Sealing the First Decade: Dr. Latifa Ibrahim al-Houty, Vice Chair, CNA-Q Executive Council, and HE Dr Mohamed Bin Saleh al-Sada, Minister of Energy and Industry and Chairman of Qatar Petroleum, seal the CNA-Q commemorative book closed with a specially created seal


The College of the North Atlantic – Qatar (CNA-Q) celebrated its 10th anniversary with a multi-media performance at an event held at Katara on Monday. Around 700 guests attended  the event.
With the  theme of “The Promise…The Legacy,” CNA-Q’s 10-year salute  highlighted HH  Sheikha Moza bint Nasser’s initial vision of a technical college for Qatar, through a research phase of the best technical model of education, as well as the  decision to select  Newfoundland and Labrador’s College of the North Atlantic as partner.
The  stars of the evening were the CNA-Q founders, appointed to a Steering Committee by Emiri Decree in 2001, who delighted in sharing their stories of being inspired by Her Highness’s vision.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Latifa Ibrahim al-Houty, founder and Vice-Chair, Executive Committee, CNA-Q said: “For Qatar to be knowledge-based economy, it was paramount to establish a college of technology of international standards here. To bridge the capacity gap in technical and technological areas, the direction of HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser was to establish a world-class college of technology that would graduate students with the required competencies and skills to form a productive part of our work force.”
During his address, CNA-Q President Dr. Ken MacLeod  said: “No other college or university in the region offers this kind of business relationship to its students, and it is a model that is serving the country well. Today, our graduates are playing important roles in the workforce of Qatar – in companies devoted to oil and gas, engineering, healthcare, banking and finance, and business.”
College of the North Atlantic President Ann Marie Vaughan said: “College of the North Atlantic has had many successes in its 50 years, a fact that made us very attractive to the Qatari team that investigated CNA as a potential educational model for Qatar. I believe though, that what has made us successful are the relationships we have built and our mutual desire to advance our students and Qatar.”
“The Promise…The Legacy” was also the title of a special commemorative book produced by CNA-Q in honour of the college’s Decade of Excellence, given as a gift to guests. The book profiles the founding of the college, its growth and expansion.
The commemorative book was also placed in a CNA-Q time capsule, to be reopened in ten years by a new generation of students when they celebrate the college’s 20th anniversary.
The Promise…The Legacy concluded with a performance of a specially commissioned musical tribute to CNA-Q by the Maqam Ensemble, a chamber orchestra that is part of the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra. History was revisited with the appearance of the five Palmer Sisters from Newfoundland and Labrador who performed at the college’s campus inauguration on December 1, 2005.
The 10th anniversary celebration began with a Launch event and Family Day at MIA Park, both held in October, 2012; a Skills Competition in February, 2013; the Global Innovators Conference, held in April 2013, Qatar’s first international gathering focusing on technical and vocational education and training (TVET), which drew participants from over 44 countries; a first-time Charity Art Auction, held in May, 2013; and the year’s finale, “The Promise…The Legacy.”
Chaired by Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohamed bin Saud al-Thani, Chairman of Ooredoo, with Dr. Latifa as Project Director, the founders include Dr Fathy Saoud, President, Qatar Foundation; HE Dr Mohamed Bin Saleh al-Sada, Minister of Energy and Industry for the State of Qatar and Chairman of Qatar Petroleum; Engineer Yousef al-Kuwari, Advisor to the Minister of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Urban Planning; Bader al-Qayed, Director of Strategic Planning & Performance Management and Acting Director of Economic Policy, Ministry of Economy and Finance; and Engineer Mohamed Jassim al-Othman, Director of Group Real Estate Assets Management, Barwa Real Estate.
The 10th anniversary sponsor was Qatar Petroleum and Charity Art Auction sponsor was Qatar International Islamic Bank.


Band of Sisters: Ashelin, a band composed of the five Palmer sisters from Newfoundland and Labrador, performed three songs to huge applause