President of Qatar University (QU) Dr. Hassan bin Rashid Al Derham
Doha: President of Qatar University (QU) Dr. Hassan bin Rashid Al Derham underlined that the support given by the wise leadership to education was primarily behind the achievements made by QU in various academic, corporate and research levels, positioning itself as a leading institution among the international universities.
On the occasion of celebrating the graduation of 46th batch of QU students, President of QU said that all institutions in the country receive care from the wise leadership represented in H H the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, as His Highness provides top priority and unlimited support to education, to build clear-minded individuals armed with contemporary knowledge as well as the ability to handle national responsibilities.
In addition, President of QU noted the support and care the university is receiving from H H the Deputy Amir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani who chairs its board of trustees, pointing out that the graduation ceremony is a fruit of long effort that deserves to be honoured.
Graduating qualified cadres in various disciplines is one of the most important and fundamental objectives for QU, Al Derham said. In addition to the 46th batch, there is a batch of thousands of graduates, who have been, and will always have a positive and constructive impact on each corner of the country, he added.
President of QU explained that in order to achieve its ambitious objectives, the university has determined a fundamental four-pillar research in consistent with Qatar National Vision 2030, represented in energy, environment, health, vital medical sciences, IT and communications, as well as social and humanitarian sciences.
He pointed out that QU has engaged in conducting research and projects that served Qatar’s hosting of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 tournament and made it successful, such as stadiums’ cooling projects to be sustainable and smart devoid of carbon emissions.
Through a team from the College of Engineering and in cooperation with the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, the university developed smart systems and technologies for management and control of fans during the tournament, including technologies of face authentication and detection of abnormal incidences, Al Derham explained. The QU has started to enter the world of digital space in collaboration with Metavisionaries Company, in a bid to record the name of Qatar and its impacts in this aspect, he said.
He also announced the imminent completion of preparing a new strategy for QU, which will represent the largest shift to self-based learning, understanding, research, innovation, experimentation, and the use of technology to produce a sustainable knowledge economy through QU Holding Company. This shift contributes to the comprehensive renaissance taking place in Qatar and transform ideas and research into practical application and projects on the ground.
To achieve this approach, QU opened the Digital Learning and Online Education (DLOE) Office, new colleges, departments, and programmes, as well as programmes in cooperation with various state institutions, he said, adding that the expansion is qualitative and quantitative at the same time, and copes with the requirements of the National Vision 2030.
He stressed that QU has succeeded in achieving more than 90 percent of its current strategy (2018-2023), despite the challenges that faced the whole world, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and the restrictions and measures imposed to reduce it.
He said that QU today ranks second in the Arab world, and 208 in the world, and has obtained institutional accreditation from several international bodies, including WASC. Some of QU’s colleges have obtained academic accreditations from other international institutions, in light of its high-quality educational environment and outstanding academic education that contributes to building a knowledge economy and meets national needs.
Regarding the rise in the international rankings, Al Derham explained that rankings are not a goal that the university actively seeks, but rather are a by-product of QU’s plans, programmes, and initiatives.
Al Derham stated that the Shanghai ranking ranked QU among the best 600 universities world-wide, whereas the Times Higher Education (THE) ranks QU among the top six universities when it comes to the international Expectations Index for the 7th year in a row. Al Derham revealed that QU intends to construct a building for the College of Medicine and a building for administrative services.
Concluding his comments to QNA, QU President affirmed that QU is a source of pride for every Qatari and Arab due to its record of accomplishments.
