Inaugural Women in Leadership conference sparks dialogue, collaboration 

Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q), a Qatar Foundation partner university, gathered a multi-institutional organizing team to hold the Women in Leadership conference. The three-day conference will focus on equipping women for leadership in higher education. It is the first conference of its kind in Qatar.

Annette Vincent, associate dean of diversity and climate at CMU-Q, leads the team: “Our vision is to build a network in Qatar of people who support and empower women in higher education to take on leadership roles.” Vincent, along with Cecile Le Roux, assistant teaching professor of organization and behavior, are the lead organizers of the event.

“We have had a remarkable reception from women in higher education, and this conference is truly a collaborative effort,” remarked Le Roux.

The CMU-Q faculty members join organizers at Georgetown University in Qatar, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, HEC Paris in Qatar, Qatar Financial Center, and Texas A&M University at Qatar. Supporting the event are Blue Salon, HUB Business Center, and Lusail Water Factory.

The inaugural session included speakers Amal Al-Malki, founding dean for College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University; Nicola Ehlermann, senior EU policy advisor and lecturer at Sciences Po, and Fatima Al Dirbasti, an alumna of CMU-Q.