Qatar Foundation has formed a new university entity, provisionally known as Education City University (ECU), which will unite all of its higher educational activities.

His Excellency Sheikh Dr Abdulla bin Ali Al-Thani has been appointed President of the new entity.
Currently, branches of six US universities are delivering a select range of their most highly regarded undergraduate and graduate programs at Education City. The Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies offers diploma and Masters programs in a number of areas, and an agreement was signed some months ago with HEC Paris to provide executive management training in Qatar.

In her address at Senior Convocation 2010 Qatar Foundation Chairperson Her Highness Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al-Missned spoke of the need to focus on collaborative and complementary activities "in order to draw maximum benefit from our combined skills and experience".

"The time has come to commence the execution of an advanced phase of this important national project, since all the elements which will ensure its success are now in place, "Her Highness said.
Speaking of his new role, HE Sheikh Dr Abdulla bin Ali Al-Thani said: "We now have at Education City a collection of top academic centres, pursuing their separate missions of learning and teaching, research, and community service. Over the past decade they have made a considerable impact upon our society. However, much more can be accomplished by operating as an integrated, multi-disciplinary institution. I shall be seeking new ways to deploy the resources at our disposal for the benefit of the many stakeholders of Qatar Foundation while, of course, preserving the distinct identity of each of our members. In so doing, we shall deliver high-quality higher educational programs with a focus on research.""

Dr Al-Thani assumed the position of Vice President - Education at Qatar Foundation in 2005, helping direct Qatar's flagship organization. As part of his mandate, Dr Al-Thani has explored and identified new academic ventures, programs and research opportunities to be established within Education City. He is at the forefront of Qatar Foundation's Central Library project which will, when completed, have one of the largest collections in the Middle East. Prior to joining

Qatar Foundation, Dr Al-Thani was an assistant professor in Civil Engineering at Qatar University, which he joined in 1993. He has also worked with the RAND-Qatar Policy Institute, a think tank assisting with public-sector reform in Qatar, where he focused on initiatives to foster quality and innovation at the national level.  He holds a doctoral degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Southampton in England and a master's degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Dr Al-Thani served as Convener and Chair of the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) held in Doha in November 2009 and attended by participants from 120 nations. He is a board member of Qatar's Supreme Education Council and Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Qatar University Board of Regents. He also serves on the boards of Nakilat, Qatar's national LNG shipping company; and the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (Hamburg, Germany); and has been nominated to the World Digital Library's Executive Council (Library of Congress, Washington, DC).