Doha: Under the theme ‘For a Successful University Experience,’ Qatar University’s (QU) Foundation Programme (FP), under the Deanship of General Studies and in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE), launched the Al-Qabas Programme 2023 for the fifth year for high school students, with a total of 330 high school students participating in the programme.
Al-Qabas programme educates high school students from grades 10 and 11 about university life and skills required to succeed in their university studies and improve their English and math skills to enhance their successful enrollment in STEM and health majors at QU. It also showcases QU’s learning environment to attract students.
The programme was offered over three weeks. Weeks 1 and 3 included QU campus school visits, while virtual sessions were held in the second week. A total of 15 schools participated in the QU campus visits, where 165 students attended different sessions. Participating schools include Al-Bayan, Asma Bint Yazed, Roudha Bint Mohammed, Ramla Bint Abu Sufyan, Al-Eman and Qatar Secondary School for Girls, Ibn Tamiya, Omar Bin Al-Khattab, Omar Bin Abdelaziz, Jassim Bin Mohammed, Al-Doha, Ali Bin Jassim Bin Mohammed Al-Thani, Tariq Bin Ziyad and Mohammed Bin Abdelwahab Secondary School for Boys.
Students engaged in activities that raise awareness about math, English and critical thinking skills in ‘Braniac’ and ‘Math Café’ sessions. To simulate the work environment, students participated in relevant workshops such as ‘Let’s Design an App’ and ‘Fashion Entrepreneurs.’
Testing strategies were emphasised throughout the programme. Participating students received links to sample math and English tests prior to their campus visit. On arrival, students attended sessions regarding test-taking strategies for IELTS, ACT, SAT and QU placement tests. In collaboration with Qatar University’s Career Development Center, two sessions were held to raise awareness about career planning.
