Doha, Qatar: Qatar University (QU) is due to open the new academic year today. The opening of the new academic year 2023-2024 comes amid full preparation and mobilization to proceed with the march of academic, research and institutional milestones as QU is on the verge of launching a new strategy which is consistent with the third National Development Strategy 2023-2030.
The university is poised to receive nearly 30,000 students this year among them over 6000 new students who have finished the electronic orientation meetings during the two past weeks which included an overall presentation for various college procedures and services.
The university welcomed new teaching staff in various disciplines and organized the annual orientation meeting for them to highlight the university services, various departments and sections, as well as defining its identity, policies, and strategic academic, research and administrative orientations.
QU is set to announce the new strategy which is apparently consistent with the third national development strategy that combines a review of the current programmes as previously underscored by the university officials and open new colleges, departments and programmes that respond to the requirements of the current generation and generations to come, along with the requirements of Qatar National Vision 2030. The strategy also offers interaction with the digital age and the tremendous technological evolution to be optimally employed to have a crucial impact on Qatar’s renaissance and chart its bright future.
The expansion in academic programmes was followed by a tremendous growth in research facilities. Today, QU embraces 18 research centers and other supporting research facilities which contribute to achieving national priorities in development, modernization, upgrade, and global knowledge which bolster students’ capabilities and skills in scientific research, development, and creativity.
QU climbed up the QS world rankings 2024, placing 173. The latest achievement follows the announcement by Times Higher Education (THE) that QU placed 28th in the THE Asia rankings 2023, moving up 18 places from 2022 and proudly entering the top 30 universities in Asia, as well as placing 24th worldwide and first in the MENA region on the Young Universities ranking by the same ranking agency.
In addition, QU has a substantial global credit in terms of research, as its researchers have registered their local, regional, and international presence in services, research consultations and conducting joint research with numerous industrial institutions and companies. The university boasts research partnerships with scientists and researchers from over 350 institutions worldwide.
Thanks to this research excellence, a modern study from Stanford University (USA) classified scientists and researchers from QU as the most outstanding in the world citing their research papers in a variety of disciplines.
According to the study published last year, 80% of researchers in QU were among 2% most prominent scientists worldwide, citing their research production and works which is an indicative of QU’s tremendous success in educations trailblazing and producing high-quality and impactful research.
Such research successes and milestones are not limited to QU-affiliated researchers, teachers, and scientists, but its students have also contributed to this research and achieved tremendous successes, in addition to reaping gold and silver medals during the recent years in many scientific and international forums through Qatar University Young Scientists Center (QUYSC).
In light of the research successes, QU has established the Qatar University Holding Company to embrace the creative ideas of faculty members, students and researchers, within the framework of supporting Qatar’s orientation toward a knowledge-based economy, opening the door for the emergence of startups that adopt these ideas and research to be transformed into marketable products locally and externally.
QU has opened several new academic buildings during the past two years such as college of education, college of law, student affairs office and college of engineering. These buildings contain technological equipment, cutting-edge laboratories and study halls fitted with state-of-the-art technologies to offer a world-class environment that spurs students towards excellence and innovation
