knowledge eco cs for qt

8/6/2019 Knowledge Eco CS for QT

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Qatar Today February 200648

Nurturing Change, Growth and Development

KnowlEDGE

QUESTCover Story


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49Qatar TodayFebruary 2006

By Vani Saraswathi

Over the lastdecade, millionsof riyals have been

pumped into thelocal education system. It haslong since ceased to be aneffort targeted at Qatar alone.By the virtue of its quality andthe magnitude of investments,the education system hasgradually become a regionalfocal point.As Qatar Foundationcelebrates its 10th anniversary,the results of HH SheikhaMozah bint Nasser AlMisnads vision and efforts are becoming increasingly visible

outside the country too.Qatar Today looks at thegrowing collaboration betweenInstitution and Industry andwhat that means toQatars aspirations of becoming a research anddevelopment hub.


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TheKnowlEDGE

Speaking at a conference last year, Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) SecretaryGeneral HE Abdulrahman bin HamadAl Attiyah had said that GCC states still

faced some major challenges in improv-ing their educational system.Listing the challenges, the six member

states have faced since the council wasestablished 24 years ago, he said thatpopulation growth and lack of techni-cal expertise were the major challenges.Also the traditional educational institu-tions were not able to produce enoughquali ed citizens to cater to the marketsneeds. The member states realised thatdealing with such challenges requiredgradual economic integration. In thisdirection, the six nations have achieveduni cation in standards and laws for theenvironment and economy...

Qatar has made pioneering efforts inthis regard. It now attracts more studentsfrom neighbouring countries, not to men-tion a sprinkling from the rest of Asia.

And that initial concept now graduatesto a different level. Where opportunitiesto harness local resources are explored.Where bene ts are channelised and re -turns on investment sought. It has gone beyond providing educational opportu-nity. It is now all about creating a knowl-edge economy; one that will involve notonly academia, but also local industries.

Energy Minister Abdulla bin HamadAl Attiyah, delivering a lecture to theTexas A&M University in Qatar (TAMU-Q), underscored the important role thatengineers trained by TAMU-Q will playin helping Qatar realise the future itsleaders envision for the country.

TAMU-Q will take care of only a part

(albeit an extremely important one) of the countrys human resources and re-search needs.

Yet, the ministers comments highlight

the Governments commitment to build-ing a knowledge economy.We believe that the huge industrial

oil and gas projects are creating a greatdemand for highly specialised engineers.Competition for young professionals issoaring in Qatar. Only highly educatedgraduates who have a strong work ethicwill make it to the top.

The minister, in his address, also man-aged to dispel doubts and listed opportu-nities for youngsters.

A few years ago, there were ques-tions about what to do with women engi-neers, he said in response to question onthis issue, Some thought women should be segregated, but can we do that? Thatis not logical. We have great women en-gineers, they comprise the great hardworking team of people we have. We allwork as one team.

Al Attiyah added that Qatar had em- barked on a strategic Qatarisation planin order to achieve a 50 percent Qatariworkforce in the energy sector.

For Qatarisation to succeed, the coun-try would have to develop and make useof the talents of all its citizens, male andfemale.

He also put to rest fears of non-Qataristudents, stressing that Qatarisation didnot mean that non-Qataris will be deniedopportunities to contribute to Qatarsmajor projects.

More than anything else, we work ina performance-based system, so we wantquality people.

For Qatarisation tosucceed, the coun-try would have todevelop and makeuse of the talentsof all its citizens,male and female. Abdulla binHamad Al Attiyah,

Energy Minister

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About a year ago, Qatar University President Dr SheikhaAbdullah Al Misnad warned her students that if they failed topull up their grades, they would not graduate.

She tells Qatar Today that the warning brought about thedesired results, almost immediately.

The most important thing for good learning and goodteaching is putting high expectations. It has been proved byresearch that the most ef cient institution is the one that putshigh expectations. When you raise your expectations, the stu-dents reach for it. We raised the bar by raising the requirementfor graduation. At the beginning it was hard, dif cult, there wasso much resentment and ghting.

But we discovered that the following year, the number of students on probation had decreased by 10 percent and thatis a large percentage in just one year. The student will workhard to achieve... that is de nite.

The University will demand diligence and achievement fromits students, granting degrees only to those who demonstrateboth, she reiterates.

The University is also reviewing its admission procedure.We havent yet raised our admission requirements, but we

are rethinking our admission criteria, based on more than oneindicator. We used to take only the high school performanceinto consideration, but now we are looking at giving a fair chance, by looking at a wider range of indicators.

Qatar University is now undergoing a planned reform, aspir-ing to remain the primary option for Qatari students despitethe proliferation of educational opportunities in Qatar.

The reform process is targeting all operations at the Uni-versity. Problem-based learning, for instance. It is one of theteaching methodologies to be employed by the entire faculty.It must be applied 90 percent of the time. It is an integral partof the learning experience. The Faculty Development Of ceorganises regular workshops and keeps the faculty up to date.It is a continuous purpose, Dr Al Misnad says.

Ultimately, the whole purpose of the reform process is toproduce graduates who are competitive in the labour market.Those who can compete with students graduating from other universities both within and outside of the country.

To this end, the reform process is principally looking at au-tonomy, decentralisation and accountability.

The seeds of reform were sown a few years ago when astudy revealed that if the University was to serve its purpose

adequately, then it had to undertake reform in University gov-ernance, administration and structure.

It must have autonomy to manage its own affairs, providea more rigorous education for its students, and enhance thequality of faculty instruction.

And the reform is also attracting a more qualitative participa-tion from local industries that goes beyond mere sponsorshipand job offers.

