QF education leader chosen to join top international fellowship program

An education leader from Qatar Foundation is the first person in Qatar – and only the second in the Gulf region – to be selected for a prestigious international fellowship program.

Hend Zainal, Executive Director of Strategy, Management and Partnerships at Qatar Foundation’s (QF) Higher Education Division, has been accepted into the American Council on Education Fellows Program, a year-long top-level leadership development program cultivating knowledge and skills, as well as connecting participants with top global higher education leaders, that equips participants for leadership roles in higher education.

The program is administered by the American Council on Education (ACE), the leading umbrella  higher education organization in the U.S. It was established 58 years ago and it has prepared more than 2,500 emerging higher education leaders. After a rigorous selection process, ACE Fellows participate in a long-year leadership development program.

Of the 36 ACE Fellows selected for the 2023-24 academic year, Zainal – an alumna of two of QF’s partner universities – is the only one from outside the US. “I am delighted and proud to be chosen to be part of such an internationally renowned fellowship program, and extremely grateful for those who recommended me as an ACE Fellow,” she said.

“Education is both my work and my passion, and through my time in this program, I plan to maximize the opportunities for gathering and exchanging knowledge it will offer so that I can bring these back to Qatar and support the advancement of QF’s higher education strategy, as well as higher education in Qatar as a whole.

“With Qatar becoming globally regarded as an educational hub, I also hope to use my selection as an ACE Fellow to represent the nation and help to promote its significant investment and efforts in education to my international peers.”

The ACE Fellows Program is the longest-running premier leadership development program in the US and, over the years, has prepared higher education leaders from many countries. Since its inception in 1965, the ACE Fellows Program has identified and prepared faculty, staff, and educational administrators for senior positions in higher education leadership, through its mentorship model. The program combines retreats, interactive learning opportunities, visits to campuses and other higher education-related organizations, and placements at higher education institutions other than those each Fellow is from.

“Since joining Qatar Foundation, I have been able to envision Hend's promising career in higher education leadership and also to witness her passion and dedication. I am impressed by her outstanding professionalism, great communication skills, significant intercultural empathy, and strong analytical capacity,” said Francisco Marmolejo, President of Higher Education at Qatar Foundation.

“I am confident that the program will further develop her leadership skills, allow her classmates to learn from the perspective she brings from the Middle East, and from the unique higher education ecosystem of international universities operating as part of QF's Education City in Doha.”

“The ACE Fellows Program has a proven track record of developing agile leaders, and it fuels the expansion of a talented and diverse higher education leadership pipeline,” said ACE President Ted Mitchell. “ACE Fellows engage in unique learning experiences before returning to their home campuses armed with a fresh outlook and distinct skillset. I am excited to see all that this class accomplishes.”

The program combines retreats, interactive learning opportunities, visits to campuses and other higher education-related organizations, and placement at another higher education institution to condense years of on-the-job experience and skills development into a single year. 

During the placement, Fellows observe and work with the president and other senior officers at their host institutions, attend decision-making meetings, and focus on issues of interest. ACE Fellows also carry out projects on areas of priority for their home institutions and, following the program, look to implement them.

At the conclusion of the fellowship year, Fellows return to their home institutions with new knowledge and skills that contribute to capacity-building efforts, along with a network of peers across the country and abroad.