Dr. Hassan Rashid Al-Derham was president of Qatar University (QU) from 2015 until 2023. During his tenure as president of QU, he led a transformation strategy to reposition the university in teaching, research, and economic development within its community.

Previously, he was VP for research at QU. In this role, he guided QU to its current position as leader of research excellence in the GCC region, which was enhanced by its continuous success in winning the largest percentage of grants in the National Priorities Research Program (NPRP) and Undergraduate Research Experience Program (UREP) under the Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF).

Additionally, he oversaw the launch of several research centers including the Gas Processing Center, Qatar Road Safety Studies Center, Qatar Mobility Innovations Center, KINDI Lab for Computing Research, Laboratory Animal Research Center, and the Biomedical Research Center.

Dr. Al-Derham holds a PhD and Post-Graduate Diploma in Construction Project Management from University of South Wales in the United Kingdom. His research interests include construction productivity, project optimisation, legal contracts, and procurement. In 2009, along with his research team, he won Best Paper of the Year in ASCE Journal of Construction Engineering and Management.