We enjoy a strong relationship with local industries, busi-ness community and banking sector. And we do a lot of con-sultation with them. Research, internship, chair differentkinds of support. This support is also an indicator of the ma-turity of the industry and business community. It looks at their social responsibility. The best universities in the world havebuilt their reputation on contribution they get from the market.So it is very important for us, and we are trying to build on andexpand existing relationships, she says.

One of the highlights on the ongoing reform is the ABET,Inc accreditation that the College of Engineering is seeking.

ABET is the recognised US accreditor of college and uni-versity programmes in applied science, computing, engineer-ing and technology. It currently accredits some 2,700 pro-grammes at over 550 colleges and universities in the US.

The ABET preparation is itself an intricate process involv-ing all departments and demanding crucial changes.

There is now a fundamental shift in the College of Engi-neerings culture, which has been forced to develop and livequality improvement process. The initial faculty response toABET was both welcomed and considered sceptically. Butthe attitude has changed, as the bene ts become visible, andthe parties involved realise that it is not just about developinga curriculum and writing reports. The process changes thepeople that are a part of it.

On student development beyond the academia, she saysWe are also encouraging student clubs, committees. We aregetting them to participate in different aspects of universitylife. Not just on student life. We want them to participate,not just receive. We want them to be a part of the decision-making process. We encourage them to do volunteer work.They have to work in the community, because at the end of the day, this is the community they are going to work andserve. It is part of the learning process too exposure to thereal world.

Raising the Bar


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TheKnowlEDGE

On the creation of a knowledgeeconomy, Director of PublicRelations and Marketing, QF,Robert Baxter says, The big picture onrecruitment is that we see Education Cityas a resource for the region as a whole not just Qatar. Currently around 55-60 per cent of our students are Qatarinationals and the remainder are from awide range of backgrounds. We see theneighbouring GCC countries as a primerecruitment market.

He points out that what Education Cityoffers is unique worldwide. We need to be sure that people in the region knowabout it, so that university applicantscan make informed choices. In previousyears, we have attended student recruit-ment exhibitions, but we found that ourmessage was not coming through clearlyenough when we were surrounded bymany other institutions which quitefrankly are simply not in our league.

We therefore struck out on our own by organising an Education City `roadshow that started in Doha and visitedthree regional capitals. We took a hallin a large hotel and gave talks both onEducation City as a whole - its vision,history and progress - and on how togo about the mechanics of applying tothe universities there. There was ampleopportunity to meet representatives of each of the campuses and to discuss in-dividual concerns. We took advertisingahead of the event in the local press inEnglish and Arabic and had booths inshopping malls where passers-by couldpick up yers and gain some preliminaryinformation.

The new recruitment campaign hadtwo key messages.

The rst is encapsulated by the slogan

of the advertising campaign that accom-panied the road shows `Five world-class universities under one roof. If youare accepted by one of our universities,you will be following one of the worldstop degree programmes in that particu-lar eld. The degree certi cate from Edu -cation City is identical to that earned inthe home institution, and the standardsof the programme must also be identi-cal. Furthermore, you will be studyingalongside talented young people whoare in a different institution of similarrepute, and have also proven themselvesto be worthy of studying there. Your totaleducational experience will be enriched by getting to know, and interacting with,the brightest of your generation, whowill approach life and its problems fromthe standpoints of their own, chosenspecialisations.

The second message is that it may not be as dif cult to gain a place as you think.Clearly, these are amongst the most com-petitive undergraduate programmes inthe world and acceptance will be noeasier in Doha than in Richmond, NewYork City, College Station, Pittsburgh orWashington D C. Yet, there is a consid-erable talent pool in this region, and allthe universities have experienced admis-sions of cers who can recognise abilitywhen they see it. They will help you nav-igate a carefully designed process whichenables you to demonstrate whether youmeet the criteria that you are `the rightstuff. In November, Qatar Foundation

REGIONAL REACH

We need to be surethat people in theregion know aboutit (EducationCity), so that uni-versity applicantscan make informedchoices. Robert Baxter,Director of PR &

Marketing, QF


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An important step towards bridging the gap between Aca-demia and Workplace was initiated recently, through the Qtel3G Collaboration Project.

The primary goal was to attract, train and encourage tal-ented students to purse research careers in engineering andto enhance the quality of undergraduate education at the uni-versities by expanding opportunities and making research anintegral component of UG education.

Qtel, from the wireless perspective, has initiated a few col-laborations, says A Aziz Ibrahim Fakhroo, Senior Manager,Networks-Wireless, Qtel.

Unfortunately in the Middle East we dont have R&D, be-cause we are adapting industries. We dont have manufactur-ers and industries like in Europe or China and India. Whoever is evolving and setting new standards has R&D. The MiddleEast has been about adapting technologies. Now we are lay-ing the foundation to establish more R&D. As a result of whichwe may come up with something really unique for Qatar. Whenwe initiated industry-institution collaboration, it was about Qtelenhancing the students experience.

Last year Qtel sponsored a research project at Qatar Uni-versity (QU), on electro-magnetic eld study. For any projectto make sense, it has to be unique. In the region, we dontinvent technologies, we only adapt them.

This research is unique to the region, though not worldwide,in that we are trying to set up guidelines. What we did was toget QU to measure the frequency and power of the main sta-tions, to come up with some kind of guidelines. So if any op-erator comes, then there is data on the guideline for adaptingin the future. The ndings of this study can be shared in globalmeetings. While the main research is taken forward by thefaculty, the collection of information is done by the students,exposing them to a research environment.

The 3G project is an even bigger collaboration.It is a consolidated thinking between three institutions and

Qtel. Since 3G is a new technology, we thought of getting ad-ditional bene t from that. So Texas A&M in Qatar (TAMU-Q),CNA-Q and Qatar University joined forces, to establish a mu-tually bene cial collaborative research into 3G networks.

