OU officials during the press conference to announce the awards.
DOHA: Qatar University (QU) has announced the launch of a new set of awards for graduate students, aimed at promoting academic and research excellence.
These awards are part of the university’s strategy to provide a stimulating learning environment that fosters innovation and creativity among graduate students across various disciplines. They also seek to highlight outstanding research contributions and encourage students to make valuable contributions that support the country’s aspirations in the fields of knowledge and innovation.
The graduate student awards include college-level awards such as the Best Master’s Thesis Award, Best PhD Dissertation Award, Best Research Paper Award, and Best Capstone Project Award. At the university level, the awards include the Best Master’s Thesis Award, the Best PhD Dissertation Award, and the Best Capstone Project Award.
The Best Capstone Project Award is a new addition, targeting capstone projects from master’s programmes that adopt this type of research output. The evaluation of research projects will be based on several criteria, including novelty in the field, theoretical framework, research impact, and stakeholder engagement. Students will receive scores based on the quality of their work: 3 points for top evaluations, 2 points for average evaluations, and 1 point for lower evaluations. One winner from each college will be honored during the Annual Research Forum.
During the press conference, Prof Ibrahim Al Kaabi, Vice-President for Academic Affairs at QU, stated, “We are pleased to announce the launch of the graduate student awards, which represent a key pillar in supporting academic excellence and enhancing the quality of graduate programmes at QU. These awards reflect our ongoing commitment to advancing the standards of education and research and to encouraging graduate students to achieve outstanding academic accomplishments that contribute to knowledge development and community service. They also aim to recognise pioneering scientific efforts and inspire students to embrace excellence in their research, reflecting the high quality of higher education and research at the University.”
Prof Aiman Erbad, Vice-President for Research and Graduate Studies at QU, noted that in line with QU’s mission to foster impactful research addressing societal challenges and aligned with the Qatar National Vision 2030, the awards were developed to honor exceptional theses, dissertations, and research projects by graduate students in various disciplines. These awards are designed to motivate students to adopt standards of excellence and strengthen their research capabilities in addressing issues that benefit the community. The award process consists of two stages: the college level followed by the university level.
Prof Erbad added, “The University offers an integrated academic environment that supports creativity and innovation and contributes to the preparation of qualified research professionals. These awards also provide students with broader opportunities for scientific publication, career engagement, and building strong academic networks. We are proud of our students and remain committed to supporting and encouraging them toward further academic excellence.”
Dr. Ahmad Al Own, Dean of Graduate Studies, affirmed that as the nation’s premier university, QU is continuously working to enhance its academic framework to provide an environment that enables students to benefit from available resources and achieve academic excellence. He explained that several awards have been updated or newly introduced to focus on student outcomes in master’s and doctoral programmes, including honours for top theses, dissertations, and research projects that contribute to societal development and the advancement of scientific research. New awards such as Best Research Project have been added.
“We are proud to recognize these outstanding academic achievements and reaffirm our continued support for our students on their academic journey,” Dr. Al Own said.
