Tribune News Network
Doha
Qatar Foundation (QF) has launched the accreditation framework for its Rasekh initiative – which connects international education with local cultural and linguistic identity – and announced the first cohort of schools from Qatar and the region to become part of this educational pathway.
The Rasekh Strategic Forum at Multaqa (Education City Student Center) – attended by Yousif Al Naama, chief executive officer of Qatar Foundation, private international school leaders, and local and global education partners – marked the next step in the implementation of Rasekh, created by Qatar Foundation’s (QF) Pre-University Education.
Supporting schools in promoting Arabic as a language of learning and knowledge development, Rasekh also works to align international curricula with the local context, integrate core values into daily school life, and channel innovation toward community needs and local challenges.
During the forum, QF introduced the first cohort of participating institutions, comprising QF schools and private international schools from Qatar and the wider region, which will serve as a foundation for Rasekh’s future expansion.
The new phase also saw the launch of the awareness campaign ‘Roots’, designed to bring the message of Rasekh closer to the community through a symbolic image that reflects how the initiative promotes language, instils values, and consolidates identity.
The campaign has three main messages: ‘Roots that Empower the Arabic Language’, ‘Roots that Instil Values’ and ‘Roots that Nurture Identity’ and it is anchored in the initiative’s official slogan: Toward an Education That Deepens Roots and Creates Impact.
The forum brought together school leaders and international education institutions to discuss how Rasekh accreditation provides schools with a practical, measurable roadmap for aligning the education they offer with their local context, without compromising the rigour of global academic standards.
Sheikha Noof Ahmed bin Saif Al Thani, vice-president of Strategic Educational Initiatives at QF’s Pre-University Education, who gave the opening address at the forum, said: “Rasekh represents a practical step forward in the development of international education in Qatar. It looks at educational quality from a broader perspective, encompassing not only what students learn, but how they perceive themselves within that learning, and their connection to their language, environment, and values.”
The forum included the opening address and the launch of the Rasekh Framework and Accreditation, followed by a presentation titled ‘Rasekh Ecosystem: Resources and Initiatives’ delivered by Maryam Al Hajri, executive director, Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships at QF’s Pre-University Education.
The forum also featured a panel discussion with Farida Aboudan, head of Education Sector at UNESCO Regional Office for the Gulf States and Yemen; Mary Tadros, IB Development & Recognition senior manager for Africa, Europe and the Middle East; Fatima Hassan Fadlallah, Qatar Country manager, Partnership for Education, at Cambridge University Press and Assessment; and Samia Bishara, managing director of Tarsheed.
Presentations by the International Baccalaureate Organization, UNESCO, and Cambridge University Press & Assessment reaffirmed these institutions’ support for bilingualism, curriculum localisation, and the promotion of values within international education.
The International Baccalaureate Organization explained that its programmes support multilingualism and learning in more than one language, and that the Rasekh framework aligns with its educational philosophy by connecting learning to the Arabic language, culture, heritage, values, and local context.
As well as QF schools, Rasekh’s first cohort includes Al Maha Academy for Boys, Al Maha Academy for Girls, Al Jazeera Academy, Arab International Academy in Doha, Arab International Academy in Lusail, Amman Baccalaureate School in Jordan, and Houssam Eddine Hariri High School in Lebanon.
Schools meeting the framework’s requirements receive the Rasekh accreditation certificate, the right to use the Rasekh quality mark, and membership in the Rasekh school network.
More information is available at www.rasekh.qa or email [email protected]
