The Qatar Olympic Committee president HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani was honoured as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Person of the Year 2015 at a ceremony yesterday that also witnessed the launch of the fourth edition of the National CSR Report, Leaders’ Visions.
Under the patronage of HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani, the ceremony was hosted by Qatar University (QU). The report, which has an introduction by HE Sheikh Abdullah will be distributed to all Qatari embassies around the world through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, one of the partners of the report.
HE Sheikh Joaan was recognised for his significant role in supporting CSR and for being a role model in inspiring the youth of Qatar. Leading companies and community representatives who are leaders in CSR were also honoured at the event.
The report is based on a preliminary study conducted by CSR Qatar Committee. The main objective of the study is to provide an initial understanding of the importance of different CSR spending categories as well as their relationship with organisational performance. The study was conducted in companies among different sectors in Qatar.
QU president Dr Hassan Rashid al-Derham said: “Qatar University has always been guided by social responsibility to achieve its academic goals, advance its students’ knowledge, and build their capabilities. The organisation continues to deliver on its mission of serving as a bridge between academia and society. It is also keen to lead the leaders’ visions, which are voiced in this national report, towards institutional development through careful planning of new programmes and their execution on the solid basis of social responsibility.”
He noted that the report is a valuable tool for achieving the vision of the university and its partners, in line with the four pillars of Qatar National Vision 2030. “It has also gained momentum through the contributions of various national institutions. We are proud of the success of our collaboration with Qatar CSR Network, primarily in developing new partnerships with institutions from the public and private sector,” he added.
Qatar CSR CEO Khalifa S al-Mohannadi said that in its previous editions, the report highlighted the added value of social responsibility, and succeeded in providing an opportunity for local institutions to change their approaches and professional techniques.
“This success was further enhanced by drawing the participation of new institutions which benefited from the leaders’ instructions, experiences, and vision to serve the society. The constructive approach that Qatar CSR Network has adopted will serve to provide students with invaluable opportunities that enable them to realise their academic aspirations.”