Sixty-one university students from across all six undergraduate branch campuses at Education City participated this week in the Qatar LeaderShape Institute 2012, an intensive six-day residential programme devoted to active discussion of how to strengthen leadership skills.
Student participants in LeaderShape Qatar
“Education City students are privileged to have the opportunity to attend a strong leadership development programme such as LeaderShape. Two features are unique to LeaderShape, the depth of the curriculum and the fact that it is residential,” said Ameena Hussain, assistant director of campus life at Qatar Foundation (QF).
“I also believe there is an additional quality which is specific to LeaderShape Qatar, and that is the diversity in the participants and the staff members, which adds richness and flavour to the session. Being involved in the programme makes me wish I were a student again and have access to such life changing experiences,” she continued.
A non-profit organisation that aims to inspire, develop, and support young adults to lead with integrity, the LeaderShape Institute partners with other institutions across the US and around the world, including QF. More than 30,000 young people have graduated from its programmes over the organisation’s 25-year history.
The institute prefers utilising highly interactive programme methods instead of classroom lectures, and most of its efforts are concentrated in so-called ‘Family Clusters,’ where partners work together and quickly form friendships. The ‘Family Cluster’ provides a supportive, safe environment that promotes learning and the development of new skills and attitudes.
Another unique feature of the LeaderShape Institute is the ‘Guest Leader Panel,’ in which community leaders in Qatar participate as part of a panel discussion.
This year the panel is moderated by Denny Roberts, assistant vice-president for faculty and student services at QF.
The programme starts with opening remarks on topical areas associated with leadership, such as personal philosophies of leadership, risk taking, ethics and integrity and the meaning of success. It then ends with questions from the students who are in the audience. This year’s panelists are Buthaina al-Ansari from Qatari Business Women Association, Susie Kelt from Vodafone and Mohamed al-Kaabi from Maersk Oil.
Roberts explained that bringing the LeaderShape Institute to Education City will help equip students with the tools necessary for a bright and successful future, adding: “Those students who have participated in LeaderShape are fundamentally different from their peers in terms of conviction, integrity and effective leadership.”
This year students discussed concepts including building community relationships and the role of the family. Each student also worked on defining a personal vision for contributing to the world in a positive way, and developed a detailed plan for achieving that vision.
