Qatar University (QU), in cooperation with Qatar Development Bank (QDB), has launched an intensive pre-incubation programme to nurture future entrepreneurs from its undergraduate students’ community.
The programme comes in line with the QU Innovation and Entrepreneurship Strategy, and with QDB’s approach to strengthen bridges between various institutions in the national ecosystem, as well as providing training programmes that qualify young people to actively participate in the national economy.
The programme -- which is one of the outcomes of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Qatar University and QDB, signed in November 2021 -- aims to blend the academic and research side with commercial aspects together with the needed skills and techniques, as well as strengthening partnerships with members of the national ecosystem.
The programme aims to build a young generation of talented and skilled entrepreneurs needed for the national and international market and to disseminate entrepreneurial culture among university students in preparation for their entry into the labour market.
Dr Mahmoud Abdulwahed, Secretary of the Board of Directors of QU Holding Company and Director of the Office of Strategic Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development (SIEED) at QU, emphasized the importance of close cooperation with QDB and its role in contributing to financing and launching the programme with the university design team.
“The programme comes within the framework of QU’s strategic transformation, focusing on the third new pillar of sustainable economic development alongside with the two core pillars of education and scientific research. It’s the first of four stages to transfer the ideas and knowledge of undergraduate students into successful and high-growth startups, the best of which will be supported later by the QU Holding Company, in strategic cooperation with QDB to contribute to stimulating a knowledge-based sustainable economy in Qatar in line with Qatar National Vision 2030 priorities,” he said.
Ibrahim Abdulaziz al-Mannai, executive director of advisory at QDB, stressed the importance of these joint projects in the context of enriching the Qatari business ecosystem and developing young entrepreneurs.
"The programme complements a number of other training programmes offered by QDB to achieve its strategy in developing entrepreneurs and their business environment, which is positively reflected in achieving the goals of Qatar National Vision as a whole,” he said.
Dr. Lotfi Belkhir, Associate Director of Entrepreneurial Transformation in the SIEED Office, said the registration numbers in the programme were remarkable as several students joined the training, including teams from most university majors.
"Nearly half of the participants are coming from engineering and computing backgrounds, indicating growing interest of QU students new generation in technology startups, which usually generate higher economic returns," he said, adding its team worked on designing the program according to the Universal Innovation Framework methodology that it developed specifically to increase the quality and chances of success of technology startups.
The programme comes in line with the QU Innovation and Entrepreneurship Strategy, and with QDB’s approach to strengthen bridges between various institutions in the national ecosystem, as well as providing training programmes that qualify young people to actively participate in the national economy.
The programme -- which is one of the outcomes of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Qatar University and QDB, signed in November 2021 -- aims to blend the academic and research side with commercial aspects together with the needed skills and techniques, as well as strengthening partnerships with members of the national ecosystem.
The programme aims to build a young generation of talented and skilled entrepreneurs needed for the national and international market and to disseminate entrepreneurial culture among university students in preparation for their entry into the labour market.
Dr Mahmoud Abdulwahed, Secretary of the Board of Directors of QU Holding Company and Director of the Office of Strategic Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development (SIEED) at QU, emphasized the importance of close cooperation with QDB and its role in contributing to financing and launching the programme with the university design team.
“The programme comes within the framework of QU’s strategic transformation, focusing on the third new pillar of sustainable economic development alongside with the two core pillars of education and scientific research. It’s the first of four stages to transfer the ideas and knowledge of undergraduate students into successful and high-growth startups, the best of which will be supported later by the QU Holding Company, in strategic cooperation with QDB to contribute to stimulating a knowledge-based sustainable economy in Qatar in line with Qatar National Vision 2030 priorities,” he said.
Ibrahim Abdulaziz al-Mannai, executive director of advisory at QDB, stressed the importance of these joint projects in the context of enriching the Qatari business ecosystem and developing young entrepreneurs.
"The programme complements a number of other training programmes offered by QDB to achieve its strategy in developing entrepreneurs and their business environment, which is positively reflected in achieving the goals of Qatar National Vision as a whole,” he said.
Dr. Lotfi Belkhir, Associate Director of Entrepreneurial Transformation in the SIEED Office, said the registration numbers in the programme were remarkable as several students joined the training, including teams from most university majors.
"Nearly half of the participants are coming from engineering and computing backgrounds, indicating growing interest of QU students new generation in technology startups, which usually generate higher economic returns," he said, adding its team worked on designing the program according to the Universal Innovation Framework methodology that it developed specifically to increase the quality and chances of success of technology startups.