By Joseph Varghese/Staff Reporter
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HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, chairperson of Qatar Foundation, attended a ceremony held to mark the 10th anniversary of Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMUQ) yesterday.
The event held on the CMUQ campus in Education City was attended by key leadership from Carnegie Mellon (CMU) and Qatar Foundation as well as a number of other dignitaries.
There were a number of speeches, musical performances and videos that highlighted the legacy of CMU as well as the milestones of CMUQ so far.
The ceremony began with a performance by a lone bagpiper, reflecting the Scottish heritage of the university’s founder, Andrew Carnegie.
Addressing a large gathering of CMUQ alumni, faculty members and other distinguished guests, CMU president Dr Subra Suresh said the “second decade of CMUQ begins tomorrow”.
“More than ever before in human history, higher education is the pathway for young people everywhere in the world to participate in the expanding global economy and achieve their potential and their dreams, not only for themselves but for their families, their nations and the global society,” he stressed.
“This is truly just the beginning. We look forward to new opportunities to build on this success, by expanding student and faculty interactions and creating new opportunities for collaboration among Qatar and Carnegie Mellon’s other campuses and programmes around the world,” Dr Suresh added.
Saad al-Muhannadi, president of Qatar Foundation, said: “Carnegie Mellon Qatar’s success as a global branch campus in the heart of Education City can be attributed to the institution’s ability to balance between maintaining the home campus’s high standards and ethos while meeting the needs of the local community.
“In line with Qatar National Vision 2030, Carnegie Mellon Qatar continues to be an integral part of Qatar Foundation and the country’s capacity-building and development as a whole.”
Mark Kamlet, Carnegie Mellon provost and executive vice-president, highlighted key accomplishments in Qatar, including the growth of the student body from 41 to 400 students with a Qatari enrolment of almost 40%.
“Our success must be measured by more than the numbers. Carnegie Mellon brings a distinctive approach to learning and to research. We are not only educating and graduating students, but also creating the next generation of researchers, entrepreneurs, leaders and problem-solvers,” he said.
CMUQ’s Student Body president Tarek al-Hariri and Nofe al-Suwaidi, representing the alumni, shared their experiences at CMUQ and how the university helped them transform them into global citizens while upholding their cultural identity.
“Our vibrant student body represents the collaborative ethos our campus in Qatar is consolidating. Every class builds upon this growing integrated community and we continue to embrace these cultural differences to enhance our overall experience,” said al-Hariri.
As part of the landmark celebrations, HH Sheikha Moza also toured the exclusive exhibition, “Travelling Through Arts and Times”, showcasing the richness of Qatari and Islamic culture, heritage and civilisation through more than 160 rare artefacts from HE Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim al-Thani’s private collection.
The entertainment during the event also included performances by a traditional Arabic oud player and Carnegie Mellon’s Matisse Quartet.