Job Description

Professor of Practice in Public Administration – Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, Qatar

The Doha Institute for Graduate Studies (DI) invites applications for the position of Professor of Practice in Public Administration within the School of Economics, Administration and Public Policy in Doha, Qatar.

The appointment is intended for an accomplished senior practitioner or academic practitioner with substantial leadership experience and demonstrated professional impact in public administration, public policy, governance, public-sector management, public-service delivery, or related fields.

The successful candidate will connect graduate and executive education with real-world public-sector practice, bringing professional experience into teaching, applied research, institutional partnerships, executive education, and public-sector capacity development.

Importantly, applicants do not necessarily need a PhD. The Institute accepts candidates holding a PhD or relevant advanced professional doctorate, as well as individuals with an exceptional record of senior-level professional achievement and relevant academic engagement appropriate to a Professor of Practice appointment.

Location: Doha, Qatar
School: Economics, Administration and Public Policy
Programme: Public Administration
Position: Professor of Practice
Application Deadline: 15 December 2026

About the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies

Founded in Qatar in 2015, the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies is an independent higher education institution offering master’s and doctoral programmes.

Its academic activities are organised across two schools:

• School of Social Sciences and Humanities
• School of Economics, Administration and Public Policy

The Institute promotes student-centred learning, interdisciplinary research, academic freedom, professional integrity, and the development of knowledge relevant to regional and international challenges.

Arabic is the primary language of instruction, while proficiency in English is also required.

The Institute places particular emphasis on preparing researchers, professionals, and leaders capable of contributing to sustainable development, public institutions, and society.

About the Public Administration Programme

The Master of Public Administration (MPA) programme is part of the School of Economics, Administration and Public Policy and is accredited by NASPAA.

The programme prepares graduates for administrative and leadership roles in governmental and non-governmental organisations.

Its curriculum emphasises equity, effectiveness, diversity, managerial competence, and the practical application of public administration knowledge.

The programme also supports research and scholarly production in Arabic and English, contributing to public affairs scholarship and professional practice.

Position Overview

The Professor of Practice will strengthen the relationship between academic learning and the practical challenges faced by governments and public institutions.

The appointment particularly emphasises teaching executive and experienced students through experiential learning approaches, including:

• Real public-sector cases and policy challenges
• Simulations and policy laboratories
• Problem-based learning and workshops
• Policy drafting and institutional analysis
• Strategic planning and implementation exercises
• Applied projects involving government and public institutions

Beyond teaching, the successful candidate will help expand the programme’s relationships with ministries, government agencies, international organisations, and other professional partners.

The position is open to distinguished candidates from government, international organisations, public-sector institutions, consulting, and other relevant professional settings, as well as academic practitioners with substantial applied experience.

Main Responsibilities

1. Graduate and Executive Teaching

The successful candidate will:

• Teach practice-oriented graduate and executive courses in public administration and related fields.
• Integrate real public-sector cases, simulations, workshops, and problem-solving exercises into teaching.
• Help students apply academic concepts to actual administrative, managerial, and policy challenges.
• Develop experiential teaching methods suited to experienced professionals and executive learners.

2. Public Administration and Policy Skills Development

The Professor of Practice will train students in practical tools and techniques, including:

• Public policy drafting
• Policy briefs and memoranda
• Policy analysis and implementation
• Strategic planning
• Programme and project design
• Institutional and organisational analysis
• Stakeholder engagement
• Performance management
• Programme monitoring and evaluation
• Public-sector problem-solving

3. Applied Research and Student Supervision

Responsibilities include:

• Supervising Capstone projects, consulting-style assignments, applied research, and policy projects.
• Supporting projects undertaken with government entities, public institutions, and other external organisations.
• Helping students identify and address real public-sector problems.
• Incorporating institutional challenges into coursework, applied projects, and research activities.

