing and growing threats to global security. This information disorder intends to undermine the fabric of democratic and non-democratic societies by damaging public trust in institutions and spreading hate and fear among multiple communities. It requires a global and coordinated effort to tackle it while preserving fundamental human rights such as freedom of expression.” 

Established in 2018, the GSF is an annual international gathering hosted by The Soufan Center with the cooperation of the Qatar International Academy for Security Studies, Nordic Safe Cities, Airey Neave Trust, New America, Defense One, The Soufan Group, and the United Nations Security Council’s Counter-Terrorism Committee. The event is a unique and dynamic platform for stakeholders to convene and address the international community’s leading security challenges. GSF 2021 concludes on October 14.