The Hon. Dr. Nazar Al Baharna
Former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Bahrain; Former Vice President For Academic Programs and Scientific, University of Bahrain
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Biography
Dr. Al Baharna was born in 1950. He obtained his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Petroleum & Minerals in Saudi Arabia, and subsequently went on to earn a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Wales in 1979.After earning his doctorate, Dr. Al Baharna continued in the field of education with a position as the Head of the Engineering Department at Gulf Technical College. After the College was renamed Gulf Polytechnic in 1982, Dr. Al Baharna became the Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs and subsequently the Vice President of the university.
In 1987, Dr. Al Baharna became the Dean of Engineering at Bahrain University, and in 1992 was appointed Vice President for Academic Programs and Scientific Research, a role in which he oversaw the entirety of the programs offered by the university.
Dr. Al Baharna left education in 1995, founding his own consulting company, Nazar Consulting. In January 2001, he established Technology Consulting Group (TCG); during his time at the firm, he was involved with the development and planning of several new polytechnics, as well as implementing a new technical education program in Bahrain’s school system. From November 2001 to October 2005, Dr. Al Baharna was a Member of the Board of the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry, of which he became Deputy Chairman in November 2005.
From October 2006 until March 2011, Dr. Al Baharna was the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Bahrain, playing a fundamental role in the formation of the Kingdom’s foreign policy. During his time in this position, Dr. Al Baharna was involved in conferences with the United Nations, the League of Arab States, the Islamic Conference Organization and the European Union. He also served on the Education High Committee, bringing his pedagogical experience and expertise and supervising education and training reforms.
At the end of his tenure as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Al Baharna returned to his role as Chairman of Technology Consulting Group. He is a Visiting Research Scholar at Georgetown University, Washington D.C., and has served on the ICD Advisory Board since December 2011. Dr. Al Baharna is also a Board Member for the Borgen Project, a campaign working with U.S. leaders to improve their response to the global poverty crisis.
