Dr Hassan Al-Derham is the sixth president of Qatar University (QU), assuming the role on June 15, 2015. Prior to his appointment as president, Dr Al-Derham had been the university’s Vice-President for Research since 2007. As VP, he guided QU to its current position as leader of research excellence in the GCC region, which was enhanced by its continuous success in winning the largest percentage of grants in the National Priorities Research Program (NPRP) and Undergraduate Research Experience Program (UREP) under the Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF). Earlier positions at QU include Associate VP for Research and Head of Civil Engineering at the College of Engineering.
Education
Dr Al-Derham gained an undergraduate degree in Architectural Engineering from North Carolina Agriculture and Technical State University, USA, after which he obtained a Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering from Georgia Tech, USA. He subsequently went on to receive a PhD and Post-Graduate Diploma in Construction Project Management from the University of South Wales, UK.
Experience
During his term as VP for Research, Dr Al-Derham successfully developed and implemented the organization’s research policies, procedures, and priorities, as well as an ambitious research road map fielding strategic national priorities.
Additionally, under his leadership, several research centers were initiated including the Gas Processing Center, Qatar Road Safety Studies Center, Qatar Mobility Innovations Center, KINDI Lab for Computing Research, Laboratory Animal Research Center, and the Biomedical Research Center. He also led the inauguration of the university’s multimillion-dollar Research Complex.
Dr Al-Derham’s research interests include construction productivity, project optimization, legal contracts and procurement. In 2009, along with his research team, he won Best Paper of the Year in ASCE Journal of Construction Engineering and Management. He is also a member of several professional international societies and organizations.
