About Us

We began as the Qatar Women's Leadership in Higher Education (WLHE), a collaborative organization created within Education City (EC) that aimed to empower women in Qatar by providing leadership training, mentorship, and networking opportunities. Texas A&M's Women's Faculty Forum, co-chaired by Brittany Bounds and Maya Abi Akl, began semesterly multiversity networking luncheons at the Green in November 2021 with 13 faculty across Education City. Annie Ruimi of Texas A&M began planning a conference named Engineering Women in Qatar, a project that took years to develop due to shifting targets resulting from COVID distancing requirements. Ultimately, it became the Women in Leadership Conference in October 2022, headed by Annette Vincent and Cecile le Roux of Carnegie Mellon, and organized by faculty and leaders from TAMUQ, Georgetown, HBKU CHSS, HEC Paris, and Qatar Financial Center. After this exciting conference, the committee met to debrief and strategize how to maximize the energy generated at the conference. One of the key decisions was to establish an organic organization to sustain the conversations and momentum around gender equity in EC. This organization was named Women Leaders in Higher Education, and we hosted a Leading Together Annual Meeting in May 2024, focusing on leadership and male allyship. Our 2025 Leading Together Annual Meeting in April applied mentorship discussions to our EC community through a panel and roundtable discussions.​

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As we've grown in scope and participants, our mission has also expanded over the years. In the Fall of 2025, we rebranded to the Qatar Forum for Professional Engagement. Building community, advancing careers, and developing leadership have always been at the heart of our work, and it remains our guiding focus as we move forward. The QFPE brings together faculty and staff to create spaces for career and leadership development, mentorship, and community building. By nurturing inclusive pathways for growth and connection, we empower people at all levels to lead with purpose and help shape the future of higher education in Qatar. We are committed to creating a supportive and inclusive community where faculty and staff can thrive and achieve their goals.