Qatar University (QU) has become a beacon of academic and research excellence. QU is committed to providing high-quality education in areas of national priority and prepares qualified graduates who contribute effectively to the future of their country and nation.
It also includes a distinguished and diverse group of faculty members who are committed to improving the education process, conducting studies and research related to local and regional challenges, advancing knowledge, and contributing positively to the fulfilment of society’s needs and aspirations and providing state sectors with qualified national cadres.
As a result of its efforts, QU celebrated the graduation of the 42nd batch of students, which includes more than 3,220 students, 2,468 females and 752 male. Qatar University has the great honour of contributing to this renaissance through successive generations of graduates who now exceed 50,000.
The university ranked 276 in the QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) rankings for world universities in 2020, becoming one of the most improved universities in the rankings, and progressing with 56 positions from the 2019 ranking.
It has also recently developed an ambitious research roadmap that includes national development priorities and a number of important research successes of global significance. In addition, it includes a large group of internationally accredited colleges and programmes which witness a high level of excellence and quality, besides maintaining a close relationship between the public and private sectors, where it initiated a number of memorandums of understanding and co-operative agreements.
In its endeavour to develop its goal to be a leader in the field of economic and social development in Qatar, the QU signed during the academic year 2018/2019 a number of memorandums of understanding and agreements. Academic partnerships were held with the industrial, governmental, academic, financial and civil society institutions in Qatar.
As many as 46 memorandums of understanding and agreement were signed of which 20 with ministries and community bodies, 16 with companies and 10 with other universities and colleges.
Prominent agreement
The most prominent agreements concluded by Qatar University during the current academic year were the launch of a detailed environmental study project for the Doha Corniche, a co-operation agreement with Qatar Islamic Bank, a co-operation agreement with Smeet Company (one of the Qatari Diar companies) to finance the project of artificial coral reefs that the centre intends to install in multiple places in national territorial waters, a memorandum of understanding with Sidra Medical Center to prepare the next generation of healthcare professionals, a memorandum of understanding with the Administrative Control and Transparency Authority, and a memorandum of understanding to co-operate in establishing the first Huawei Academy in Qatar.
Qatar University encourages its students and faculty members to actively engage in research activities, the number of faculty members engaged in research during the past two years are 866 and the number of contributors to research are 625, or 72% and included research activities authoring a book or conference papers or contribution to a scientific journal.
In addition, the Office of Scientific Research Support serves and supports the research community at Qatar University to find new sources and opportunities for funding by working with university partners in industry and government, and international research support bodies.
The office manages internal and external grants to support and facilitate research projects, and there are various types of internal research funding for students and faculty. In terms of external scholarships, Qatar University has achieved great success in the National Priorities Research Program (NPRP), under the umbrella of the Qatar National Research Fund. In the 11th round of this programme, QU researchers received research grants for 37 out of 77 winning research proposals, representing 48% of the total winning research proposals.
The Undergraduate Research Experience Programme (UREP), which is located within the framework of external scholarships, also supports students participating in research conducted under the supervision of faculty or specialised researchers.
In the 23rd session of the programme, the university received research grants for 20 out of 60 research proposals, achieving 33% success, while in the 24th session 24 research grants were received for 24 of the 71 proposals submitted, with a success rate of 34%.
As a leading national institution, QU continues its efforts to invest and contribute to research projects and studies that serve the community, especially given the university’s independent research units seek to bring about global change, making it a pioneer in the use of modern technology and fully aware of environmental issues.
The Biomedical Research Center (BRC) at QU focuses on improving health in Qatar by focusing on research, training and service delivery in biomedical and applied research in three key areas: metabolic diseases, infectious diseases, and genomics. The Center for Advanced Materials is concerned with conducting valuable research in the field of innovative materials with the aim of supporting technology in various fields, such as energy and environment.
They provide all kinds of technical, analytical, consultancy and training support to faculty, researchers and students within Qatar University and the industrial sector of Qatar.
