HBKU President and key executives from Vodafone and QDB Discuss “Innovation on the road to 2030”

There is a growing awareness among policymakers that the future wellbeing of any economy rests on its ability to innovate. Innovation is the main driver of economic progress and a critical factor in solving global challenges. Not only has innovation taken center stage in policy making, but organizations across sectors have adopted innovation as part of their strategic roadmap, and strive to foster an innovative culture that can optimize their competitiveness in this global market.

The natural question that ensues is how to encourage an innovative culture? What can stimulate creative thinking and an entrepreneurship spirit? The question was addressed by a panel discussion titled “Innovation on the Road to 2030” as part of Vodafone Qatar’s annual Innovation Day. 

Contributing to the discussion was Dr. Ahmad Hasnah, President of HBKU, joined by Mr. Abdulaziz bin Nasser Al-Khalifa, Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Development Bank, Mr. Ian Gray, Chief Executive Officer of Vodafone Qatar and Mr. Daniel Burrus, Innovation Expert, Leading Futurist and Strategic Advisor. The conference was moderated by Dr. Tommy Weir, a renowned speaker, advisor, and author on innovative leadership. Panelists explored the various definitions of innovating and the various approaches to stimulating creative thinking across various institutional structures and sectors. 

Commenting on the role of universities in fostering innovation, Dr. Ahmad Hasnah said, “universities are tasked with two crucial responsibilities in society: on one hand, they need to be forward thinking, able to predict future community needs by analyzing market trends and forces. Furthermore, they need to provide an ecosystem where students not only understand these needs, but are equipped to innovate solutions as well.”

Addressing the audience, Dr. Hasnah stressed that innovation is woven into HBKU’s DNA as one of its main institutional pillars: “As brought forward by our tagline Innovating Today…Shaping Tomorrow, innovation is at the foundation of everything we do and is implemented across our multidisciplinary programs. It affects how we design, communicate and deliver our programs, the way we teach, and the way we shape the mindset of our graduates to become leaders of tomorrow”. 

The panel topic falls within HBKU’s mission of pursuing excellence in education and research, and fostering innovation that can transform Qatar into knowledge based economy, as envisioned in the Qatar National Vision 2030.