HBKU launches six new academic programmes

Giving great impetus to the higher education sector in the country, Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) has launched six innovative academic programmes that aim to provide highly skilled professionals to the labour market in a number of new areas.The new programmes were announced yesterday at a press conference addressed by Dr Ahmad M Hasnah, president of HBKU. Dr Emad El-Din Shahin, dean of the College of Islamic Studies (CIS) and Dr Mounir Hamdi, dean of the College of Science and Engineering ( CSE) at HBKU were also present.The programmes that will be offered from September this year include masters and PhD. Applications are now open.The new programmes will be launched by CIS and CSE. The new degrees at CIS are Master of Science in Islamic Art, Architecture and Urbanism; Master of Arts in Islam and Global Affairs; and PhD in Islamic Finance and Economy. The CSE’s new programmes include Master of Data Analytics in Health Management; Master of Science in Logistics and Supply Chain Management; and PhD in Logistics and Supply Chain Management.“We will be accepting about 15 candidates each for the masters programmes and about 10 for the PhD programme. We will be highly selective as we aim to maintain the highest quality,” said  Dr Hasnah.“All the new programmes are based on a thorough assessment of the market needs and stakeholders’ engagement. We have identified a number of new areas which need highly skilled hands and we are confident that these programmes will contribute highly to the human development and job requirements of the nation and beyond,” Dr Hasnah said.“HBKU’s two colleges have led the curricular development of their new degrees through a unique approach that ensures all students are equipped with relevant skillsets in their study areas. These newest programmes embody the university’s foundational pillars of innovation and excellence. All our programmes are designed to align with the strategic and developmental needs of Qatar, the region, and the beyond,” Hasnah said. “History records Muslim scholars and educationalists as frontrunners of groundbreaking discoveries in arts, architecture, medicine, sciences, philosophy, and literature. At CIS, we are committed to modernising Islamic higher education so that it may once again occupy a central position of relevance locally, regionally, and internationally. We hope that our three newest degrees will contribute significantly to reviving that culture of academic innovation in the Muslim world, which will find its epicentre in Qatar,” said Dr Shahin.Dr Hamdi described his college’s new programmes as cornerstones to developing needed skillsets within the local pool of talent in Qatar. “As Qatar develops its medical facilities in what is today the region’s biggest healthcare expansion project, the need for highly-trained data analytics specialists continues to grow manifold. Our master’s programme in data analytics in health management sector is a direct complement to Qatar’s projected needs in qualified human resources,” noted Dr Hamdi. “Similarly, logistics and supply chain management form the core of any country’s commerce and trade industries, both those which operate within and outside its borders. As Qatar invests in strengthening its existing world-class land, air and seaport infrastructure to leverage greater advantage of its geostrategic position and charter new trading routes, it will need a strong local supply of professionals to help its organisations navigate the growth,” he added.