| Qatar University | |
|---|---|
Qatar University |
|
| Established | 1973 |
| Type | Public |
| President | Sheikha Abdulla Al-Misnad |
| Academic staff | >700 |
| Undergraduates | >8000 |
| Location | Doha, Qatar |
| Campus | Urban 2,000 acres (8.1 km2) |
| Former names | University of Qatar |
| Publications |
Campus Life (English) |
| Affiliations | Union of Arab Universities League of Islamic Universities International Association of Universities |
| Website | www.qu.edu.qa |
Qatar University (Arabic: جامعة قطر; transliterated: Jami'at Qatar) is a public university in Qatar, located on the northern outskirts of the capital Doha. In 2009 there were 8,221 students, of whom 73% were female. Courses are taught in Arabic (in education, arts and social sciences courses) or English (in natural sciences, engineering and business courses). The university is the only government university in the country.[1] The university currently hosts seven colleges – Arts and Sciences, Business and Economics, Education, Engineering, Law, Sharia and Islamic Studies, and a newly instated College of Pharmacy – with a total of almost 8000 students at a 13:1 student-teacher ratio. Additionally, students entering the university are initially placed in a “Foundation Program”, which ensures the acquirement of regionally crucial skills such as math, English, and computer technology.[2]
Qatar University offers the widest range of academic programs in the State of Qatar, most of which are for undergraduates. Many of its academic departments have received or are currently under evaluation for accreditation from leading organizations.[3] In addition to undergraduate academics, QU has a research infrastructure including advanced research labs, an ocean vessel, cutting-edge technical equipment and a large library housing thousands of books, including an invaluable collection of rare manuscripts. The University commonly serves on behalf of the government and private industry to conduct regional research, particularly in areas of the environment and energy technologies. Qatar University has a diverse student body comprising over fifty-two nationalities, the majority of which are Qatari nationals. Women make up approximately 70% of the student population, and are provided their own set of facilities and classrooms.[4] QU has an alumni body of over 30,000 graduates.[5]
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The institution was established as the College of Education by a decree from the Emir of Qatar in 1973. The college began with a total of 150 students, including 93 women and 57 men and was later expanded to become the University of Qatar in 1977 with four new colleges : Education, Humanities & Social Sciences, Sharia & Law & Islamic Studies, and Science. Three years later, the College of Engineering was established. By then, the number of enrolled students was 2,600. This was followed by the establishment of the College of Business & Economics in 1985. The new colleges prompted a large expansion of the university campus, which was overseen by Aga Khan Award for Architecture recipient Kamal El Kafrawi.[6] By Fall Semester 2005 / 2006, the number of registrants for study at Qatar University had reached 7660 male and female students, equaling almost 1/6 of the eligible Qatari population.[7]
As of 2011 there are 7 colleges: College of Education, College of Arts and Sciences, College of Shariah and Islamic Studies, College of Engineering, College of Law and College of Business & Economics and the College of Pharmacy. The new College of Pharmacy [1] was established in 2006, with its first intake of BSc (Pharm) students in 2007.
The Qatar University Reform project was an undertaking which evaluated and restructured the university administration and direction to enhance the quality of instruction and place emphasis on research.[8] The Reform was initiated in 2003, led by His Highness Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, QU President Dr. Sheikha Al Misnad, and the newly established Office of Institutional Research and Planning (OIPD).[9] It focused primarily on three principles; “Autonomy”, “Decentralization”, and “Accountability”.[10] While the University had previously operated as a government entity, the reformed institution would be an autonomous body governed by a board of regents who reported to the Emir. This fundamental change in approach now allowed the University to manage its own finances, stated objectives & vision, and personnel and decentralization within the university granted similar financial and personnel control to respective colleges, departments and programs.[11]
Academically, the Reform resulted in the establishment of offices such as the Student Learning Support Center (SLSC) and Student Counseling Center (SCC). Additional construction was also undertaken to ensure accessibility of university facilities by handicapped persons.A new newsletter, Tawasol also began publication in the university[12]
The reform also changed the title of the university from “University of Qatar” to “Qatar University” with a new slogan; “Qatar University, Changing for You” and a new university logo.[13]
As part of a small nation with a strongly focused economy, the University is highly sensitive to the economic and social demands of both business and its students. Since the university’s growth and development have historically mirrored that of industry, QU has formed strong bonds with many regional organizations. While possibly influencing the development of programs, these connections more commonly benefit students by helping them understand the marketability of various degrees, and allowing them to take advantage of industry support, by way of scholarships, endowments, research grants, and other forms of collaboration.[14]
Since the reform project, QU has begun making of stronger point of being "Aligned to the country's national goals" and claiming a strong commitment toward contributing to Qatar’s national vision. This reflects an increased emphasis on nationalism in the current global social climate, as well as the continued involvement of government authorities with the university, including board of trustees Chairman H H the Heir Apparent Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. The Emir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani maintains a continued interest and involvement as well, issuing his latest revision of the university Board of Trustees on Feb 10, 2009.[15]
The University actively contributes to the process of “Qatarization”, which places a strong emphasis on the hiring and support of national citizens. While western nations may have trouble implementing such a system due to equality legislation, Qatari nationals only account for approximately 1/4 of the country’s population, and this movement is deemed necessary to maintain cultural and national identity.[16][17]
Qatari leaders have recognized the fallibility of oil and natural gases as a long-term economic model, especially for a smaller area such as Qatar. In the past years, large initiatives have been established to develop Qatar as an intellectual economy, with particular expertise in the field of common regional energy and industrial processes.[18]
In addition to this, the University has directed a large amount of funding towards contribution to international projects. This has included taking part in global environmental studies through regional measurements, promotion of energy-awareness, and the recent contribution to CERNE of data gathered through the university’s new positron beam.[19]
Since graduate programs are not available in many fields, Qatar University often works closely with a network of international affiliate schools. Students who have shown exceptional potential or progress can often receive sponsored by the University for graduate studies abroad, on the condition that they will return to work once finished.
