SRAI in Your Country: Up Close and Personal | Middle East
Thanks to SRAI’s extensive international scope (over 40 countries around the world), SRAI members literally have the world at their fingertips. Wouldn’t it be great to spend a few days or months, submerged in the life of a fellow research administrator in another part of the world, to walk in their shoes, and to expand your international view of research administration? To whet your appetite, this four-part series will take you on a virtual, imaginary tour of the daily life of an individual research administrator on four different continents or geographic regions – Africa, Australia, Europe, and the Middle East.
Part four in our virtual travel adventure takes us to the Middle East. Sit back and enjoy!
Middle East
Fahmia Nasr, Research Administrator, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar
On a cool sunny day in December, my flight lands at the Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar’s capital. Qatar, a country bordered by the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia, is located on the Qatar Peninsula which is part of the larger Arabian Peninsula.
After clearing customs, I meet up with Fahmia Nasr who greets me warmly in Arabic “As-salamu alaykum” which means “Peace be upon you” in English. She then whisks me off to her home where she is graciously hosting me during my visit.
On our short ride in her land cruiser car, Fahmia points out areas of interest. The city is truly a dazzling mix of modern architecture and ancient tradition– towering skyscrapers and cultural museums and markets! In the background you can hear the nearby mosques calling people to their midday prayers. Fahmia also excitedly describes some of the activities that will take place the following week on Qatar National Day, the National Day of Independence with parades, music, sports, art, and culture ending the night with fireworks in most cities.
That evening, she tells me more about her research administration journey and Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU). Following completion of a bachelor’s degree in Finance & Accounting in 2013, Fahmia, a Qatari, joined Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF), the national funding agency in Qatar as a Research Administrator. Then she joined HBKU in 2015 where she has held roles as a pre-award & post-award manager. She has been in her current position, Senior Planning & Sponsored Research Manager – head of the Sponsored Research Office -- for the last five years. Given that HBKU is a young public university, founded in 2010, Fahmia has played a key role in the development of the university’s research administration infrastructure. (In 2021, she completed her MBA).
The next morning, I accompany Fahmia on a short car ride to her office on campus where she describes her responsibilities and introduces me to some of her staff. Both she and her staff work in the office every day, except Fridays and Saturdays. Fahmia’s normal working day starts at 7:30 and finishes at 3:30.
Her team of 13 members, which is still developing and growing, provides pre- and post-award services, including contracts, financial management, and data analytics to HBKU’s research community of about 450 researchers. Their main source of research funds (80%) comes from the Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) while other funders include NATO and Michael J. Fox. Fahmia’s team works diligently to identify other funding sources and to support researchers in successfully securing these funds. Her team uses a range of tools, such as email, newsletters, and Teams meetings to ensure consistent communication within the team and with their clients.
According to Fahmia, the most enjoyable part of her job is “that every day has a different story with new challenges.” She wears multiple hats starting from supporting the team to being involved with leadership strategy where she learns from each role every day.
The main challenges are firstly, to help researchers meet submission deadlines. To address this, her team has developed internal deadlines; created cut-offs in their internal systems; and work with the heads of departments to gain their cooperation. Another challenge relates to supporting staff in career development, particularly encouraging staff to develop the full competencies of their positions so that they are prepared for future opportunities.
Fahmia summarizes her HBKU experiences as follows, “We have similar roles and challenges as research administrators in other parts of the world; we just have different ecosystems. As an institution that is developing its research function, we need to balance multiple roles. We also need to focus on continuous learning and development. I encourage my staff to explore the opportunities that AI provides. As we exploit this technology, it can open doors for us to take on new roles within research administration.”
As we finish an action-packed day, Fahmia invites me to join her at the gym. After a good workout, we spend the evening planning for our weekend camping trip in the desert and my first experience riding a camel!
Thank you, Fahmia, for introducing us to your world, and best wishes as you grow research administration at HBKU.
As I wing my way back home to Ottawa, Canada, I reflect on the rich experiences of my quest to learn more about the daily lives of research administrators around the world – Bonny in Africa; Olumide in Australia; Lorna in the U.K. and Fahmia in the Middle East. While geography, institutional settings, and funding requirements may vary, research administrators have common roles and challenges and a shared commitment to helping researchers make discoveries that will change the world. The ultimate impact.
And to quote Lorna Colquhoun, “It’s really a nice world that we work in – to work with interesting and clever people.” Research administration is truly a rewarding profession. Au revoir mes collègues. À bientôt.
Authored by Terry Campbell, Retired
University of Ottawa
SRAI Catalyst Committee
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