Qatar University (QU), in its role as Qatar's primary institution of higher education, and Elegancia Healthcare, a subsidiary of Estithmar Holding, a healthcare leader founded on the principles of compassion and global excellence have signed a Memorandum of Understanding MoU; whereby the two parties aim to forge a strategic partnership to advance their shared interest to establish joint cooperation covering different, scientific, administrative, technical and research areas.

The MoU that was signed on October 15th, 2023 by Dr. Omar Al Ansari, the President of Qatar University and Mr. Joseph Hazel, the CEO of Elegancia Healthcare, establishes the framework for cooperation between the two parties. One of its primary objectives is to create opportunities for joint continuous professional development (CPD) and continuous medical education (CME), which will come to life through information exchange related to teaching & research activities in the fields of mutual interest. To further promote knowledge transfer and collaboration, Elegancia Healthcare will provide students with internship opportunities and clinical training, based on the areas relevant to Elegancia Healthcare’s hospitals. The partnership also focuses on designing and promoting joint research projects in areas of mutual interests to generate new scientific and practical results, which are applicable to Qatar. This will be facilitated through the exchange of publications, reports and academic material.

Another key aspect of the partnership is the collaboration between members of the scientific staff to provide the opportunity of cross-appointments for faculty members working in the university. In addition, clinical faculty appointment opportunities at Qatar University will be available for Elegencia Healthcare’s staff to attract high caliber international consultants with academic orientation.

On the occasion of signing the mentioned MoU, Dr. Omar Al-Ansari, President of Qatar University made the following statement: “We are looking forward to working with Elegancia Healthcare based on this promising partnership. Qatar University is already well-aligned with the country’s public healthcare sector, so this collaboration represents an excellent opportunity to activate a fruitful cooperation with the private healthcare sector. Hopefully, this partnership will enable us to mutually create an elaborate system that operates with a sense of purpose, whereby each party fulfills its duties whether it’s the public sector, private sector or the educational institution Qatar University.

QU President Dr. Omar Al-Ansari, “We are looking forward to working with Elegancia Healthcare through a promising agreement. Qatar University is well integrated with the health sector in the country, especially the government sector; this is a good opportunity to engage and collaborate further with the private sector. Hopefully, we can be a big system working together in a meaningful way, each party doing its part, whether it is the government, private sector, or QU in its role as an academic institution.”

Commenting on this new partnership and expressing enthusiasm, Joe Hazel, CEO of Elegancia Healthcare, said: “At Elegancia Healthcare we recognize the vital and effective role that education plays in empowering the youth, supporting remarkable talents and shaping the future of Qatar. This promising cooperation between the two parties will push education opportunities to new levels. The value of this partnership will come to life by providing Qatar University’s students with an enriching educational experience, utilizing our physician’s international experience to give back to the student community, and facilitating the valuable exchange of scientific information to expand the scope of research outputs. Our commitment to patient experience, world-class medical expertise and cutting-edge medical technologies across our healthcare facilities makes our institutions the ideal environments to complement academic excellence and support continual learning.

This strategic partnership is aligned with the guiding principles of Elegancia Healthcare that include developing future leaders, innovation, and corporate social responsibility. By playing a crucial role in fostering interactive learning and development for our youth, adding value to research outputs, and promoting wellness & health awareness, this collaboration is the beginning of a promising journey where health and education converge synergistically.