Meanwhile, Environmental Science Center aims to understand and protect Qatar’s rich marine cultural heritage and biodiversity environment and the Gas Research Center, established by the College of Engineering at Qatar University in 2007, also conducts many applied researches that provide practical solutions to the challenges facing the oil and gas industry.
KINDI Center for Computing Research conducts high-quality research programmes in the vital field of computer science, information and engineering, with a greater focus on cybersecurity and emerging technologies.
The Laboratory Animal Research Center is the first and only facility in Qatar to have a sterile environment free from rodent-causing organisms.
The Qatar for Transport and Traffic Safety Center, established in 2012, is the leading national centre that contributes to advanced studies of transport and traffic safety through research, innovation, development, consulting, education and social participation. The Social and Economic Survey Research Institute, established in 2008, has played an active role in the formulation of policies in Qatar.
The Center for Law & Development is also a gateway to achieving the law-related objectives of Qatar National Vision 2030. Qatar National Research Strategy and other research centres were established by QU to serve the community as an entrepreneurial centre, Ibn Khaldun Center for Humanities and Social Sciences, Center for Sustainable Development, and Gulf Studies Center.
Development indicator
The number of students registered according to their academic level, colleges, specialisations, nationalities and gender amount to 21,474 students, including Qatari and non-Qatari males and females, which includes students from Qatar, GCC states, non-GCC Arab countries, Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, South America, and Australia.
As an important indicator of the development of Qatar University and the quality of its programmes, the university has focused on academic accreditation as an important indicator of the development of universities and a proof of its excellence and quality of its outputs. Qatar University has been interested in academic accreditation for years and has sought accreditation from leading international institutions of recognised quality.
Various programmes and colleges have received academic accreditation at Qatar University from prestigious international bodies such as engineering, management, economics, education and pharmacy, as well as a number of programmes at the College of Arts and Sciences.
This year the Bachelor of Science in Statistics programme at the College of Arts and Sciences was accredited by the Royal Statistical Society of Britain (RSS), and the Bachelor of Science in Chemistry programme was accredited by the Canadian Society for Chemistry (CSC).
The Bachelor of Science in Environmental Sciences programme was accredited by the Institute of Environmental Sciences (IES) and the Master of Science in Environmental Sciences programme was accredited by the Committee of Presidents of Environmental Science Programs (CHES).
The Bachelor of Arts in Media programme was accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC), and the College of Engineering at Qatar University has renewed its academic accreditation for its bachelor’s degree programmes (7) by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).
The College of Education has also obtained accreditation for a new set of educational programmes to be added to a previous set of various educational programmes that received accreditation last year, from accredited international accreditation institutions.
The total number of accredited programmes in the College of Education is seven, and other accreditation programmes that have received conditional accreditation will soon be added.
Qatar University focuses on excellence and the highest standards of quality and professionalism, and is committed to integrity and the highest ethical standards of honesty, justice, transparency, responsibility and accountability, as well as providing an educational environment that supports freedom of inquiry and expression and the search for the truth and express wisdom and responsibility, and faith enrichment that respects the constants of society as a source of excellence.
Qatar University has been the main educational institution for higher education in the country since its inception in 1977. Qatar University stands today as a beacon of academic excellence and scientific research in the GCC countries, with a number of students of about 20,000 registered in its various scientific programmes.
The University is committed to providing high-quality education in various national scientific fields. As part of this commitment, the University aims to apply the latest international standards and implement best academic practices in programmes and colleges.
As a result, Qatar University has succeeded in its academic accreditation initiatives by various organisations. Qatar University continues its efforts to develop a culture of scientific research. The University’s research complex comprises 14 distinguished research centres working on over 400 collaborative research projects with leading institutions from around the world.
Mission and vision
At the heart of Qatar University’s mission and vision is community engagement. The university is committed to ensuring a rich campus environment that encourages academic excellence, volunteerism, civic responsibility, and leadership. Qatar University is working to boost its goal of becoming a pioneer of economic and social development in Qatar through collaboration and partnerships with government, industry, academic, business and civil society in Qatar and other countries.
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