At a recent ceremony, the Qatar International Court and Dispute Resolution Center (QICDRC) bestowed awards for exceptional performance on four students from the College of Law at Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s (HBKU) Juris Doctor (JD) program. The awards were launched in 2024 under a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between QICDRC and HBKU, which builds on the parties’ initial MoU signed in 2019.  

The QICDRC established three categories of student awards. The first award is the Lord Thomas Prize, named after the QICDRC’s President and  former Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, The Rt. Hon. The Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd. This prize is given to a member of each JD class for outstanding academic performance during the academic year. The recipients of the 2024 Lord Thomas Prize were as follows: Tasniem Ahmed Elyass Hussain (Class of 2024), Ionela Cristina Al Thalathini (Class of 2025), and Amy Nicole Saretsky (Class of 2026).  

The second prize is the Sir William Blair Prize, named after QICDRC judge Sir William Blair, who was previously a high court judge in England and Wales. The Sir William Blair Prize recognizes the member of the JD graduating class who earned the highest grades in dispute resolution courts, and was awarded this year to Tasniem Ahmed Elyass Hussein.  

The third prize is the QICDRC Prize, given to a member of the graduating JD class based on overall performance academically as well as to the community in the College and beyond.  The recipient of the 2024 QICDRC Prize was Fahad Al Harji.

Under the initial MoU between the QICDRC and HBKU, the parties held numerous joint events on courts, arbitration, and mediation, which have been open to the public. The QICDRC Registrars, Mr. Umar Azmeh, and his predecessor, Judge Christopher Grout, have provided guest lectures in the College. Lord Thomas and Sir William Blair are also Honorary Fellows of the College. The 2024 MoU takes the relationship to the next level with the establishment of the Lord Thomas Prizes, the Sir William Blair Prize and the QICDRC Prize.  

A critical driver of the HBKU-QICDRC relationship has been Dr. George Dimitropoulos, Associate Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, College of Law. Commenting on the awards, Professor Dimitropoulos noted:  "The College of Law and QICDRC have enjoyed a long-lasting relationship since 2016. The awards are a confirmation of this relationship and a significant honor to our students. We are very grateful to the Court, the President, the CEO, and the Registrar. We look forward to further expanding our collaborative efforts."   

Echoing these words, College of Law Dean Susan L. Karamanian observed: “The Judges, CEO, Registrar, and staff at the QICDRC have opened substantial educational opportunities for our students and faculty.  We are extremely grateful to them as well as to our colleague Professor Dimitropoulos for these initiatives and look forward to further collaboration.” 

Faisal Rashid Al Sahouti, Chief Executive Officer, Qatar International Court and Dispute Resolution Centre, also commented: "This MoU is a testament to our ongoing commitment to collaborate closely with our local institutions in nurturing the next generation of lawyers."