Doha: Dr Antoine Hyafil, Director of Programmes for Executive Education at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), has been awarded Knight of the National Order of Merit (Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite) by French President François Hollande in recognition of his contribution to the quality of French-Qatari relations.
At a ceremony on Monday at HBKU Student Center, French Ambassador Eric Chevallier presented Dr Hyafil with the medal in the presence of Dr Ahmad Hasnah, President, HBKU, family, friends and colleagues.
Dr Hyafil is responsible for devising and overseeing the innovative Executive Master in Energy and Resources programme offered by HBKU and was the founding academic dean of HEC Paris in Qatar. Prior to coming to Qatar, he was dean of the faculty at HEC Paris in his native France.
As the initial holder of Deloitte-SociétéGénérale Chair in Energy & Finance, he was instrumental in the creation of HEC Paris ‘Energy in a Carbon Concerned Economy’ certificate and HEC Paris EMBA ‘Energy Major’.
Dr Hyafil holds a doctorate in financial economics from HEC Paris and University of Orléans.
Chevallier highlighted the contribution of Dr Hyafil to promoting academic collaboration between Qatar and France and said, “The award acknowledges his long-standing commitment to education and research. Professor Hyafil is an outstanding figure of the French-Qatari friendship since he was founding dean of HEC in Qatar in 2012.”
Dr Hyafil said: “I am humbled and deeply honoured to be recognised in this way and I feel very fortunate to have been able to play a part in using education to help with Qatar’s development.
“Participating in the early growth of HBKU and developing a new concept for a multidisciplinary master’s degree that focuses on energy, after having established HEC Paris in Qatar, has been an extraordinary adventure, which probably could only have taken place here.”
The National Order of Merit was established in 1963 under then French president Charles de Gaulle. It recognises distinguished individuals regardless of gender, nationality or background.
Prospective students interested in enrolling for the Executive Master in Energy and Resources programme Dr Hyafil devised should visit hbku.edu.qa for details or the HBKU Open House event at HBKU Student Center on November 14.
The Peninsula
