Dr. Maha Al-Hendawi is the Director of the Foundation Program and Core Curriculum Program, Qatar University.  As an advocate for progress and empowerment through education, she supports and facilitates learner engagement in a knowledge-based economy characterized by innovation and excellence.  Dr. Al-Hendawi holds a BA in Education from Qatar University, an MA from the University of San Francisco, and a PhD in Education from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Dr. Al-Hendawi has served on numerous committees and contributed to the community in various capacities related to improving and reforming education, and she has published in reviewed journals. Dr. Al-Hendawi is also an active member of several professional associations. Currently she is the Co-President of the Arab German Young Academy of Sciences and Humanities (AGYA), a project funded by the German Ministry of Education and Research.

Dr. Al-Hendawi has received Georgetown University in Qatar’s Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS) -Qatar University Fellowship Award. She has also participated, as a guest speaker, in various education events in Qatar and the MENA region. Currently she serves as the Associate Editor of the Journal of International Special Needs Education (JISNE; a publication of the Division of International Special Education and Services of the Council for Exceptional Children).