Dr Al-Derham assumed the position of President of Qatar University (QU) on 15 June 2015. He was previously Vice-President for Research from 2007 during which he guided QU to its current position as leader of research excellence in the GCC region, which was enhanced by its continuous success in winning the largest percentage of grants in the National Priorities Research Program (NPRP) and Undergraduate Research Experience Program (UREP) under the Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF).
He also served in several earlier roles at QU including Associate VP for Research and Head of Civil Engineering at the College of Engineering. Dr Al-Derham holds a PhD and Post-Graduate Diploma in Construction Project Management from the University of Glamorgan (currently University of South Wales), UK which followed hsi obtaining a Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering from Georgia Tech, USA. His undergraduate is in Architectural Engineering from North Carolina Agriculture and Technical State University, USA.
During his term as VP for Research, Dr Al-Derham successfully developed and implemented the organization’s research policies, procedures, and priorities, as well as an ambitious research roadmap fielding strategic national priorities.
Additionally, under his leadership, several research centers were initiated including the Gas Processing Center, Qatar Transportation and Traffic Safety Center, Qatar Mobility Innovations Center, KINDI Lab for Computing Research, Laboratory Animal Research Center, and the Biomedical Research Center. He also led the inauguration of the university Research Complex.
Dr Al-Derham’s research interests include construction productivity, project optimization, legal contracts and procurement. In 2009, along with his research team, he won Best Paper of the Year in the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Journal of Construction Engineering and Management. He is also a member of several professional international societies and organizations.