Dr. Ola Awad

With more than two decades of dedicated service to statical field in her country and the region, Dr. Ola Awad has become a prominent figure in the fields of statistics, sustainable development, women empowerment, health, education, data stewardship, data science, modernization of statistics, poverty, labor, education, and child.  As the President of the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) since 2009.

Dr. Awad is a prominent figure in various fields, including statistics, economics, sustainable development, poverty, labor, education, youth, women's empowerment, and data science. Over more than two decades of dedicated service to the Palestinian community, Dr. Awad has led numerous initiatives at the local, regional, and international levels to enhance the role of youth in development. Her pioneering leadership has received international recognition, particularly as she is the first woman from a developing country or the Arab region to be elected and serve as President of the International Association of Official Statistics (IAOS) for two consecutive terms.

Dr. Awad's influence extends internationally; she contributed to several initiatives in data generation and utilization, and she is representing the Arab region in key such as the High-level Group for Partnership, Coordination, and Capacity-Building for Statistics for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (HLG-PCCB) since 2015, eventually assuming the role of Co-Chair from 2020 to 2023. Furthermore, she served as Co-Chair for the Program Committee for the UN World Data Forum 2024 and 2022.

 Given her active international efforts, Dr. Awad plays an important and fundamental role in many international organizations and institutions. She is a member of the Harvard University for Data Science Board, a member in ASPEN's Middle East Leadership Initiative. a member of the Board of Directors of the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data (GPSDD), and a member of the Partnership in Statistics for Development in the 21st Century (PARIS21). Additionally, Dr. Awad has coached as a consultant on leadership development for the Laos Statistics Bureau (LSB).

At the regional level, Dr. Awad was elected as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Center for Islamic Countries (SESRIC), a subsidiary of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which includes 57 Arab and Islamic countries. SESRIC works on three main areas: statistics, social and economic research, and training. She has also been a member of the International Advisory Committee of the Statistics Centre in Abu Dhabi since 2016.

At the local level, Dr. Awad plays an active and fundamental role in leading development efforts in Palestine. She is the Co-Chair of the Advisory Board of Augusta Victoria Hospital, a member of the Board of Directors of the Palestine Investment Fund, a member of the Board of Trustees of Birzeit University, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Palestine Economic Policy Research Institute (MAS) and a member of its Board of Directors. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Yasser Arafat Foundation and a member of its Board of Directors, and Chair of the Yasser Arafat Museum Committee. She is also a member of the Advisory Board of the Gender Policy Institute of UN Women (UN-WOMEN).