HH Sheikha Moza launches research partnership between Columbia University and Qatar Foundation International to study needs of Arab refugee students in US

Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation (QF), officially launched a research project designed to study the mental health and psychosocial well-being of Arabic-speaking adolescent immigrants in the U.S.

The study, which will be carried out by Columbia University in partnership with Qatar Foundation International (QFI), a U.S.-based member of QF, was launched today at the university’s campus in New York.

The Dean of the Mailman School of Public Health, Dr. Linda P. Fried, joined Her Highness at the meeting to discuss the study. The project forms part of QFI’s drive to promote education as a force for positive change worldwide, and facilitate collaboration across geographic, social, and cultural boundaries.

The research study will target young Arab immigrants, between the ages of 13-17, who came from conflict-affected countries and, as a result, had their formal schooling interrupted. Many of the refugees arriving in the U.S. suffer mental health issues and lack the proper psychological support when they return to education systems.

The 12-month QFI-Columbia University study aims to assess the mental health needs of refugees and identify potential strategies to develop effective school-based programing to support their education and help them assimilate into their host communities.

QFI is a global foundation committed to providing K-12 students in Qatar, the Americas, and the United Kingdom with the intellectual, communicative, and cultural competencies that will enable them to become engaged global citizens. The organization is dedicated to the Arabic language and cultural education for students and teachers with core programs focusing on STEM subjects, the arts, and youth engagement.