Doha, July 07 (QNA) - The National Planning Council and the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Tuesday to strengthen cooperation and exchange expertise across a range of research and training fields.

The MoU aims to enhance cooperation and exchange expertise between the two parties in the fields of data, statistics, demographic analysis, strategic planning, future foresight, management, public policy, and population and social issues, alongside the implementation of joint training programs for employees and students in these fields.

The MoU was signed by Bassam Issa Al Mannai, Assistant Secretary-General for Future Foresight and National Visions Center at the National Planning Council, and Dr. Abdelwahab El Affendi, President of the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies.

Commenting on the signing, Bassam Issa Al Mannai, Assistant Secretary-General for Future Foresight and National Visions Center at the National Planning Council, said the MoU with the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies represents an important step toward integrating national planning with scientific and academic research in the State of Qatar, contributing to evidence- and data-based decision-making and policymaking.

He affirmed that the National Planning Council places great importance on expanding institutional partnerships with leading academic and research entities, with the aim of benefiting from national expertise in population and social studies, statistical analysis, and future foresight. He noted that this supports efforts to keep pace with development changes and turn challenges

into opportunities that contribute to achieving the objectives of Qatar National Vision 2030 and the Third National Development Strategy.

For his part, Dr. Abdelwahab El-Affendi, President of the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, said: "We are pleased to sign this MoU with the National Planning Council, whose role is becoming increasingly important in supporting development in today’s information age. The MoU reflects the Institute’s commitment to its national role in generating knowledge and scientific research, and linking the outputs of studies and research to national development priorities through effective partnerships with government institutions concerned with planning and policymaking."

He added: "Cooperation with the National Planning Council opens broader prospects for employing academic and research expertise in the fields of demographic changes and social and development issues, and for preparing a generation of researchers and specialists capable of contributing to policymaking and supporting decision-making. It also strengthens integration between academic knowledge and practical applications in support of sustainable development efforts."

The MoU includes the preparation of joint research and studies on strategic planning, future foresight, demographic changes, standardized population, social and development indicators, statistical analysis, and modeling. It also enables cooperation to provide secure application programming interfaces (APIs) and applications to integrate the Institute’s research data with the national research database, within the framework of Qatar National Vision 2030 and the Third National Development Strategy. (QNA)