4. Government and Institutional Partnerships

The appointed candidate will:

• Develop and maintain relationships with ministries, government agencies, and public-sector organisations.
• Establish partnerships with international organisations and relevant professional institutions.
• Strengthen the programme’s engagement across Qatar, the GCC, and the wider Arab region.
• Facilitate the participation of senior practitioners and policymakers in academic activities.
• Organise or support practitioner workshops, guest sessions, policy laboratories, and field-based learning.

5. Executive Education and Capacity Development

The Professor of Practice will contribute to:

• Executive education programmes
• Professional training for public officials
• Institutional capacity-building initiatives
• Leadership and management development
• Training programmes responding to public-sector needs
• Professional development for senior and mid-career officials

6. Public-Sector Development and Modernisation

The position involves contributing to initiatives concerned with:

• Public-sector reform
• Administrative and institutional development
• Governance and policy implementation
• Digital government
• Organisational performance
• Institutional capacity
• Public-service delivery and effectiveness

The successful candidate will work with external partners to identify challenges that can inform teaching, research, consultancy-style projects, and executive training.

7. Practice-Based Teaching Materials and Knowledge Production

The successful candidate will:

• Develop original case studies, simulations, and policy exercises.
• Produce teaching materials based on institutional experience in Qatar, the GCC, and the wider Arab region.
• Contribute to applied research, policy papers, professional reports, case studies, or conventional scholarly research, depending on professional background.
• Support the intellectual and professional profile of the Public Administration programme.

8. Academic and Institutional Service

The Professor of Practice will also:

• Participate in curriculum development.
• Mentor and support students.
• Contribute to programme development.
• Participate in academic committees.
• Engage in the broader academic and institutional activities of the School and Institute.

Qualifications and Eligibility Requirements

Applicants should demonstrate a distinguished combination of senior professional experience, practical achievement, teaching capability, and academic or intellectual engagement appropriate to a Professor of Practice appointment.

Academic Qualifications or Equivalent Professional Distinction

Candidates should meet one of the following pathways:

Pathway A — Academic Qualification

Hold a:

• PhD in Public Administration or a related field; or
• Relevant advanced professional doctorate, such as a Doctor of Public Administration (DPA).

Pathway B — Exceptional Professional Achievement

Alternatively, applicants may qualify through an exceptional record of senior-level professional achievement and relevant academic engagement appropriate to a Professor of Practice appointment.

This alternative pathway is particularly relevant to distinguished senior practitioners whose professional careers demonstrate substantial leadership, institutional impact, and contributions to public administration.

A conventional PhD is therefore not an unconditional requirement for every applicant.

Senior Professional Experience

Applicants must demonstrate substantial senior-level experience in one or more relevant areas, including:

• Government and public administration
• Public-sector leadership and management
• Public policy formulation and implementation
• Institutional development and reform
• Public-service delivery
• Governance
• International organisations
• Closely related professional fields

The advertisement does not specify a minimum number of years of professional experience. Instead, it emphasises the seniority, significance, and impact of the candidate’s career.

Demonstrated Professional Impact

Candidates should have a record of significant achievement, potentially demonstrated through:

• Leading major public-sector institutions or programmes
• Designing or implementing public policies
• Managing institutional reforms
• Improving the quality or effectiveness of public services
• Developing major government initiatives
• Advising senior decision-makers
• Leading substantial capacity-building or organisational-development programmes

Teaching and Applied Learning Capability

Applicants should demonstrate the ability to translate professional expertise into effective graduate and executive education.

Relevant capabilities include:

• Teaching through case studies, simulations, workshops, and policy exercises
• Supervising applied research and professional projects
• Training students in policy analysis and implementation
• Developing practical public administration and management skills
• Designing experiential learning activities for graduate and executive students

Professional Networks and Partnerships

Candidates should possess:

• Strong professional networks relevant to public administration and public policy.
• The ability to establish substantive partnerships with ministries, government agencies, international organisations, and other institutions.
• Capacity to develop externally supported initiatives, training programmes, partnerships, or applied projects.

