|
Qatar University (QU) will co-organise the 2014 National Academic Advising Association (Nacada) Middle East Conference in Doha on November 19-20. |
This is the first time the event is being held in the Middle East as well as being the first academic advising conference to be held in the region.
In partnership with the conference’s parent organisation, the Nacada, QU is facilitating the dialogue on building a culture of student retention and success in higher education institutions in the Middle East.
The event is an opportunity for faculty, academic advisers, academic and student affairs professionals and educators to come together to share best practices, views, experiences, and research in student development and success.
Keynote speakers are QU president Prof Sheikha Abdulla al-Misnad and Nacada executive director Dr Charlie Nutt. Presenters and participants from the UAE, Kuwait, Iran and across the Middle East will join national education advisers, policymakers, and representatives from QU, Community College Qatar, College of the North Atlantic - Qatar, Stenden University Qatar, and branch universities at Education City.
The conference’s programme will comprise more than 40 sessions in the form of workshops, discussion panels, poster sessions and paper presentations that address the most current trends in academic advising and practices towards students’ motivation, retention and success such as the First-Year Experience, student welfare activities, faculty mentoring, peer mentoring and career planning. Participants will also share ideas on benchmarking, assessment and evaluation of student success programs and initiatives.
QU Centre for Academic Advising director and the conference programme committee chair Dr Selma Haghamed said: “Being selected to partner in organising the Nacada annual conference is an honour and highlights the quality and excellence of the academic advising programme at QU. It supports QU’s efforts to improve academic advising and is in line with the organisation winning the Nacada 2014 Outstanding Academic Advising Programme Certificate of Merit Award which will be formally presented to QU President by Dr Nutt during the conference”.
She added: “We look forward to the discussions and recommendations that will emerge from the conference that will add considerable value to the work of academic advising programmes within the higher education institutions in Qatar and across the Middle East”.