The project is expected to last for 18 months and comprisesthree phases. What we have done is get our Qtel engineersinvolved with 3-4 students, with good GPAs, from each institu-tion, put them together. We are teaching them the basics of 3G, give them a technological understanding. Then we aregetting them to do the actual measurements. For any newtechnology, 2G, 3G or whatever... we do factory testing andthen implement it. Here we are carrying out additional tests, to

assess certain parameters, evensuggest further tests to the GSMassociation.

The project is expected toachieve three main goals:

To create an opportunity for na-tional students to get exposure to the industry and real-worldactivity and as such further develop their abilities. The projectwill also establish a collaborative relationship between Qteland the key local academic engineering institutions in Qatar;Qtel will also establish through this partnership, a better un-derstanding of the characteristics of 3G through the develop-ment and execution of measurements and procedures, andthis is expected to lead to better telecom services to the localcommunity.

And, most importantly, the project will provide a source of raw and processed data as an input to various post graduateresearch activities. Researchers will have access to real datathat can be used for network performance evaluation. The out-comes of these studies are expected to be rst presented intechnical conferences as well as in the standardisation meet-ings, then to be published in high-quality peer-reviewed jour-nals. On the general opportunities to harness local resourcesand more corporate commitment, Fakhroo points out that themain problem with any new technology, not just in telecommu-nication, is that it cannot have local experts. There isnt anylocal input. Thats why we rely on foreign sources. But thereis no harm in creating opportunities locally. The 16 studentsinvolved in the 3G products are not experts, but they will learn.They maybe interested in continuing on the same lines, joinQtel. Then there is more opportunity in creating expertise.

Now, each project in Qatar should do something similar.They should not just bring in a project, put it up and get itrunning, without getting the locals exposed to the technology.This is the only chance for exposure. In the US, this is the wayit is. Students get the experience. Hope this initiation becomesa norm.

On the current standards of students, especially from Col-lege of Engineering, Qatar University, he says, I have seen alot of smart people from Qatar University, but I wish they hadmore exposure. They have potential, but they need more de-velopment. A balance in theory and practical studies. Trainingoutside of Qatar. I went for a project presentation at CNA-Q.They do something quite interesting. A team of students pre-sented a project, a business case; their language, the presen-tation skills... it was truly impressive. Such initiatives will helpin building a students con dence.

Beyond the book:

Getting them to think


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TheKnowlEDGE

We make introductions betweenindustry and Qatars univer-sities. Both already come tous expressing interest in and seeking col-laborations with the other. We expect thisto happen more frequently and in futureas the universities establish their researchprogrammes.

Texas A&M for instance is very rel-evant to the oil and gas companies inQatar, says Ben Figgis, Marketing Ex-ecutive, QSTP.

On the QSTPs wherewithal to com-pete with other similar set-ups that hopeto attract both talent and investment, hesays Qatar has to its advantage not justhydrocarbons, but a whole complementof Universities, that will take care of ex-pertise and resources.

On the proposed Energy City whichwill also be attracting petroleum com-panies, he stresses that the two projectscomplement each other. QSTP focuseson research and commercialisation ac-tivities, and is a free zone.

Our understanding is they wont beinto R&D, but more into of ce opera -tions, he says.

To ensure that the free zone status isnot violated or misused, a tenant is ex-pected to quantify its operations, and itwill be tracked annually.

On whether the big companies have

signed up at QSTP as a goodwill gestureor to genuinely promote R&D in the re-gion, Figgis points out that these compa-nies will always have technical problemsto solve. They are constantly develop-ing new technology. Instead of doing itin Houston, QSTP makes it attractive todo it here. They will always be investingin know-how, and now the opportunityexists to do that in Doha.

QSTP is not pro t-oriented; it will offerthe physical location, provide assistance,advice on commercialising technology,writing business plans etc. The eightcompanies that have signed up are giantsin their elds. But they are not the onlycompanies targeted. QSTP will be op-erational in early 2007, and closer to thatdate, we expect more small and mediumsized companies to sign-up, says Figgis

The only requirement, for setting upshop at QSTP, is that the main activity re-lates to technology development.

We also want to encourage start-upcompanies. For this we are in the processof setting up a venture capital fund anda seed fund. The criteria for the start-upswill be that development has to happenin Qatar, not outside.

QSTP has been receiving interest fromall over the GCC region, US, Europe.From O&G, environmental, IT and elec-tronics rms.

organised their rst Discover EducationCity exhibition.

We were thrilled that around 700people turned out they were literallystanding in the aisles. Understandably,

the turn-out in Manama, Muscat andAbu Dhabi was smaller, but those whocame were extremely motivated and en-gaged. It will be some time before we cangauge the success of the road shows interms of successful applications, but weare already thinking about our 2006-07recruitment campaign, building uponthis years success.

Essentially, what Qatar Foundationis doing is that it is planning the skillsneeded for Qatar to take its place as one

of the top knowledge economies of the21st century. Considerable thought isgiven to which programmes, and whichinstitutions, to invite to join us. Clearlythe universities will be producing highly

employable graduates that will staff theupper ranks of corporations.Through the Qatar Science and Tech-

nology Park (QSTP), on the other hand,corporations will also gain access to thenew research being carried out in theuniversities, and this will give them acompetitive edge. There will also be a business incubator a supportive envi-ronment where budding entrepreneurswill be able to cut their teeth in settingup their own business.