Research and Intellectual Contributions

Applicants should demonstrate either:

• Scholarly research and publications appropriate to their academic background; or
• Significant applied intellectual contributions.

Examples of acceptable applied contributions include:

• Policy papers
• Government and professional reports
• Institutional strategies
• Professional publications
• Public administration case studies
• Major advisory assignments
• Other relevant knowledge products

The Institute therefore recognises professional knowledge production alongside conventional academic scholarship.

Language Requirements

Applicants must be:

• Highly proficient in Arabic
• Able to work effectively in English

These requirements reflect the Institute’s Arabic-medium academic environment and its engagement with international scholarship and professional practice.

Regional and International Contribution

Candidates should demonstrate the capacity to enhance the programme’s standing through professional distinction, policy impact, institutional networks, public-sector engagement, applied scholarship, or academic research.

Required Application Documents

Applicants are instructed to submit the following documents:

1. Comprehensive curriculum vitae (CV).
2. Copy of the PhD degree, as listed in the Institute’s document requirements.
3. Cover letter explaining their motivation for applying.
4. Teaching statement outlining their philosophy of education and supervision.
5. Supporting evidence of teaching experience, such as course descriptions and student evaluations, if the applicant currently holds a teaching position.
6. Sample of a publication or research in progress.
7. Research statement and/or current research plan.
8. Names and contact details of three referees for references and recommendations.

The Institute may request additional documents at a later stage.

Important clarification for senior practitioners without a PhD: Although the eligibility criteria explicitly permit an exceptional professional-achievement pathway, the standard application document list requests a PhD certificate. Candidates applying through the alternative pathway should clarify the appropriate documentary evidence with the Institute rather than assume that the professional route is unavailable.

Equal Opportunity and Recruitment Process

The Doha Institute for Graduate Studies states that it is committed to equal employment opportunities and encourages female faculty members and scholars to apply.

Applications will be reviewed promptly as they are received, and consideration will continue until the available position or positions are filled.

Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted for interviews.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should submit their applications and supporting documents through the official Doha Institute for Graduate Studies Careers page, following the instructions for the Professor of Practice in Public Administration vacancy.

Application Deadline: 15 December 2026

Because applications are reviewed as they arrive and recruitment may conclude once the position is filled, early submission is advisable.

For enquiries regarding the position, contact:

Email: seapp.dean@dohainstitute.edu.qa

Institutional Website: https://www.dohainstitute.edu.qa

The contact email is provided for enquiries; the advertisement directs applicants to submit their documents through the Institute’s Careers page.

Job Summary

Field	Details
Employer	Doha Institute for Graduate Studies
Country	Qatar
City	Doha
School	School of Economics, Administration and Public Policy
Programme	Public Administration
Position	Professor of Practice in Public Administration
Academic Appointment	Professor of Practice
Field	Public Administration / Public Policy
Related Disciplines	Governance, Public-Sector Management, Institutional Development, Public-Service Delivery
Academic Qualification	PhD in Public Administration or related field, DPA, or exceptional senior professional achievement with relevant academic engagement
Professional Experience	Substantial senior-level experience and demonstrated professional impact
Minimum Years of Experience	Not specified
Teaching Focus	Graduate and executive education
Teaching Approach	Practice-based and experiential learning
Research and Professional Contributions	Scholarly publications or significant applied intellectual contributions
Partnership Responsibilities	Government, public-sector and international institutional engagement
Language Requirements	High proficiency in Arabic; ability to work effectively in English
Relevant Geographic Experience	Qatar, GCC and wider Arab region are central to partnership and teaching activities
Programme Accreditation	NASPAA-accredited MPA programme
Employment Type	Not specified
Salary and Benefits	Not specified
Start Date	Not specified
Application Deadline	15 December 2026
Application Review	Rolling review until the position is filled
Application Route	Official Doha Institute Careers page
Enquiries	seapp.dean@dohainstitute.edu.qa
Official Website	https://www.dohainstitute.edu.qa