The Foundation Programme (FP) under the Deanship of General Studies at Qatar University (QU) has welcomed 43 high school female Qatari students from seven Qatari schools to the Al-Qabas Programme to prepare them for university life through different sessions and activities.
The Al-Qabas Programme is a 'first-of-its-kind' student outreach initiative in QU.
The programme aims to develop not only students’ math and English skills, but also different study skills such as, test taking and language acquisition skills. Around 25 faculty members and staff members from the Departments of English and Math participated in organising, preparing and delivering sessions, mainly targeting students with interest in STEM or health-related majors.
The programme arranged visits to QU Colleges of Medicine, Pharmacy, Engineering, and Education, and students were also introduced to the different student support services offered at QU, such as the Library, Sports Activities and Career Development Centre.
On the final day of Al-Qabas Programme, a showcase of student posters was held where students practised their presentation skills by presenting their posters and sharing their experiences in Al-Qabas with FP faculty and special needs students.
Director of the FP at QU, Dr Hezam al-Awah, said: “Qatar University’s FP helps develop students' learning skills in order to succeed in the various academic programmes offered by the university. With this in mind, we launched the Al-Qabas Programme to attract high school students who want to enrol in QU’s scientific and medical programmes, to help them with academic skills in mathematics and English, inform them about university life and show them the services available to students.”
He also thanked the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, the participating schools and parents for their efforts in making the programme a success.
A student survey indicated a high satisfaction rate among the attendees, QU said in a statement. The students advised that Al-Qabas was fun, interesting and beneficial.
Raghad Adel al-Sultan from Rawda Bint Mohamed Secondary School for Girls said she benefited from attending a lecture in the Department of Biology with university students, learned a lot about the vital processes and realised how important the English language is to accommodate lectures in this specialty.
Fatima Mohamed Saddiki from Al Wakra Independent Secondary School for Girls said she learned the difference between the doctor and pharmacist professions when she visited the College of Medicine and College of Pharmacy. She added, “There is a difference between studying at the secondary level and studying at the university level, which I now have to prepare for and conduct a placement test before applying to the university.”
Plans for Al-Qabas include extending the programme to more than one week, targeting more schools and offering an opportunity to male students. "By encouraging students to apply to STEM and health-related education and preparing them for success in university life, the FP hopes contribute towards the achievement of Qatar National Vision 2030," the statement adds.
The programme aims to develop not only students’ math and English skills, but also different study skills such as, test taking and language acquisition skills. Around 25 faculty members and staff members from the Departments of English and Math participated in organising, preparing and delivering sessions, mainly targeting students with interest in STEM or health-related majors.
The programme arranged visits to QU Colleges of Medicine, Pharmacy, Engineering, and Education, and students were also introduced to the different student support services offered at QU, such as the Library, Sports Activities and Career Development Centre.
On the final day of Al-Qabas Programme, a showcase of student posters was held where students practised their presentation skills by presenting their posters and sharing their experiences in Al-Qabas with FP faculty and special needs students.
Dr Hezam al-Awah
Director of the FP at QU, Dr Hezam al-Awah, said: “Qatar University’s FP helps develop students' learning skills in order to succeed in the various academic programmes offered by the university. With this in mind, we launched the Al-Qabas Programme to attract high school students who want to enrol in QU’s scientific and medical programmes, to help them with academic skills in mathematics and English, inform them about university life and show them the services available to students.”
He also thanked the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, the participating schools and parents for their efforts in making the programme a success.
A student survey indicated a high satisfaction rate among the attendees, QU said in a statement. The students advised that Al-Qabas was fun, interesting and beneficial.
Raghad Adel al-Sultan from Rawda Bint Mohamed Secondary School for Girls said she benefited from attending a lecture in the Department of Biology with university students, learned a lot about the vital processes and realised how important the English language is to accommodate lectures in this specialty.
Fatima Mohamed Saddiki from Al Wakra Independent Secondary School for Girls said she learned the difference between the doctor and pharmacist professions when she visited the College of Medicine and College of Pharmacy. She added, “There is a difference between studying at the secondary level and studying at the university level, which I now have to prepare for and conduct a placement test before applying to the university.”
Plans for Al-Qabas include extending the programme to more than one week, targeting more schools and offering an opportunity to male students. "By encouraging students to apply to STEM and health-related education and preparing them for success in university life, the FP hopes contribute towards the achievement of Qatar National Vision 2030," the statement adds.
