Education City universities play a pivotal role in achieving the aspirations of the Qatari leadership and people to promote higher education and produce highly qualified graduates in order to continue the process of development and progress.
The foreign universities have accomplished many tangible achievements over the last decades. They contributed to establishing community projects and supporting the community through providing qualified graduates capable of implementing what they had earned academically on ground. This has enriched the country and achieved a boom in various economic, cultural, social and scientific fields.
The country’s success in addressing the many challenges and difficult circumstances it has faced recently, whether the unjust siege imposed by neighbouring countries for more than a year, or other challenges related to social transformations associated with regional and global crises, has not been coincidental. Without a sound, correct foundation for advanced and modern education, the nation would not have been able to overcome its difficulties.
The universities, with their various specialties, contributed to provide the labour market with hundreds of qualified graduates annually. These graduates hold prominent positions in the community and greatly contribute to the public and private sectors. At the same time, the universities carry out scientific projects and interacting strongly with different sectors of society to help in its development at all levels, as confirmed by deans of the American universities in the Education City, in exclusive statements to Qatar News Agency (QNA).
Although these universities focus primarily on providing qualified students, they are also keen on launching meaningful community-based initiatives and programmes that help the society face contemporary challenges in education, health, culture and the arts.
For example, Weill Cornell Medicine (WCM-Q) focuses on serving Qatar by launching initiatives that target key health problems affecting Qatari society such as diabetes, obesity and harmful lifestyle behaviours. WCM-Q also focuses on providing education to the community in Qatar, with one-third of enrolled students being Qatari nationals and one-third long-term residents. The total number of enrolled students at WCM-Q currently stands at 321, with 112 of those being Qatari nationals.
Dr Javaid Sheikh, the Dean of WCM-Q, spoke about initiatives and programmes for public school students that focus on helping them enhance their levels of educational achievement and teaching them about healthy behaviours, such as eating a good diet and taking regular exercise. The dean said that the university has many community outreach programmes that are very effective at attracting Qatari students to the university to pursue careers in medicine and research. Dr Sheikh added that there are also programmes for school students aimed at strengthening their abilities in mathematics, science and English.
He also spoke about WCM-Qs “Sahtak Awalan – Your Health First” initiative, which empowers the community in Qatar to live healthier lives by providing information, inspiration and opportunities to allow them to practise healthy behaviours. The initiative is aimed at every member of the community in Qatar but has a special focus on young people.
Dr Sheikh explained that this initiative emphasises the importance of encouraging children to develop healthy lifestyle habits at a young age so that they can then carry with them for life.
In addition to initiatives aimed at school students, the Education City’s universities work on spreading culture and knowledge of the Qatari society by hosting public exhibitions and lectures focusing on various issues of concern to citizens and residents of Qatar.
Dr Michael Trick, Dean of Carnegie Mellon University (CMU-Q), said: “CMU-Q is part of the fabric of the wider community, and we rely on the support of, and interaction with, the citizens and residents of Qatar. The university hosts an array of events where the general public are welcome, including the Deans Lecture Series where prominent members of industry, government and academia speak on topical issues. We also host a wide slate of pre-college programmes to introduce secondary students to different fields of study.”
Dr Ahmad Dallal, Dean of Georgetown University (GU-Q), also said that “the local community benefits from access to on-campus public lectures, ongoing evening community education, and student volunteers and clubs who engage and contribute to the positive welfare of Qatari society.”
Dr Dallal added that GU-Q has dramatically expanded opportunities for personal enrichment through the Community Education programme where any member of the public can register for a range of classes. Currently, there are 14 evening classes available for the public in Arabic and English.
For his part, Dr Donald Baker, Dean of Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), believed that the university’s presence in Doha since 1998 has changed the social chemistry for the arts in society. He added that the university has become a major player in the local arts community, and it helped improve the respectability and appreciation of arts. He also pointed out that campus gallery and art showings attract many people to the university.
In addition to their interactive role in the society, the foreign universities also co-operate with various universities, educational and governmental institutions in the country, as well as the private sector to help develop students’ abilities and qualifications and deal with the challenges facing the Qatari society.
