The British Council has announced the names of 21 regional winners of the Study UK Alumni Awards.
All are alumni of UK universities, representing 17 countries and 18 UK higher education institutions. They have been recognised for their outstanding achievements as business professionals, entrepreneurs and community leaders, in seven regions covering the globe.
The Professional Achievement Award in Middle East and North Africa (Mena) was awarded to Maryam al-Subaiey from Qatar.
Following her masters course in the UK, Maryam was the only woman on the management team for new channel QTV, as well as the youngest. In the 2014 Enterprise Qatar competition, Maryam won first place in the professional category with her start-up Q-Talent, a talent agency that promotes local talent in the creative industry.
The idea came to her while she was doing her Masters in Development Studies, combining her interest in human development and the creative industries to make a business. Maryam is also the founder of two youth initiatives that support young Qataris, and the author of several
children’s books.
Studying in the UK was not only useful in terms of having great academic qualifications, but it also showed me a different way of life and empowered me to be true to myself. My personal journey of self-empowerment has also inspired many young girls in Qatar who are afraid to take bold steps to achieve their dreams, said Maryam, alumna of the School of Oriental and African Studies and the University of Essex.
British ambassador to Qatar Ajay Sharma said, “I would like to congratulate Maryam on winning this Alumni award, and am delighted that the Professional Achievement award for the whole Mena region went to someone from Qatar. This is a great example of the partnership between our two countries in the field of education, and of the importance we attach to the education of tomorrow’s leaders.”
The 21 award winners were announced on Study UK social media channels and were celebrated for 21 days, each day featuring a new story of an outstanding and inspirational alumnus of a UK university, and how their UK educational experience has changed their life and made an impact on them.
Now in its fourth year, the Alumni Awards 2018 received more than 1,700 applications from international UK alumni in a record 123 countries, representing more than 140 UK higher education institutions across the UK. Following several rounds of judging panels, regional award winners were selected for the three award categories: Professional Achievement, Entrepreneurial and Social Impact.
The British Council in Qatar has an established network for Qatar-UK Alumni with the aim of building long-lasting connections and development opportunities between the two countries.
Maryam al-Subaiey
