Tribune News Network
Doha
Students based in Lebanon who have overcome challenges and barriers to access higher education and excel in their studies are to advance their learning journey within Qatar Foundation’s globally unique education ecosystem, through a new partnership between the organisation, Education Above All Foundation, and the American University of Beirut.
Study Abroad in Qatar – a component of the Qatar Scholarship Programme, a project of Education Above All (EAA) Foundation’s Al Fakhoora programme – will initially see six scholarship recipients from the American University of Beirut (AUB) placed within two Qatar Foundation (QF) partner universities, Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar and Texas A&M University at Qatar, during the 2024 spring term.
An agreement signed at the 2023 WISE Summit will also pave the way for more AUB student cohorts to travel to Qatar and benefit from the diverse, multidisciplinary landscape of learning that QF’s Education City offers, with world-class universities standing alongside research and innovation hubs, and community programmes and initiatives.
Over the next two years, up to 15 Qatar Scholarship recipients from AUB – selected based on their areas of specialisation and academic performance – will travel to Qatar to study at QF, becoming part of the Education City student community and adding a new dimension to their learning experience within and beyond the classroom.
“We are thrilled to welcome students from the prestigious American University of Beirut into our diverse academic community at Education City,” said Francisco Marmolejo, President of Higher Education and Education Advisor, Qatar Foundation.
“This partnership is not just about providing students with the opportunity to acquire knowledge from top universities at Qatar Foundation; it’s about developing a global mindset with a sense of community engagement, encouraging inter-institutional collaboration, fostering long-lasting partnerships, and, more importantly, preparing our students to be leaders in an interconnected world.”
EAA’s Qatar Scholarships Programme provides opportunities for marginalised youth to pursue their higher education at leading, academically rigorous universities. Since its establishment, it has provided over 9,000 scholarships to students from nine countries.
Talal Al-Hathal, Al Fakhoora Programme Director, said: “Study abroad greatly enriches a student’s academic journey, allowing them to learn in new, dynamic environments, expand their personal and professional networks, and make life-long memories.
“Education Above All Foundation, in partnership with AUB and QF, is proud to be able to provide this opportunity to our Qatar Scholarship scholars from the American University of Beirut, to spend a semester abroad at the prestigious universities here in Qatar.”
Zaher Dawy, Provost, the American University of Beirut, said: “The vision that we adopted for the Qatar Scholarship-EAA programme at AUB emphasises our commitment to accelerate access to world-class higher education, connect with values-aligned partners, and engage our students in meaningful learning opportunities. We are confident that the initiative we launched today will embody this vision, setting a new standard for impactful collaboration to provide transformative educational experiences.”
QF’s ecosystem of education includes its own Hamad Bin Khalifa University and seven international partner universities specialising in key fields for Qatar and the region, as well as 13 schools, specialised research and innovation centres, and centres and programmes for community engagement, all of which integrate and interact. This ecosystem creates opportunities for students to gain real-world research experience, become community leaders, and benefit from cross-cultural interaction within a student body of over 10,600 learners of 90-plus nationalities.
