Graduates of Arkansas State University Qatar are entering the next stage of life equipped with technical expertise, leadership skills, and resilience developed through internships, mentorship, and experiences that extend far beyond the classroom.
“This is our second batch,” said executive director Murat Unal, reflecting on the university’s graduating cohort. The batch includes students from the Bachelor of Science programmes in Digital Design and Technology and Engineering Management Systems, as well as 22 graduates from the Master of Science in Education Leadership programme.
According to Unal, the institution’s focus is closely aligned with Qatar’s evolving economic and technological priorities. “They learn a lot about technologies that are currently in huge need for Qatar as a whole, for its national vision,” he said, pointing to areas such as artificial intelligence, cloud technologies and educational leadership.
For undergraduate students, internships have become central to that preparation. “This year we have started pushing very strongly internships, meaning securing internships ahead of graduation,” Unal explained. “It’s very important to have the foot in the door.”
Some students completed AI-related internships with organisations such as Qatar Insurance Company, allowing them to apply classroom knowledge before entering the job market full-time.
Beyond academics, university leaders say student growth is equally measured by confidence, resilience and personal transformation.
Dean of Student Success Amal Dib described student development as a continuous process that begins on the first day on campus. “They’re not the same people who joined on the first day,” she said. “We build them from day one in terms of their skills, their academics, to get them ready for the market and to be professionals on the right track.”
Dib emphasised the importance of a close-knit support system, particularly within a smaller university community. Academic support sessions, teaching assistants, mentorship programmes, counselling services and scholarships were all part of the ecosystem designed to help students navigate academic, personal and financial challenges.
“We know our students, we know the hardships they go through, and that’s why we’re always beside them,” she said.
For many students, the transformation was deeply personal.
Engineering Management graduate Mohammed Ouda described his university years as “an amazing ride” filled with “ups and downs and a lot of unexpected moments”.
“I joined the university as a kid,” he said. “Now I’ve grown into a man.”
Ouda believes the university experience taught him discipline, time management and responsibility. “I think before doing any decision now,” he reflected, crediting volunteering opportunities, internships and faculty mentorship for shaping his growth.
Meanwhile, Master’s graduate Zaina Rihani, who completed her degree in Educational Leadership, described the experience as emotionally and intellectually transformative.
“It wasn’t an easy journey, but it was worth the work,” she said, noting the value of receiving an American education while remaining in Qatar and the wider Arab region.
Recalling her first class, Rihani said that students entered as strangers but quickly became part of a supportive community through discussion and collaboration. “We still have that perfect world inside our classroom,” she said.
Her message to future students was one grounded in honesty and perseverance. “You’re going to doubt yourselves,” she admitted. “But by the end of the journey, you will understand why you took that step. It’s worth every sleepless night.”
For Unal, that journey ultimately extends beyond degrees and titles. His message to graduates reflected the university’s broader philosophy: “Never limit your challenges, but challenge your limits.”
