Participants during the Graduate Orientation Day event.
Doha, Qatar: The Office of Graduate Studies in the Research and Graduate Studies Sector at Qatar University (QU) held an orientation meeting for newly admitted graduate students for the Fall 2023 semester. The event at the prestigious Ibn Khaldon Hall marked a pivotal moment in the academic journey of over 520 fresh minds who were accepted into various graduate programmes across all university colleges.
The orientation meeting aims to introduce newly accepted students to the unique academic journey of graduate studies. This event marks one of the crucial initial steps for students as they embark on their academic and professional endeavours with confidence and a steadfast approach.
In his opening speech, Dr. Ahmad Al Own, Dean of Graduate Studies at QU, provided an overview of the Office of Graduate Studies and the services it offers to students. He also highlighted the challenges often faced by graduate students during the transition from the undergraduate phase. Dr. Al Own underlined the significance of effective time management and emphasized the need to avoid last-minute pressure by distributing tasks evenly throughout the semester.
The event also featured notable guest speakers. Latifa Al Mansuori, a graduate of the Executive Master’s programme in Leadership, and Dr. Mohi El Din Jamal El Din, an esteemed Ph.D. holder in Architecture and recipient of the Outstanding Graduate Research Award, shared their experiences and strategies for surmounting academic challenges. Their insights highlighted the role of the college, programme coordinators, supervisors, and the Office of Graduate Studies in facilitating and addressing the difficulties they encountered. In their concluding remarks, they advised new students to work diligently, manage their time effectively, and utilize the available university resources.
Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, Professor Ghada Al Kuwari, provided a detailed explanation of important policies for graduate students and critical deadlines to consider for the Fall 2023 semester. Dr. Al Kuwari elaborated on the intricacies of the add/drop period, final withdrawal processes, and the procedure for deferring admissions. She also unveiled prestigious awards for outstanding research and dissertation excellence, along with the highly anticipated Three-Minute Thesis Competition.
Dr. Mary Newsome, Assistant Dean for Student Support, showcased the diverse services available at the Graduate Student Learning Center. From academic writing workshops to the comprehensive “Tad” training camp for thesis and dissertation authorship, the center offers invaluable support. Dr. Newsome emphasized the significance of collective workshops and personalized support sessions in fostering a collaborative learning environment.
As a testament to QU’s commitment to holistic student development, the QU Library highlighted its electronic resources that bolster research endeavours. Abdalhakim Bshawi demonstrated the library’s extensive collection of research papers and theses, available as valuable references for the students’ academic quests. The library’s advanced search capabilities, in both Arabic and English, were lauded for facilitating effective research exploration. Vice-President for Research and Graduate Studies, Dr. Mariam Al Maadeed concluded the event by congratulating the new graduate students. Dr. Al Maadeed emphasised the power of graduate studies to nurture research-driven passions and foster innovative solutions to societal challenges.
