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Emirati students stretch educational horizons
The recently held 'Discover Education City Exhibition' opens up new vistas for local students
LAITH ALGAZ, a brilliant Emirati student, had no intention of pursuing his higher education in the Middle East. He realised that strong studies were in demand. And he wanted to be away from his family to learn to be independent.
So, in his high school final year, he applied to several universities both in the US and the UK. Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, ranked 5th at the time for its undergraduate business administration programme, was also on his list.
Prior to applying there, however, Algaz learnt that Carnegie Mellon had a newly-founded campus in nearby Qatar. Curious, he flew to Doha to find out more. To his surprise, he discovered it had an accomplished faculty, state-of-the-art facilities, a unique quantitative approach to teaching and small student to faculty ratio. Best of all, it was away from family, yet close enough for weekend visits.
Being able to afford it, Algaz had planned to bear college education expenses on his own. But before moving to Doha, he was advised to contact the Ministry of Higher Education about his chances for a scholarship. He applied late. Still, he was immediately accepted specifically to the Carnegie Mellon Qatar campus and received a full scholarship.
“I was thrilled that the Ministry of Higher Education in Abu Dhabi supported my decision to study at Carnegie Mellon Qatar and funded my tuition fees,” said Algaz, who is now majoring in business administration, class of 2010, at Carnegie Mellon at Doha.
A centre for education
For Emirati students like Algaz who are not aware of the educational possibilities in the region, Doha’s Education City organised the Discover Education City exhibition at JW Marriot in Dubai on December 12 and at the Intercontinental Hotel in Abu Dhabi the next day. The exhibition is a road show that tours various regions of the GCC each year.
“Our aim is to make students and parents understand that students in the Middle East region have a unique opportunity to learn, excel, explore, compete, debate and really stand out when they join Qatar Foundation’s Education City,” said Bryan Zerbe, director of admissions, Carnegie Mellon Qatar.
Education City, a 2,500-acre campus on the outskirts of Doha, is home to a range of education and research institutions.
Besides Carnegie Mellon, the campus also has the Qatar branches of Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts, Weill Cornell Medical College, Texas A & M University and Georgetown University School of Foreign Service.
They teach various programmes like design, engineering, medicine, computer science, business administration, information systems, Foreign Service and Islamic studies. A new school of journalism and communications is on the anvil for the next academic year. The programmes were specifically selected to equip GCC region students with professional tools to help them meet the challenges of the future.
The exhibition was aimed at potential students, their parents as well as Emirati educators. It offered information about programmes of study, scholarships, funding opportunities and financial aid packages. Students and parents were also able to meet representatives from the top U.S. universities based there.
“Although I got accepted at my top university choices, I chose Carnegie Mellon Qatar because of its obvious benefits,” said Algaz.
“Moreover, the Ministry of Higher Education in Abu Dhabi backed my decision to study at Carnegie Mellon Qatar and bore the burden of my tuition fees. What more could I ask for?”
Algaz has already completed one-and-half-year of study at Carnegie Mellon. He said he has enhanced his appreciation for mathematics, developed his writing skills, and laid a foundation for primary topics of business studies that he plans to study in detail in the next two years.
“But I believe I’ve benefitted particularly greatly from living abroad — yet close to the UAE,” he said. “I’ve learned to live independently and my responsibility has grown. And I have been able to do that while being a 50-minute flight away from my home in Dubai.”
Algaz urges other Emirati applicants to contact the Ministry as it has been extremely supportive and helpful of Emirati applicants to Carnegie Mellon Qatar.
“I’m grateful to our government,” he said. “Not only does it sponsor and support UAE nationals to study at Education City’s universities, it also appreciates that we’re getting prestigious undergraduate degrees from top-ranking American universities.”
Benefits of studying at Education City
Curriculum, teaching methods, admission requirements at Education City Qatar are identical to those in the home campuses in the United States.
Cross-registration allowed, which means that students at Carnegie Mellon Qatar for instance can take classes in art and design at Virginia Commonwealth, engineering classes at Texas A&M, foreign affairs classes at Georgetown, and so on.
Education City is recognised by the Ministry of Higher Education in Abu Dhabi so UAE nationals can be sponsored by the government.
Other sponsorships and financial aid is available from Qatar Foundation
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