Dr Everette E Dennis, Dean of Northwestern University (NU-Q), said that there are different research and training activities between Qatari institutions and the university. Furthermore, the ministries, companies and media outlets offer training and work opportunities for students. They also visit the university engage with faculty, staff and students.
The dean of WCM-Q said that there is co-operation with different government agencies and the private sector organisations such as Qatar Foundation, the Ministry of Public Health, the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, the Ministry of Municipality and the Environment, Occidental Petroleum Qatar, ExxonMobil and the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy. All these ministries and institutions are helping with “Your Health First” initiative.
WCM-Q is also working with Qatar Metabolic Institute at Hamad to come up with new treatments and clinical trials for diabetes. Furthermore, it co-operated with Hamad Medical Corporation to create residency programmes as students need to do residency training after graduation.
Meanwhile, VCU has important research partnerships with local businesses and entities, including Maersk Oil which funded a Graduate student entrepreneurship incubator, and the Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP) which helped to realise a portable migrant housing prototype in 2012.
The university’s other research endeavours included using nanotechnology to preserve old books in Qatar and preservation of Qatari heritage through Faro Focus laser scanners and Virtual Reality.
The deans of CMU-Q and GU-Q spoke about co-operation between the universities, which enhanced students’ ability to enrol in partner universities and study a wide range of subjects not offered in their universities.
The dean of GU-Q said that “our interdisciplinary education draws on the strength of Education City as a whole through a variety of partnerships and co-operative opportunities. One example is the Media and Politics Certificate which has been developed and offered jointly by GU-Q and Northwestern University in Qatar, with classes scheduled on both campuses. From 2011 until 2018, a total of 453 GU-Q students took courses at other Education City campuses and 259 students from partner institutions cross-registered for GU-Q courses. And faculty routinely take part in knowledge exchange through participation in conferences and on panels hosted by partner institutions.”
In this regards, the dean of CMU-Q stated that their students regularly take courses elsewhere in Education City, and every semester there are dozens of students from other institutions studying at CMU-Q. He added faculty and staff members reach out to their colleagues in other institutions to put on events, learn from one another, and collaborate on projects while CMU-Q students actively engage with students in other universities through inter-campus events.
Regarding co-operation with Qatari institutions outside Education City, the dean said that CMU-Q is continually seeking new opportunities to co-operate with Qatari institutions. He pointed out that they have achieved considerable success in this area as they have 30 memorandums of understanding with organisations in both government and industry. He stressed that the purpose of these agreements is to allow students to gain valuable experience in work environments around Qatar, and to co-operate with organisations who wish to tap into the expertise and knowledge at CMU-Q.
Perhaps the most important contributions of American universities in Education City were the graduates, many of whom occupy prominent positions in various field in the country and play a role in advancing and sustaining development inside and outside Qatar.
In this regard, the Dean of GU-Q said: “Some of the most important contributions to the community are our graduates, who are a key element in the local labour market, and our high-level researchers, who conduct advanced research and conduct studies on regional issues. Our graduates and research efforts will continue to have a significant impact on the development of the country and society for years to come.”
As for WCM-Q, Dr Sheikh said that they are working with graduates outside Qatar to pave the way for their return to the country as they are highly qualified physicians. He pointed out that WCM-Q has already managed to bring 23 graduate doctors back to Qatar after they had completed their residency training at elite US teaching hospitals; these doctors are now employed at various medical institutions across Qatar.
For his part, the Dean of NU-Q said: “We stay in touch with our graduates, all of whom we are very proud. They are in responsible positions in media industries, government ministries, business, and even in the sports sector, healthcare, and at museums. Nearly one-third have gone to some of the world’s best graduate schools after leaving us in journalism, media, strategic communication, and film, of course, but also in business, education, law, and other fields. Most have returned to Qatar and have joined the workforce. And we have hired several ourselves.”
Education City’s universities believe that their mission in Qatar is not only to graduate students but also to contribute to Qatar National Vision 2030 through community initiatives and collaboration with government institutions and the private sector to spread knowledge among the community and achieve the state’s educational, medical and cultural goals.
Education City’s universities believe that their mission in Qatar is not only to graduate students but also to contribute to Qatar National Vision 2030.