THE INCUBATOR

We are in theprocess of settingup a venturecapital fund and aseed fund. Ben Figgis, QSTP


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TAMU-QWe are involved in research programmeswith GE, which is setting up huge desali-nation plants in Qatar. And that requires big R&D. The advantage that we have forus, with TAMU being here is that we are building state-of-the-art facilities. Teach-ing is our primary objective, but researchis very important too. We have betterequipment at our labs than most univer-sities in North America, says Dr HassanS Bazzi, Professor of Chemistry & Super-visor of Chemistry Labs, TAMU-Q.

The main research opportunities will be in graduate studies that will start intwo years, when the new building be-comes operational, he adds.

TAMU-Q began its rst class in 2003,and is providing one of a kind opportu-nity for collaboration. On the responsefrom industries, and if their interestwas limited to making up numbers, DrBazzi points out, When QP talks to usand says we want 10 chemical engineersin four years, I dont think they are talk-ing about just numbers, whether they aregood or bad. They want good chemicalengineers. And from our side we willnot graduate bad chemical engineers. Wewill graduate good ones or not at all. It isTAMU standards.

He adds, You have to consider theidea of having TAMU and other Ameri-can campuses here. Earlier, Qatari andMiddle Eastern students used to go to

America to get their degrees. Now thishigh grade education has come to them.And they do appreciate it their govern-ments commitment, the opportunities...This very high scale education has cometo you, because your country needs you,to come and serve it. They dont wantyou to go and get your degree abroad andwork in America or Europe. They wantyou to get the best in your own countryand serve your country. We are servingthe community by moulding their lead-ers. This is energy-driven economy. Ourstudents are doing courses in related

elds. They will be working in this majorsector, and in the future, even head it.

Texas was in the same situation as Qa-tar in the early 20th century, when oil wasdiscovered and they were depending onother states for their skilled resources.Thats when they started this universitysystem. In effect, the government here isdoing the same.

TAMU-Q, Director of Public Affairs,Norma Haddad says, 60-70 percent of the students are Qataris, and all of themare sponsored by one of the local indus-tries. And the industries take interestin the students that they sponsor. Oncea student gets admission, he or she ap-proaches the industries for sponsorship.There is a clear message that the coun-try gives to its youth. Study hard, work hard, and you will be rewarded. So if you are good enough to get admission

ENGINEERING: BANG ON TARGET

This very highscale educationhas come to you,because your coun-try needs you, tocome and serve it. Dr Hassan Bazzi,

TAMU-Q


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TheKnowlEDGE

Ultimately, thewhole purpose of the reform pro-cess is to producegraduates who arecompetitive in thelabour market. Dr SheikhaAbdulla Al Misnad,President, QatarUniversity

to a top university, we will support you.When the students graduate, they have a job awaiting them.

QP, for instance, monitors the progress

of all the students under its sponsorship.They keep track of the students prog-ress, speak to them if they dont per-form... Some students also do summerinternship with their sponsors. This is anadvantage our students have over theirTexan counterparts their sponsors aretaking them in every summer. So thereis a rotation of practical and theory. Thisway, long before they join the industryfull-time, they become involved in the

eld, says Dr Bazzi.The percentage of foreign students y -

ing to Qatar for higher education is alsoincreasing. We have 14 nationalities,and that is very important, as educators,as an institution, for the students, hesays.

While Qatari students already have jobs waiting for them, the rest will nothave a tough time nding a job.

The disciplines they have chosen aremost pertinent to the region, and therewill be jobs for the asking, especiallywith a TAMU degree. I expect to see thestudents work everywhere. The Qatariswill prefer to work here, of course, hesays.

Visiting Associate Professor (ElectricalEngineering), Dr Khalid A Qaraqe, whois involved with the Qtel 3G collabora -tion, says that there are 26 other propos-als that have been submitted to indus-tries, for similar research projects.

We have submitted something to iCT,Kahramaa, RasGas...We want to bring inpeople from inside and outside, from un-

dergraduate and graduate programmes,and conduct research, under the super-vision of TAMU. There are ongoing col-laborations between College Station and

TAMU-Q too. We are bringing in twograduate students from College Stationto work together here.

CNA-QAn Institution that has seen tremendousgrowth within a short period of time,the College of North Altantic in Qatar, isprobably the single largest trainer, withan established collaboration with mostmajor local industries.

The Corporate Training Departmentof CNA-Q, which is not part of the Edu-cation City, offers business and trainingneeds assessments, work competencymeasurements, tailor-made training pro-grams and curriculum development forindustry, businesses and State agencies.

The College, which recently movedinto a new campus, assesses an organisa-tions needs, develops customised train-ing options and helps choose an appro-priate training sequence. The specialistsserve as consultants and coaches whowork with the management team andemployees to design, develop and de-liver innovative workplace training andlearning opportunities.

Combining a Canadian curriculumand expertise with practical skills, CNA-Q offers the corporate community theeducation they are in search of for theiremployees.

The courses that CNA-Q offers spanfrom Business Studies and EngineeringTechnology to Health Science and Infor-mation Technology.


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The CHN University, a premierinstitution outside of EducationCity, is striving to make a differ-ence in the services sector. Offering bach-elors degrees in International HospitalityManagement and International Leisure& Tourism Management, the universityhas both young students and those whoalready have jobs, and it offers two kindsof programmes.

But how popular is hospitality as a ca-reer choice?

It is a challenge to sell hospitality pro-gramme to the local population. And Idont mean only Qataris, but other Arabstoo. Because in the Gulf region, to be inthe service industry and serve other peo-ple physically, it is not usual. Managerialyes, but to serve, not always accepted,says Diederik Krom, Dean, CHN Uni-versity in Qatar.

About 40 percent of the students arelocal. There are students coming fromabroad. But over the rst few years, ouraim is to cater to the local population.We have ve campuses worldwide, andthere is continuity of curriculum throughall the campuses. So you can start in onecampus and continue in another, hesays.

