Marium Saeed, president of the NU-Q Student Union, addressing conference delegates at the opening dinner of the QLC 2014.
Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q), Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar (GU-Q) and The Hague International Model United Nations Qatar (THIMUN Qatar) have announced the successful conclusion of Qatar Leadership Conference (QLC) 2014, the flagship professional development conference for educators and students in the Middle East.
The third annual conference, held at Qatar National Convention Centre, witnessed a 20% rise in attendees this year, with more than 530 students, teachers and mentors from schools across Qatar and the region participating in events designed to expand and nurture youth leadership skills, according to a
statement.
The programme featured MUN, debate and educational leaders working with participants in skill building, professional learning, organisation, teaching, community and service, as well as media and film programmes.
High school students and teachers were provided with quality workshops and a programme designed to assist with professional development, utilising tools to run successful MUN and media studies programmes.
“This flagship conference plays a pivotal role in providing knowledge sharing and workshop opportunities critical for educators and students to hone their leadership skills,” said Dr Everette E Dennis, dean and CEO of NU-Q. “Our leadership in co-hosting the QLC with our Qatar-based partners demonstrates the importance we place on providing world-class communication, journalism and liberal arts programmes to benefit our students and the wider
community.”
Leadership conference keynote speakers included prominent international commentators such as Canadian humanitarian Peter Dalglish, William Yotive from the UN Department of Public Information in New York, Ben Keesey, executive director and CEO of Invisible Children, Inc, and Ryan Villanueva, co-founder of Best Delegate, a US-based education company specialising in Model United Nations resources, training and consulting.
“Our partnership with Qatar Leadership Conference to bring together Georgetown students, faculty and staff with a growing number of local and international participants for the purpose of skill-building and professional development is an important way for us to fulfil our mission,” said Dr Gerd Nonneman, dean
of GU-Q.
Lisa Martin, head of THIMUN Qatar, said: “Whether you are a delegate new to MUN or an official from the real UN, and everyone in between - teachers, new directors, student officers, humanitarians, activists, film enthusiasts and budding entrepreneurs - the QLC is a place to act on ideas and find your voice, all critical components for engaged leadership.”
QLC is part of a number of initiatives to bring together students and faculty from the various campuses across
Education City.
This includes the recent launch of the first Doha Seminar, a new interdisciplinary honours seminar open to outstanding undergraduate students in EC and taught jointly by leading professors from Qatar Foundation Education City universities, Qatar University and the Brookings Doha
Centre.
The seminars offer participants an academic view of Qatar and the Gulf, covering family, art, history, culture, consumerism, environmentalism
and foreign affairs.
The annual event builds on MUN and the THIMUN Qatar Northwestern film festival.
For more information on QLC, visit http://qatar.thimun.org
