Hamad Bin Khalifa University

Hamad Bin Khalifa University:

Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU)is a homegrown research and graduate studies university that acts as a catalyst for positive transformation in Qatar and the region while having a global impact. Research is an important mission to HBKU to help build human capacity in Qatar; as such, research plays an essential role in HBKU’s academic programs across all its colleges. Students have the opportunity to conduct research alongside experts in their field as well as the specialists from the research institutes.

There are three national research institutes that are at the lead of efforts to seek innovative solutions to outstanding challenges facing Qatar and the region: Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (QEERI), Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), and Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI).

The Qatar Computing Research Institute:

The Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI) aims to build Qatar’s innovation and technology capacity by focusing on large-scale computing challenges that address national priorities for growth and development, supporting Qatar’s transformation from a hydrocarbon-based economy to a knowledge-based economy. QCRI conducts world-class multidisciplinary computing research that is relevant to the needs of Qatar, the wider Arab region, and the world. The research conducted at QCRI is aligned with the Qatar National Research Strategy and supports the strategic priorities outlined in the Qatar National Vision 2030.

The QCRI specializes in the following research areas:

• Qatar Center for Artificial Intelligence (AI-CAI) is an initiative that plans to rise up the development of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to serve the domestic needs of Qatar and to position the country as a global leader in AI. Qatar Center for AI has a list of goals to make Qatar an international hub of AI-led transformation.
• QCRI’s Cybersecurity Department's main objective is to become a center of excellence in the application of real time data analytics for the detection of cyber attacks, forensics and remediation of a cyber event, and to anticipate and ultimately defeat cyber attacks on Qatar’s cyber infrastructure.  
• QCRI’s Big Data Analytics Department focuses on data extraction and cleaning to analytics, retrieval, inference and prediction.
• QCRI’s Distributed Systems Department focuses on cloud infrastructure and large-scale cloud applications and services, specifically in the areas of sports and video.
• QCRI’s Social Computing Department performs multi-disciplinary research, combining computer science and social sciences to address problems of societal relevance. The department is organized by application areas: Health, Urban Computing, Crisis Computing and News.
• QCRI’s Social Innovation Program partners directly with humanitarian organizations around the world to develop the next generation humanitarian technologies they need to make sense of “Big Data.“

Innovation Center

Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s (HBKU’s) Innovation Center is a pioneering initiative that is designed to foster entrepreneurship and creativity. The hub aims to serve as a platform for connecting and sharing ideas, people, resources, and expertise – providing a space for collaboration in one dedicated area. Designed to bring together members of the community and leaders in start-up ecosystems, the center aims to facilitate generative collaboration, assist local businesses and industries in developing an inventive focus, connect start-up teams with potential investment opportunities, and provide support services.

The center provides multifaceted educational and training opportunities for Qatar Foundation (QF) students and staff through seminars, workshops, boot camps, and more. Acting as a catalyst for the development of research-based, innovative ideas towards commercialization, the HBKU Innovation Center supports the QF community in myriad ways, including the provision of targeted funds, a collaborative network between QF entities and Qatar-based industry, and a dedicated open space for the community to transform theoretical ideas into applied solutions.