Given the limited training facilities inthe services sector here, all hotel chainshere have relations with the university.

Practical training is part of our course,and the students can do it anywhere -hotels, banks, insurance... we just signeda contract with Qatar Airways for ourstudents to do practical training there.And all the students who have passedout have landed jobs, says Krom.

Alumnus, Tareq Helmi Saleh, who isworking with a local PR rm, is candidabout why he joined CHN in the rstplace. After high school I had two op-tions: Qatar University or CHN. And ithad to be the latter. They were offeringnot just a degree in hospitality but also a business degree. I knew it would lead meto prosperity... In hotels its easy to get a job. I would like to work there - but thepay is poor. So I chose a different eld.

Saleh is aware that a bachelors degreeis not enough, and that he will have toprobably do an MBA, but adds, The de-gree I have from CHN is competitive, wecovered a lot more than a regular busi-ness degree.

The Dean reiterates that the degreethey have received is one of the best inthe world, in the chosen discipline.

With nearly 40 new hotels coming upin Qatar in the next year or two, nding jobs is not going to be dif cult.

And that is only in Qatar. Saudi Ara- bia is already expressing interest. In not just recruiting, but in actually setting up

SERVICE AS A SOLUTION

It is a challengeto sell hospitalityprogramme to thelocal population.And I dont meanonly Qataris, butother Arabs too. Diederik Krom,CHN University in

Qatar

Audience at the CHN Institute Leadership Conference


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TheKnowlEDGE

a campus.CHN is also seeking new licences for

International Business Management andInternational Retail Management. InSeptember, the Masters programme inInternational Service Management will begin.

Says Waleed Abdul Rasool, an alumniworking with Commercialbank, Mostlocals are interested in Managementstudies. But when they see this name,they think it is only hospitality man-agement and that puts them off. If theyknow what we learn, they will de nitely be interested. I was working and study-ing. And for my supervisor, the differ-ence in my work and attitude is visible.The studies helped my work, and viceversa.

The scope of the local service indus-tries is so wide and varied that there wasa need for training programmes outsideof the university system.

Last year the CHN Institute wasstarted.

The Institute is far more exiblethan the University in its academic pro-gramme, and there we see a lot of linksand collaboration, says Krom.

Institute Manager Ilona Geiger saysthe original idea was to have a traininginstitute only for hospitality and tourism.Then when we had a look at the marketin Doha, we realised in general servicemanagement training was importantwherever we go, and it is not restricted

to hotels. Whatever service you provide,from very basic telephone skills to man-agement training. It is needed all overthe country. The advantage of having alocal/international training provider isthat you have the option to get trainersfrom abroad or locally, English-speakingor Arabic-speaking, depending on whomyou are training; and the development of the programme is managed by the par-ent institute in Holland. The Universityis more than a 100 years old, and linkedto it is an Institute which is more than 40years old, and with it is an experienceof 40 years of customised training. Of course, you cannot take the Dutch modeland put it in the Qatari market, but wede nitely can take the Dutch know-howand mix it with what we know here.

The Institute in Qatar focussed onthree different elds: Service manage -ment training for different providersfrom hospitals to other government bodies; English courses for individuals,which turned out to be far more popularthan we expected; and Arabic courses.We have international companies com-ing in to be tutored in Arabic. Embassiestoo.

The advantage of having reputed for-eign institutions set up campuses here isthat they bring with them an entire neweducation environment.

Like the 11th Worldwide Leader-ship Conference that the CHN Institute brought to Doha via video conferencing

Laying theAcademic Bridge Program (ABP) isprobably the rst step in preparing stu -dents for a life in the global job marketand getting them ready for their role in aknowledge-based economy.

This year, the ABP of the Qatar Foun-dation is celebrating its fth anniver -sary. The Program offers 2-semester pre-university courses in English, math,computers, science, and study skills for university success to recent high-schoolgraduates.

The ABP provides a crucial, bridg-ing step between different educationalsystems, making it easier for Qataristudents to adapt to demands of foreign(mainly American and British) universi-ties where most of them plan to study for their university degrees.

Many of the Programs students havebeen offered the chance to study in theABP thanks to generous grants from


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the Higher Education Institute and Qa-tar Petroleum. In order to qualify for agrant, students must score at least 80percent in their nal high school resultsand have a minimum of 400 in TOEFL,says Magda Rostron, Students Devel-opment Specialist, ABP.

Working with such professional sup-port, students get a unique chance tosharpen their academic and personalskills as well as better identify their tal-ents and capabilities.

While priority is given to academic ex-cellence, great emphasis is also placedon developing communication, inter-personal and social skills. Students arestrongly encouraged to engage in teamwork opportunities as well as participateactively in the process of building andstrengthening the ABP community, shesays.

To that end, a whole range of extra-

curricular activities are offered, includ-ing clubs, eld trips, social events andresearch projects. Since the Programaims to strongly promote personal andsocial development of its students, par-ticipation in such activities is consideredessential. ABP students are expected tobecome actively involved in research-ing and debating topics related to their country, such as democratic develop-ments in Qatar, environmental issues,womens rights and other public lifematters.

The Program also provides manydifferent forms of academic and psy-chological support under the commonumbrella of Student Services. Advisorsand counsellors are on hand to helpstudents with any potential study-re-lated or personal problems and dif cul -ties. Students are invited to participatein workshops and seminars on cultural

issues, enhancing intrinsic motivation,developing stress-reducing techniquesand devising coherent goal-settingstrategies. They are also encouragedto build their self-esteem based on re-alistic assessment of their capabilities.However, students are expected to takefull responsibility for their own learningand development.

