News

Hamad Bin Khalifa University Launches New Law School in Strategic Partnership with Northwestern Law

February 23, 2015

Hamad bin Khalifa University (HBKU), aided by its strategic partner, Northwestern University School of Law, is establishing a new graduate-level law school in Doha, Qatar.

The HBKU Law School will offer a three-year Juris Doctor degree program with a comprehensive curriculum that will equip its graduates to take important leadership positions in the public and private sector throughout the region. The school will open in the fall of 2015 in Education City, a 2,500-acre campus located on the western edge of Doha.

The new program is the first of its kind in the Middle East.

“We are excited about the opportunity to work with Hamad bin Khalifa University on this important initiative and appreciate the leadership of the Qatar Foundation in their ongoing development of Education City,” said Daniel B. Rodriguez, dean of Northwestern University School of Law. “We share their belief in the power of higher education to make a positive difference in the world.”

Leadership of Hamad Bin Khalifa University Law School in Education City, Doha, Qatar
Khalid Mubarak Al Kuwari, Deputy Counsel, Qatar Foundation; Daniel B. Rodriguez, Dean, Northwestern University School of Law; Ahmad M. Hasnah, Executive Vice-President and Provost, Hamad Bin Khalifa University; and Clinton Francis, Founding Dean, Hamad Bin Khalifa University Law School at the announcement of the Hamad Bin Khalifa University Law School in Education City, Doha, Qatar on February 22, 2015.

Professor Clinton W. Francis will serve as the interim dean and, with assistance from the Northwestern Law faculty, will help guide the development of the school’s curriculum, hiring staff and faculty, and serving as an advisor to HBKU officials. Francis teaches and researches in the areas of Corporate Restructuring/Bankruptcy, Commercial Law, Intellectual Property, and Intellectual Capital Management. He is a recognized expert in context-based teaching, using role-playing and entrepreneurial simulations.

“We are developing a leading-edge curriculum, instruction and scholarship, with the goal of delivering the maximum knowledge and value to students and to domestic, regional, and global partners,” Francis said. “We will achieve this value commitment through a unique pedagogical approach emphasizing the structural linkage of students, faculty, employers and the larger community to build sustainable intellectual, legal and business best practices to support growth throughout the region.”

A member of the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science, and Community Development, Hamad bin Khalifa University (HBKU) is an emerging research university in Doha, Qatar.

“As part of Qatar Foundation’s commitment to building human capacity, Hamad bin Khalifa University has a key role in establishing [the foundation’s] cycle of education and research for the benefit of Qatar’s community,” said Dr. Ahmad Hasnah, HBKU executive vice president and provost.

“We are committed to immersing students in a culture of learning that nurtures their creativity and innovation, prioritizes the development of research skills, and prepares them not only for the next stage of their education, but also enables them to become the future leaders of Qatar,” Hasnah said. “The launch of our first postgraduate degree program in our new law school is a prime example of this.” 

The new law school will join the College of Science, Engineering and Technology; the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, and the Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies at HBKU’s Education City campus.