University students organise EC United

With Qatar National Day around the corner, students from universities at Qatar Foundation (QF) have come together to celebrate the country’s rich local traditions, values, and culture in a one-day festival at Education City.
EC United takes place every year, and is curated by QF university students for the wider community. This year, more than 300 people from across the country attended the festival.
Ghalya Abdulla, head of media of Qatar Students Association (QSA) in Texas A&M University at Qatar (Tamuq), one of QF’s partner universities, said: “The aim of the event is to manage a Qatar National Day celebration that raises the spirit of unity among the various universities of Education City.
“It shows how students, regardless of the university they study at, stand together for Qatar, and demonstrates their appreciation for what the country has given them.”
This year, the main themes of the event – sport and sustainability – were at the heart of the festivities, with a number of engaging activities, workshops, performances, and exhibitions on offer that centred around these topics.
The event also highlighted national achievements and demonstrated how the country is working together to realise Qatar’s sustainable development vision.
Sara Badar, vice president of QSA in Tamuq, said: “What made this Qatar National Day event different were the themes that we combined to show the progress of Qatar National Vision 2030, which together we are helping to bring to fruition.
“We wanted to represent Qatar in the field of sports, showcasing the country’s achievements over the past years; while sustainable development – the other key theme – was promoted in collaboration with Torba Farmers Market.”
According to Badar, a key element of EC United is that the event is organised by students, as she said: “One of the most important aims of the event is also to help develop the leadership and communication skills of Education City students by allocating students in positions to fully manage the event.”