The Academic Bridge Program isa unique institution in the country andconstitutes a vital step in Qatari stu-dents transition between high schooland university. Students learn how toparticipate in, take advantage of, andappreciate western academic culture.Those accepted into the AcademicBridge Program have an exceptionalopportunity to develop and master their academic, personal and social skills,thereby paving the way for future uni-versity success.

While other institutions in the country,both inside and outside Education City,

offer courses that are pertinent to localindustries, Weill Cornell is offering moreof a global career. Weill Cornell MedicalCollege in Qatars inaugural class wasin 2002. It offers a complete medical ed-ucation leading to a Cornell UniversityMD degree. The six-year programme of study comprises the two-year Pre-Medfollowed by the four-year Medical.

There is separate admissions processfor each programme, with selection of students for the Medical Programmebeing done by the Committee on Admis-sions of Weill Medical College in NewYork City, says Michael Vertigans, Di-rector of Public Affairs, WCMC-Q.

The exciting development is that for the rst time in the entire region, wewill have an American-style medicalcampus. If you look at Manhattan, wehave Weill Medical College of CornellUniversity, next door to NY Presbyterian

Healthcare System, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre, Rockefeller

University...We believe that our partnershipswith institutions in Qatar should beseen in this wider context, with all thatit brings in terms of excellence in medi-cal education, healthcare and research.Now here, we have a teaching college,across the road we will have STH, re-search programme in both places, andalso the STP. One of their aims is tohave health care companies, pharma-ceutical companies to be attracted tocome into STP, says Vertigans.

We have various partnerships along-side all of this. Not just as part of QF,but also an af liation programme withHMC. We are working closely withQatar Foundation on the developmentof medical education in Qatar and theregion; but our partnership goes muchfurther, as we move ahead on the plansfor the new STH in Education City, with

all that this will mean in terms of patientcare and research.

This has important implications for employment prospects for the medicalgraduates. STH will offer opportunitiesfor students, for them to pursue careersin the practice of medicine and research.The af liation agreement among WeillCornell, New York Presbyterian Hospi-tal and HMC is also moving ahead in theall three areas of its mission: education,patient care and research.

On the international stage, WCMC-Q regularly has a presence at meetingsof the Association of American MedicalColleges. Staff from the Medical Collegeattend other international meetings, for example of the European Council of In-ternational Schools. By being present atthese events, we are de nitely spread -ing the message about WCMC-Qs in-novative role in education, patient careand research to an audience far beyondthe region, adds Vertigans.

On Call for Life

foundation


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Carnegie Mellon University inQatar began its Professional De-velopment activities only lastAugust (the university itself started op-erations in Qatar just two years ago), but has already made some major break-throughs.

Director of Professional Developmentand International Education at CarnegieMellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q),Khadra Dualeh says it has already man-aged to attract the interest of an impres-sive number of companies.

In October 2005, she made a presen-tation to the Steering Committee of theStrategic Qatarisation Plan in the energy

and industry sector, where she spoke of the opportunity offered by the universityin supporting Qatarisation by providinghigh calibre graduates and partnering tomeet business needs and internships.

Dualeh encouraged member compa-nies to create internship opportunitiesfor Qatari students attending CMU intheir IT programme.

Qatar Petroleum Human ResourcesManager, Sheikh Abdulaziz Jassim AlThani says, We recognise the impor-tance of providing students with the op-portunity to work in their area of study.Each year, we welcome students to par-ticipate in an internship within the likely

MAKING THE CONNECTIONS

Its not a holiday,students are ex-pected to partici-pate in work-basedactivities and re-port on theirexperience. Sheikh AbdulazizAl Thani, HRManager, QP

in November last.This International Leadership Confer-

ence was for the rst time satellite broad -casted to Qatar.

There was an array of powerful speak-

ers: Stephen Covey (Legendary authorand speaker on effectiveness), Jack Welch(Most admired CEO in the 20th Century),Malcolm Gladwell (Explorer of SecondMind capabilities), Marcus Buckingham(Youngest Management Guru), Carly Fio-rina (Former CEO HP), Rudolph Giuliani(Ex Mayor of New York), and Sir RichardBranson (Founder of Virgin Group).

The intensive one-day programme waspresented to closed-circuit audiencesaround the world in 30 countries andthroughout the United States.

Qatars corporate elite of CEOs, Execu-

tives and Top Managers from Govern-ment and Private Sector attended theconference.

Following the tremendous response,CHN Institute will be transmitting the12th Annual Worldwide LeadershipConference from Texas/USA on Novem- ber 15th 2006 to more than 60 countriesworldwide.

Commercialbank presentation at CMU-Q


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area they would be employed. Studentsare exposed to the business activities of the department, they observe profession-als in action and the interrelationship be-tween company departments. Its not aholiday, students are expected to partici-pate in work-based activities and reporton their experience. Students bene t byseeing how, what they are learning at theUniversity is turned into practical busi-ness applications on a day-to-day basis.We feel this helps them with career plan-ning and their work outlook once theygraduate. We at QP bene t by establish -ing relationships with the students, wecan see them at work and how they han-dle tasks in the work place.

The CMU-Q has made its case bothstronger and wider.

We have an outreach programmewith local industries, about offering in-ternships to our students during winterand summer breaks. And also to men-tor them. Not just to provide an intern-ship opportunity and stop at that. Wewant them to continue mentoring themas they enter the elds of their choos -ing. We are planning to step up effortson mentorship programme for our stu-

dents. Conoco Phillips has already put itdown on paper that they are interestedin mentoring.

Offering UG degrees in computer sci-ence and business administration, theUniversity has managed to make con-tact, through its employer outreach pro-gramme, with private and global com-panies too.

