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| Members of the Doha Institute Borad of Trustees at their meeting |
The Board of Trustees of the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies (DI) held its second meeting on Saturday and Sunday September 26-27, 2015 in Doha, Qatar. The meeting was chaired by Dr. Azmi Bishara, Chair of the Board of Trustees, and attended by all members of the board: H.E. Sheikh Abdulla bin Ali Al-Thani, Ph. D., Vice Chair of the Board; Dr. Ahmad Dallal; Dr. Taher Kanaan; Dr. Laurie Brand; Dr. Dina Khoury; Dr. Roger Allen; Dr. Mohamed al-Rumaihi; and Dr. Wail Benjelloun. The meeting was also attended by Dr. Yasir Suleiman Malley, Acting President of the DI.
On the first day of the meeting the Board discussed and approved two sets of DI bylaws: the Academic Groups Bylaws; and the Faculty Assembly Bylaws, the rules governing the Faculty Assembly, the highest faculty representative and advisory body at the DI. The Board had previously approved the Institutional Bylaws and the School Bylaws at its first meeting on May 10, 2015. The first day of the meeting also included a visit to the DI campus where Board members were briefed on the progress of the construction works onsite.
On the second day of the meeting, the Board discussed a range of academic policies related to student affairs, including the Assessment and Examinations Policy, Student Academic Appeals Policy, and the Student Complaints and Grievances Policy. Additionally, the Board discussed the amendment of related policies that concerned academic affairs. The Board also reviewed and approved the report by the DI Strategic Planning Committee which outlined the DI strategic plan and objectives for the coming years, and agreed to dedicate a special meeting to discuss these plans in full. The Board also approved two new master’s programs at the School of Public Administration and Development Economics (SPADE): the Executive Master of Public Administration and the Executive Master of Health Care Administration, to begin during the 2016-2017 academic year. The Board further decided to separate the Master of Public Administration from the Master of Public Policy, and agreed to explore the steps needed to establish a new master’s program in Psychology over the course of the coming academic year. Finally, the Board agreed to appoint a committee, at the end of the present academic year (2015-2016) to examine the establishment of a doctoral program at the DI.
The Standing Committees of the Board also met during the two-day meeting to discuss their respective topics and give their recommendations to the Board, which discussed and approved them. Before closing, the Board approved the scheduling of their next meeting, to take place during the Spring Semester, during March of 2016. Dr. Azmi Bishara hosted a reception for the Board members and DI faculty following the end of proceedings on the second day.
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| Members of the Board of Trustees welcome DI Faculty before the reception. |
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| Azmi Bishara, Chair of the Board of Trustees, speaks to faculty and Board members during the DI reception. |
