Qatar
Provost: HBKU achieved ‘remarkable progress’ in a short span of time
Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) has made "remarkable progress” as a new university in a very short span of time as its global ranking indicates, the provost has said.
"We have made remarkable progress in such a short span of time,” HBKU provost Dr Prabhat Hajela (pictured) told Gulf Times on the sidelines of the orientation programme for the undergraduate students.
"With about 15 years since its establishment, we are within the 250 range of the global QS rankings,” he said. "I mean, there are 4,000+ universities that are ranked in the category.”
"For a new university, it is really remarkable,” Dr Hajela pointed out. "In the area of research, which is primarily a major strength in graduate schools, we get 100%, 100 out of 100 on our research.”
He noted that the important thing is to get the university’s name out globally, and that is happening.
Dr Hajela highlighted that the selection criteria for various programmes has been very tough, with a huge number of applicants for a limited number of seats.
"This year we had about 8,000 applications for about 300 seats for the undergraduate programmes, which shows the growing reputation of the university,” the provost said.
"We have selected very good students and they are very excellent achievers,” he added. "I think they will benefit from the fact that they are at a place like HBKU where all round multidisciplinary education makes them ready for the real learning.”
Dr Hajela said that the new batch of undergraduate students are primarily in the engineering and technology fields.
"I think the university gives them a tremendous opportunity to be part of the research enterprise to develop their future,” he said. "This will help them lead to their graduate learning. It really positions them strongly for that.”
"I think it’s an exciting time for the new students as well as for us,” he noted. "These students are our ambassadors. They will go forward and carry the name of HBKU globally.”
The provost said that the undergraduates really represent the spirit of the university.
"I believe this is the third year for the undergraduate programme at HBKU,” Dr Hajela said.
"We want this to be an exciting place for the undergraduates,” he continued. "As they come in, they have a wide range of majors to choose from. They also have great scope for activities outside their classroom.
"We have a number of plans and ideas for the future programmes, and they will be disclosed in due course with the approval of the authorities.”
Dr Hajela said that the university is focusing on what is relevant and important for Qatar and the region.
"Those are the kinds of programmes we will be designing,” he said.
"National vision is really our focus. HBKU is a university that is rooted in Qatar, but we want to have an impact that is local, regional, and global.”