In 2003, the State of Qatar engaged the RAND-Qatar Policy Institute to assist Qatar University, the nation's first and only public higher education institution, with reform of its major administrative and academic structures, policies, and practices. This monograph summarizes that reform effort, which formally lasted from October 2003 through January 2007. The authors recount the motivation for reform, describe the design of the reform agenda, and detail the early stages of the implementation effort. They conclude with a reflection on the reform strategy, including the key elements that made the reform possible, the difficult choices that reform leaders had to make, and the challenges that lie ahead for the reformed Qatar University. Five appendices are included: (1) Senior Reform Committee Members; (2) Qatar University's Vision and Mission Statements; (3) Conceptual Framework for the Qatar University Reform Project; (4) An Exercise in Decentralized Planning and Decisionmaking: Developing a University-Wide Academic Plan; and (5) Improving Faculty Development and Accountability: The Faculty Performance Appraisal System. (Contains 7 figures, 6 tables and 33 footnotes.) [This report was written with Mohammed Al Hamadi and Sheikha Jabor Al Thani.]