We had invited Yasser Hamad, Ex-ecutive Director Corporate Develop-ment, to come in and talk about SalamInternational and their recruiting strate-gies. It is particularly interesting as thisis a private company and not an oil andgas company. They have spent quite alot of money in restructuring, and theirstrategies are interesting. We also invitedHSBC, particularly their Global Invest-ment Department, and they talked abouthow their hours are different. We havea lecture series going, internship pro-grammes, we have a student with Con-oco Phillips who is really enjoying herinternship there... Couple more studentsat the Speciality Teaching Hospital, as-sisting in computer and of ce work. Wehave also had a lot of other companieson campus, and have initiated discus-

We have an out-reach programmewith local in-dustries. Also tomentor them (stu-dents). Not just toprovide an intern-ship opportunityand stop at that. Khadra Dualeh,Director of Profes-sional Developmentand InternationalEducation, CMU-Q

Salam International presentation at CMU-Q


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sions on how we can hold workshopswith them, says Dualeh, adding , Twoyears down the line (when the rst classgraduates) our students will have plentyof options.

The Qatar campus has been receivinginterest from countries in the region too.

Director of Marketing and Public Re-lations, Lisa Kirchner says, We receivedapplications from 26 different countries.This year we changed our recruitingstrategies. Last year we were attendingother education exhibitions. But thisyear we had scheduled our own hoteltime with the other universities at Edu-cation City, and it was strictly about com-ing to Education City. Because it is morefocussed on us, it has already receiveda lot of applications from the region - ityielded better results.

The class of 2009 has seven studentsfrom abroad.

On the competitiveness of their stu-dents, without the luxury of governmentpatronage, Kirchner is con dent that theCarnegie Mellon network will give thema global edge.

Our students have an exchange pro-gramme. They are very competitive. Weare not making up curricula here, it isthe same thing as in Pittsburgh. They arevery competitive.

People are hungry for a quali ed ap -plicant, and I am sure that is true region-ally as well. And they are going to be as

ready to take on the global job marketas our Pittsburgh students, adds Kirch-ner.

The employer outreach programmefocuses on companies discovering mo-tivated students early and giving the op-portunity to show students the advan-tages of working for their organisation.

For companies, the whole programme becomes attractive because of the ac-cess to a quali ed and talented pool of candidates.

Says Dualeh, It grants them (thecompany) an opportunity to positivelyin uence the education of new profes -sionals in their eld. It allows them towork with students to transform theminto excellent future employees. Theywill have the opportunity to in uencestudents through the exchange of ideasand techniques. Expose them to the cor-porate work environment and providethem with real problems and solutionsthat will help produce a more competentgraduate and future professional.

HSBC Bank Middle East Limited,Global Investment Banking, Director,Kapil Chadda says, We took on NooraAl-Ansari for a Summer Internship inthe Corporate, Investment Banking andMarkets Group. Based on our excellentexperience of the intellectual capital anddiligence and work ethics demonstrated by our rst CMU intern, HSBCs Invest -ment Bank has decided to enter into a

I have seen a lotof smart peoplefrom Qatar Univer-sity, but I wishthey had more ex-posure. They havepotential, but theyneed moredevelopment. A Aziz IbrahimFakhroo, SeniorManager, Networks-Wireless, Qtel


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GE recently announced the settingup of the GE Technology andLearning Center at QSTP.

We are currently in discussions withthe local universities and other multina-tional companies at the QSTP. We envi-sion that we will have many collabora-tive relationships that will be initiated inthe coming months, says Hasan Dan-dashly, General Manager, Qatar Technol-ogy & Learning Center, General Electric,Global Research.

The industry-institution collabora-tion is as important to one as it is to theother.

GE has many active collaborativerelationships with universities aroundthe world. Below are a couple of ex-amples... In Munich, Germany, we havea setup similar to what we will have inEducation City in Qatar. Our EuropeanGlobal Research Center in located on thecampus of Technical University Munich(TUM). There, we cooperate to developenhanced medical imaging devices todetect breast cancer earlier and withoutx-rays. In Germany, we also cooperatewith the Ludwig Maximilian Universityto develop new types of solar modules inorder to reduce solar energy productioncosts.

GEs Global Research Center in the USis involved with the Stanford University.

The Global Climate Energy Project isa good example. Launched in 2002, theGlobal Climate Energy Project is a long-term research effort bringing together theworlds leading scientists from universi-ties, research institutions, and privateindustry (including Global Research) infundamental, pre-commercial researchon technologies that would foster thedevelopment of a global energy systemwith low greenhouse gas emissions.

Another example of GEs coopera-tion with universities is a seminar seriesthat our Physical Sciences TechnologyOrganization has with Johns Hopkins

We are current-ly in discussionswith the localuniversities... Weenvision that wewill have manycollaborative rela-tionships that willbe initiated in thecoming months. Hasan Dandashly,GM, Qatar Technol-ogy & LearningCenter, GE

HARNESSING LOCAL RESOURCES

long term partnership with CMU Qa-tar to have a programme of Internshipsover the Summer and Winter breaks. Wethink we have one of the best work en-vironments amongst the Multinational

organisations in Qatar and we want toattract the best to come and work for usor experience working for us. CMU of-fers us just that.

STH Project Coordinator Rif Charafed-dine says, In engaging the interns (fromCMU-Q), our focus was to create a win/win experience. First, we wanted to takeadvantage of quali ed resources to tem -porarily ll junior level positions and,second, to provide real work experienceto the students to help them become

quali ed members of the workforceupon graduation. As an organization,we feel an obligation to contribute to thetraining of future professionals.