Qatar University is situated on the northern edge of Doha, approximately 16 kilometers from the city center. Due to the growth of the city, this area has recently become more valuable, and a popular development site for upscale residential and commercial buildings. QU has agreed to lease a portion of its property to the construction of new commercial zones to the north and east, as well as a substantial plot for the College of the North Atlantic to the south.[20]
The University is rapidly growing as well, and has allocated 800,000,000 Qatari Riyals (QAR) towards the building of several new facilities. These are to include a new engineering building on the women’s campus, which will have state-of-the-art studios for architectural engineering students, a 42-classroom extension to accommodate up to 1,200 students, an 18,000 sq. meter library, a new College of Business & Economics building and a Food Hall. Additionally, a QAR 20 million Scientific and Applied Research Center is currently under construction to further advance the University’s research efforts and abilities.[21]
The College of Arts and Sciences was established in the academic year 2004/2005 through the merging of two former colleges; the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, and the College of Science. It is currently the largest college by both number of programs and student population at Qatar University, with a total of 2383 students; 1933 Arts majors and 450 Science majors. This reflects approximately 37% of the student body. The College currently employs around 240 faculty members, including Dean Dr. Kassim Ali Shaaban.[22]
Departments:[23]
Programs:
Founded in 1985, it has recently begun work on a new QR 185 million facility to accommodate its student body and provide “state-of-the-art” resources.[25] Dr. Nitham M. Hindi was appointed as Dean August 2010.[26]
Departments:
An MBA degree program is available for graduate students, as well as a CPA testing program.
The College of Education was the primary academic body under which Qatar University was founded in 1973. It has undergone a number of revisions and physical relocations, and grown considerably with the university.[28] The current dean is Dr. Hissa Sadiq.
Departments:
The College of Engineering was first established in 1980, and has become one of the largest at Qatar University.[29] The College’s previous Dean, Dr. Alfadala, was also the founder and former Chairman of the University’s Gas Processing Center (GPC) research facility.[30] The current Dean is Dr. Mazen Hasna.
Departments:[31]
In 2004, Qatar University instated a new College of Law by separating the law department of the existing College of Sharia. 45% of its graduate program is instructed in English.In 2008 it asked the ABA to conduct a full-scale, on-site evaluation of all aspects of the school’s objectives, programs, and administration.[32] Dr. Hassan Abdelrahim Okour was recently appointed as Dean in August 2010.
Programs:
The College of Pharmacy at Qatar University was founded as a college in 2008. This is the first pharmacy college to be established in Qatar. It began as a program in 2006, and saw its first student intake in 2007. 2008 also marked the College’s accreditation by the CCAPP (Canada), and became the first international pharmacy program to receive accreditation by that organization.[33][34] Dr. Peter Jewesson has been the College Dean since its inception, and had also been the director of the previous Pharmacy program.
The College of Pharmacy offers three degrees:[35]
Further information about these degree programs can be found on the college website.
College of Sharia and Islamic Studies was among the first founded at Qatar University when it was established in 1977. In recent years, it added new major and minor programs in subjects such as “Da’wa and Media” and “Banking and Insurance”.[36] Dr. Aisha Yousuf Al-Mannai is the current dean.
Departments:
The Sport Science Program was opened to students in the Fall 2009 semester. The Program was constructed as a joint project sponsored by the Aspire sports academy.[37] While QU's Sport Science program is not an independent college, it has been formed with autonomy from the other colleges, much as the current College of Pharmacy began.
The Program offers a Bachelor of Science degree which allows for one of 3 concentrations:
Qatar University's honors program was established to encourage positive student academic and recreational efforts, providing a parallel set of courses and academic opportunities for high-achieving individuals. Students in the program are required to complete a total of 24 credit hours of honors courses, as part of the 120 necessary for their undergraduate program. Students must graduate with an overall GPA of 3.5 or above, with a minimum score of 3.0 in all honors courses.[38] Qatar University holds strict requirements for students wishing to apply:[39]
In addition to academic advisers, Honors students are assigned an advisor to assist with honors issues and other consultation.[40] For courses which are not offered as Honors, students may propose an "Honors Contract" to specify honors-level objectives and goals to be monitored by a sponsoring professor.[41] Professors may propose new honors courses, though they are evaluated to comply with the program's mission of "enrichment, not extra." [42]
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