Doha: The importance of human-centered, values-driven leadership that is focused on improving lives and societies has been emphasized to young people from across Qatar, as Qatar Foundation's inaugural QIYADA conference came to a close on Saturday in Doha. The two-day event at Education City - organized by Qatar Foundation's (QF) Higher Education division and sponsored by QIIB - has brought together leading scholars, thinkers, influencers, and role models from around the world to engage and support the nation's youth in becoming leaders and drivers of positive social change, while strengthening their Islamic identity.
According to Qatar News Agency, over 1,000 students from Qatar's schools and universities attended the conference, joining discussions exploring solutions to the challenges of the modern world that have their grounding in faith and knowledge. On the second day of the QIYADA conference, HE Sheikha Dr. Hessa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, Chairperson and Founder of the Wellbeing and Career Development Training Center in Doha, and an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Sciences at Qatar University, presented a model of leadership from the perspective of wellbeing, based on five fundamental pillars that shape the character of Muslim leaders: spiritual, emotional, intellectual, physical, and social wellbeing.
"Today, leadership is the subject of our discussion, and we mean effective leadership: leadership rooted in the will to serve people and the community," she said. "True leaders uplift others not through force or dominance, but with humanity, vision, and compassion."
Dr. Mutlaq Aljasser, preacher and scholar at the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs of Kuwait, addressed the dominance of materialism over moral values in the modern world. He emphasized the need to redefine success and prioritize moral values, stating, "Before we speak of leadership and renaissance, we must first know: what are we leading toward? And in which direction are we heading?"
In the conference's closing session, Sheikh Salem Alahbabi, Director of Ibn Al-Zubair Scientific Center, underscored the importance of religion, language, and history in shaping identity. He highlighted the lack of basic information related to Islamic culture among young people and called for efforts to fill this gap.
Dr. Omar Suleiman, Founder and President of the Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research, concluded the event by discussing the concept of excellence as a lifestyle, emphasizing that good deeds lead to further positive actions, and advocating for a disciplined, balanced approach to life.