In assigning tasks, we tried to provide

these students with responsibilities thatwould challenge them to the fullest ex-tent of their ability and their willingnessto learn. All performed extremely welland rose to the challenge, each studentdemonstrating a wide range of capabili-ties. We were not only astonished at theirproductivity but pleasantly surprised atthe enormous value they brought to theSTH team. In addition to all their hardwork, the interns also brought a freshperspective to the of ce environment.


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While it is easier to pinpoint interestedindustries for most universities at Educa-tion City, for its latest incumbent George-town University School of Foreign Ser-vice in Qatar (SFS-Q), it is going to be amore diverse range of opportunities.

At SFS-Q, the whole curriculum isabout critical thinking and questioningset norms.

For the rst batch of students, many of whom come from a background whereproblem-based learning is not common,how easy was the new system?

SFS-Q Dean Dr James Reardon-An-derson says, Actually, critical thinking isa challenge for people of all ages andbackgrounds. At least once a day, I haveto remind myself: Am I asking the rightquestion? And do I have enough evi-dence to give the right answer? I havefound the students at SFS-Q at least aswell prepared and willing to ask and an-swer these types of questions as their counterparts in the United States, Eu-rope and China, where I have also stud-ied and taught.

On the potential for hands-on expe-rience and on-the-job training for your students locally, he says, It is too earlyto tell. We do not normally expect rst-semester freshmen to go out looking for

jobs or internships. This is something wewill learn more about, as we try to helpour students nd opportunities of thistype.The primary industry with whichthe SFS-Q interacts is in diplomacy andforeign policy. We have a close workingrelationship with the Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for whom we are devel-oping a program in mid-career training,and with the foreign embassies in Doha,which our students have visited.

SFS-Q Director of Admissions LizKepferle, says they fully expect the stu-dents to have ample internship and jobopportunities, both as they go throughthe program and after they graduate.Like other Georgetown students, somewill stay close to home, nding theseopportunities in Doha: Qatari govern-mental, semi-governmental, and non-governmental organisations all couldprovide fertile ground for internship andcareer development; certain interna-tional organisations, like the United Na-tions, have a presence here in Doha andare also good possibilities. The privatesector has always been a major career choice of SFS graduates, and we ex-pect that trend to continue here. Mediainternships, for example at the variousnewspapers, the Al Jazeera outlets, or

the Doha Debates, also have stronginternship and career potential for SFS-Q students and future graduates. Eventhe oil/gas and construction industriesshould have room for non-engineers intheir staf ng needs.

Kepferle stresses, While we expectthe students to research and pursue in-ternships and jobs in elds that interestthem, we will facilitate that search to theextent possible. As on the Washingtoncampus, we encourage organisationsto contact us if they are seeking well-educated and highly-motivated studentsof international affairs to work on a parttime or temporary basis, particularly over the summer or in the coming (2006-07)academic year. We are always happy toadvertise internship and job possibilitiesamong our student body.

Mohanalakshmi Rajakumar, AssistantDean for Student Affairs, adds, Stu-dents have visited and interacted with avariety of professionals including a for-mer US Secretary of State, tours of theUS and Egyptian embassies and simu-lations of international relations in ModelUnited Nations conferences. All thesehelp them see the array of activitiespossible for those interested in globalaffairs.

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University (JHU). Every other month aspeaker comes from JHU to GE, presents

a seminar, and spends the day discuss-ing technology with our scientists. Onalternate months a GE scientist goes to JHU and does the same for the studentsat JHU. Both parties bene t by cross ex -change and potential project proposals,says Dandashly.

GE also hopes to harness local talentthrough its involvement at QSTP.

We intend to hire as many of our en-gineers and scientists as possible fromQatar and the region. We also intend todevelop internship programmes wherewe can offer students the opportunity towork at GE during their breaks. We willalso work with faculty at the local uni-versities to address technology problemsas they relate to the local economy andenvironment. Key areas of interest forus are the Oil and Gas industry, Waterscarcity, and the Environment. As moreadvanced graduate programmes are de-veloped at the universities in Qatar andthe Region, we look forward to moreadvanced cooperation like the exampleslisted above.

He adds, Education City and theScience and Technology Park give Qa-tar a big plus. Education and technol-ogy development are key pre-requi-sites for building a modern society andeconomy.

On the education set up in Qatar, hesays, The disciplines existing at the localuniversities match the needs of the localeconomy very well. We look forward tothe development of graduate schools and

advanced degrees that will facilitate moreadvanced research and engineering.

ShellShell conducted its rst learning event inNovember last year, which marked thestart of the portfolio of learning activitiesof the Qatar Shell Research and Technol-ogy Centre. About 25 senior Shell Groupexecutives of some 14 different nation-alities attended their second session of aleadership development programme.

In 2006, Shell plans to bring several toplearning events into Qatar.

Shell is a committed technology part-ner of Qatar and a global leader in tech-nological development and innovationin the oil and gas industry. It is bringinga world-class technology programme toQatar, a move which has been facilitated by the development of QSTP. The centrewill be part of Shells global research andtechnology organisation. The activitieswill initially focus on Upstream and GTLtechnologies, technical service and a re-lated training centre.

While the facilities are in place andthe support is obvious, the industry andthe government also sends out a clearmessage.

As the Energy Minister stressed to stu-dents at Education City: ...your successdepends on you. You must be ready toface challenges and know how to contin-uously improve yourself. You are obtain-ing a ne education here and that is veryimportant. But you must also challengeyourself and push yourself to achievesuccess.n

Actually, criticalthinking is a chal-

lenge for people of all ages and back-grounds. At leastonce a day, I haveto remind myself:Am I asking theright question?

And do I haveenough evidence togive the rightanswer? Dr JamesReardon-Anderson,Dean, SFS-Q

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