UKM-Qatar Research Center
About the Research Center
The UKM-Qatar Research Center is the research office of UKM-Qatar, the Qatar campus of The National University of Malaysia (UKM). Research is central to UKM-Qatar’s mission to build human capacity, strengthen academic excellence, and contribute to Qatar’s knowledge-based development.
The Center fosters a research culture that brings faculty, students, and partners together on practical, high-impact research addressing local, regional, and global challenges. It supports the full research lifecycle — from proposal to publication to impact — and serves as a structured gateway for proposal development, funding support, research compliance, collaboration, publication visibility, and student research engagement.
Operating in alignment with Qatar National Vision 2030, the Research Center works to transform research ideas into academic, professional, and societal value.
Prof. Dato' Dr. Mahmoud Khalid Al Msafir
President, UKM Qatar
Message from the President
At the National University of Malaysia – Qatar (UKM-Qatar), we believe that research is the foundation of innovation, academic excellence, and sustainable development.
The UKM-Qatar Research Centre reflects our commitment to advancing knowledge, encouraging scientific discovery, and addressing real-world challenges through impactful research. Building upon the distinguished academic and research legacy of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), we aspire to foster a dynamic research environment that connects academia, industry, and the wider community.
Our vision is to establish a collaborative platform where researchers, academics, students, and industry partners can exchange ideas, explore emerging technologies, and develop innovative solutions that contribute to Qatar’s National Vision 2030 and global sustainable development goals.
We are committed to promoting interdisciplinary research, strengthening international academic partnerships, and supporting the next generation of researchers. Through these efforts, we aim to contribute meaningfully to the advancement of science, technology, business, and society.
I firmly believe that research has the power to transform ideas into opportunities and knowledge into progress. Together, we can build a future driven by innovation, collaboration, and academic excellence.
Dr. Saleh Musleh
Head of the Research Center,
UKM-Qatar
Message from the Head of the Research Center
Welcome to the UKM-Qatar Research Center.
At UKM-Qatar, we believe research is how a university earns its place in the world — and that good research, done responsibly, can help shape Qatar’s future. Our role is to make that research possible: to support our faculty, students, and partners across the full research journey, from the first idea, through funding and ethical review, to publication and real-world impact.
Our focus areas reflect Qatar’s national priorities, and our support is designed to be practical and accessible — whether you are a researcher seeking a seed grant, a student ready to join your first project, or a partner with a problem worth solving. The Research Center is your starting point.
We look forward to building meaningful collaborations and advancing research that matters for Qatar.
Mission
To enable ethical, high-quality, Qatar-relevant research through support, governance, collaboration, and capacity building.
Vision
To be a recognized Qatar-based research gateway connecting faculty, students, and partners.
Our Core Values
- Excellence — Pursuing high-quality, rigorous, and impactful research.
- Integrity — Upholding research ethics, transparency, and responsible conduct.
- Innovation — Advancing forward-thinking, applied, and interdisciplinary research.
- Impact — Focusing on measurable outcomes relevant to Qatar and beyond.
- Collaboration — Building strong partnerships locally, regionally, and internationally.
About PDC
The Research Center supports researchers across every stage of the research lifecycle:
- Funding & Seed Grants: internal seed grants for pilot research and student engagement, and identification of external funding opportunities.
- Proposal & Award Support: pre-award and post-award support for sponsored research grants.
- Templates & Review: proposal, budget, ethics, data-management, and reporting templates.
- Governance & Ethics: research governance, ethics review, data management, and compliance support.
- Publication Visibility: increasing the visibility of UKM-Qatar research outputs and datasets.
- Partnership Development: facilitating collaboration with Qatar and international organizations.
- Student Research Engagement: involving students in research projects, innovation, workshops, and scholarly outputs.
Our research themes are selected for their relevance to Qatar, UKM-Qatar’s academic strengths, and long-term impact:
- AI & Data Science — Responsible AI, machine learning, analytics, and AI-enabled services.
- Cybersecurity & Digital Transformation — Digital trust, cyber awareness, secure systems, and transformation readiness.
- Smart Cities & IoT — Smart campus, IoT applications, urban analytics, and sustainability.
- Healthcare Technology & AI — Digital health, prediction models, screening support, and healthcare innovation.
- Business & Innovation — Entrepreneurship, digital business, innovation management, and performance.
- Education & Lifelong Learning — Professional development, workforce skills, and learning analytics.
- Faculty — Proposal submission, funding opportunities, and research guidance.
- Students — Research opportunities, innovation projects, and workshops.
- Partners — Collaboration pathways with Qatar and international organizations.
- Governance — Policies, ethics, data management, and compliance support.
