Prof. Dr. Nazar Al Baharna

Director - ICD Conflict Zones Mediation Center

Biography

Dr. Nazar Al Baharna 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. 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. From October 2006 until March 2011, Dr. Al Baharna served as the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Bahrain. Furthermore, Dr. Al Baharna led the Government of Bahrain's successful Universal Periodic Review (UPR) initiative, a highly successful method of providing the opportunity for each State to declare what actions they have taken to improve the human rights situations in their countries and to fulfill their human rights obligations. Currently Dr. Al Baharna is a Visiting Research Scholar at Georgetown University, Washington D.C.