Professor of Political Science at Kuwait University Dr. Abdullah Al-Shayji with trainees during the event.
Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Press Centre, in cooperation with the Media Development Department at the Qatar Media Corporation (QMC), concluded the sixth edition of the Political Analysis Course for media professionals and diplomats.
The five-day programme was delivered by Dr. Abdullah Al-Shayji, Professor of Political Science at Kuwait University, and saw distinguished participation from journalists as well as diplomats from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the first time, reflecting the course’s growing development and expanding professional and intellectual impact.
The course aimed to deepen both theoretical and practical understanding of political analysis through five main themes. These addressed the definition of political analysis, the characteristics of a successful political analyst, and the mechanisms by which media professionals can transition from merely conveying news to becoming analysts capable of posing profound questions and developing well-considered approaches in line with the evolving media and political landscapes.
The programme focused on equipping participants with the cognitive and methodological tools needed to read events, understand their dynamics, and deconstruct their political contexts at the local, regional, and international levels.
The workshop also extensively addressed Qatar’s role and the importance of its soft power in international politics, reviewing its experience in conflict resolution through mediation diplomacy and humanitarian diplomacy, as two fundamental pillars of Qatar’s foreign policy. Discussions further highlighted Qatar’s contributions to the media sector through Al Jazeera Network, and its cultural and intellectual role via the Sheikh Hamad Award for Translation and International Understanding.
In addition, Qatar’s international presence in combating corruption was underscored through the Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani International Award for Excellence in Anti-Corruption, organised under the auspices of the United Nations.
The course also shed light on Qatar’s strategic approach to attracting global universities, strategic centres, and research institutions, and the role this plays in enhancing academic diplomacy. This was complemented by Qatar’s hosting of major sporting events, most notably the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, which granted the country international prominence beyond the Gulf and Arab spheres and consolidated its position as an influential global actor.
Dr. Al-Shayji emphasised the importance for media professionals and diplomats to possess accurate and comprehensive information about Qatar’s investments and foreign policies, enabling them to build a coherent media narrative and present analytical approaches grounded in facts, evidence, and statistics.
He also reviewed the successes of Qatari mediation efforts in resolving conflicts, particularly regarding the Palestinian issue and the Gaza Strip, as well as Qatar’s roles in Arab and Gulf affairs and in files related to Yemen, Somalia, Sudan, and other regional and international issues.
Dr. Al-Shayji affirmed that the core objective of the course is to graduate media professionals and diplomats with a solid base of knowledge and analytical skills, capable of employing ideas, information, and facts in editorial work, media interviews, and lectures or seminars, thereby enhancing the quality of media discourse and elevating the level of political analysis.
