The late educator was known for his remarkable achievements in local education.
Qatar Foundation’s (QF) former president, Dr. Fathy Saoud, passed away on Saturday, leaving behind a lasting legacy in Doha’s education sector.
Dr. Saoud was amongst QF’s founding members, witnessing the growth of the educational and research hub throughout the past 25 years.
Key Qatari officials, including Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, QF’s co-founder and chairperson, took to social media to mourn the late educator’s death whilst remembering his achievements.
Qatar’s Assistant Foreign Minister Lolwah Al Khater also took the time to acknowledge Dr. Saoud’s role in the education sector.
“May God have mercy on Dr. Fathy Saoud, as he played an important role in the early stages of building a towering educational edifice, that is Qatar Foundation. Our condolences to his family, loved ones and colleagues […] and to our colleagues at Qatar Foundation,” tweeted Al Khater.
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More condolences came pouring in from academics who had made Dr. Saoud’s acquaintance over the years.
“I had the honour and pleasure to have worked with him. He taught me so much. Dr. Saoud was a brilliant and humble man. A great loss [for] QF,” tweeted author and historian at Kitab Project, Abdul Rahman Azzam.
An educational trailblazer
Dr. Saoud graduated in 1959 from Ain Shams University in Cairo with an honours degree and earned a PhD from the London School of Tropical Medicine, in 1965.
Before moving to Qatar, Dr. Saoud had already left a noticeable footprint in Egypt, having launched his career as a senior lecturer, assistant professor, associate professor and professor of Parasitology at the University of Ain Shams in Egypt, and the University of Khartoum in Sudan.
He then moved to Doha in 1978, to become the founding Dean of Science at Qatar University, which was newly-established at the time.
Before serving as QF’s president between 2007-2013, Dr. Saoud was also the organisation’s higher education advisor from 1997-2007.
During his time as an education advisor, he played a significant role in planning and developing Education City, having also lead discussions with high-ranking universities in order to open their branches in Qatar.
The universities that were inaugurated during his time include Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), Texas A&M University (TAMU), Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and Georgetown University.
Apart from higher education, Dr. Saoud helped plan the Science and Technology Park and Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF), which continue to serve as key research hubs in the Gulf state.
The former educator also served as the Vice Chairperson of the Board of Governors for the Sidra Medical and Research Centre, and helped establish campuses of the College of North Atlantic as well as the University of Calgary’s nursing programme, in Doha.
Dr. Saoud published over 100 research papers in parasitology and immunology in the UK, USA, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Czech Republic, Egypt, Japan and Qatar.
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