Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, the chairperson and co-founder of Qatar Foundation, will become the first female recipient of the George Bush Award for Excellence in Public Service this week for her international contributions to the field of education.

George H. W. Bush, the 41st president of the United States (and father to 43rd US president George W. Bush), will present the award to Sheikha Moza with his wife Barbara at the University of New England (UNE) on Thursday.

The ceremony will be streamed live online from the campus in Biddeford, Maine at 6:30pm on Thursday (2:30am Friday, Qatar time).

In a statement, UNE President Danielle Ripich said:

“Sheikha Moza has used her influential voice to promote the importance of access to quality education and healthcare, benefiting millions of people around the globe.

She is also a tireless champion of the dialogue of civilizations, especially between the Arab world and the United States. Our campus in Morocco fits well with Her Highness’s vision.”

The mother of Qatar’s emir and wife of former emir Sheikh Hamad, Sheikha Moza is credited as the driving force behind Qatar Foundation and the rapid growth of Education City. QF now runs 18 schools and academic programs.

Last November, Sheikha Moza launched Educate a Child, a global initiative to help some 61 million primary-school-age children who are being denied a basic education.

This will be the eighth George Bush Award granted since the prize started in 2000, with previous recipients including Ronald Reagan (posthumously), Arnold Schwarzenegger, Edward M. Kennedy and Mikhail Gorbachev.

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Credit: Photo by Penny Yi Wang