Universities from across Education City are joining together to invite the community in Qatar to learn more about their academic offerings at Discover Education City 2015. Previously focusing on undergraduate programs, the scope of this year’s fair has expanded to include and highlight graduate programs at the master’s and Ph.D. level. The event will now cater to high school students, recent college graduates, and working professionals. It will be held on October 13 and 14 from 5pm to 9pm at the Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) Student Center within Education City.
Organized by level of study, attendees will have a unique opportunity to gain insight into the academic offerings of Qatar Foundation’s partner universities alongside HBKU, its homegrown university, while developing a thorough understanding of the specific admissions processes for each institution. The event will feature nine universities in total: Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Texas A&M University at Qatar, Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar, Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar, Northwestern University in Qatar, HEC Paris in Qatar, and UCL Qatar.
Commenting on Discover Education City, Ilker Baybers, Dean and CEO of Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar, said: “This event is an opportunity for potential students to explore different institutions and programs. I encourage high school students with an interest in biology, business, computer science, and information systems to come and meet us and see what CMU-Q has to offer.”
Dr. Khaled Ben Letaief, Provost of Hamad Bin Khalifa University, remarked: “As we prepare to open our admissions cycle for the next academic year, we look forward to meeting prospective students at Discover Education City. In bringing together a unique range of research focused post-graduate programs at the masters and Ph.D. levels and an advanced degree in law, HBKU has created an exceptional series of educational experiences for Education City. We want to urge members of the wider community of Qatar to visit the event to see how post-graduate university study can help unlock their own potential.”
Graduate degrees featuring at the fair for the first time include HBKU programs in law, biomedical and biological sciences, sustainable energy, sustainable environment, energy and resources, translation studies, and Islamic studies, an MFA in design studies offered at VCU Qatar as well as an executive MBA program and specialized master’s degrees in strategic business unit management by HEC Paris in Qatar. In addition to these programs, UCL Qatar will provide information about its master’s degrees in library and information studies, archeology of the Arab and Islamic world, and conservation studies. A number of universities will also provide details of their postgraduate diploma or certificate programs.
Regarding the creation of a specific postgraduate section this year, Nasser Al-Binali, Head of HBKU Student Recruitment, noted: “For a number of years, the branch campuses of some of the world's leading universities have provided exceptional opportunity for study at the undergraduate level. This year we are pleased to also be giving an opportunity to tell prospective students about the greatly expanded range of postgraduate programs now on offer. At HBKU alone, there are now 18 postgraduate programs being offered thanks to the introduction of a significant number of programs earlier this year.”
Professor Laoucine Kerbache, Dean of HEC Paris in Qatar, also reflected on the event: “Today’s highly globalized business and economic environment presents students and aspiring professionals with new and rapidly evolving challenges. This has put high quality education and training as a top priority in the acquisition of the required leadership and entrepreneurial skills. Accordingly, making the choice of which educational institution to acquire such knowledge and training from is as vital and crucial as the entire learning process itself.”
He continued: “Discover Education City is a perfect opportunity for HEC Paris to interact with students and aspiring professionals, and assist them in making the right decision that will surely prove beneficial to their personal career goals.”
For further information about the event, please visit http://www.hbku.edu.qa/dec or email outreach@qf.org.qa.