NU-Q student Komil Vokhidov is working on a production of a TV series documenting Qatar’s footballing history.
Doha: Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q) students are putting their classroom education and media training into practice as they complete summer projects and competitive internships in media organisations around the world like beIN Media Group, CNN Arabic, Memac Ogilvy, and ExxonMobil.
“Our students possess knowledge, advanced soft skills, and a wide range of interests that stand out in the work they do both in and out of the classroom.
Their involvement with positions in organizations with international relevance reflects the value of their immense talent as well as their contribution to knowledge production in the region,” said Marwan M. Kraidy, Dean and CEO of Northwestern Qatar.
Antonella Sansalone, Komil Vokhidov, and Sara Al Mana are among the students working professionally over their summer break.
They are working on a production of a new TV series documenting Qatar’s footballing history with beIN Media Group, conducting research and interviews, editing documentary and film segments, and supporting in post-production and distribution work.
An avid football enthusiast from Italy, Sansalone decided to study journalism in Qatar to report from the ground on the first World Cup to be hosted in the region. She says the internship has allowed her “to combine my passion for sports and field of study … and to put the reporting skills I learned in the classroom to show that Qatar and the Middle East actually have a long history of football as opposed to what is being told in the [mainstream] media.”
For third-year journalism major Vokhidov, producing historical segments for the project has led him to explore how sports and diplomacy in the region are inextricably linked.
“Being part of this project allowed me to see first-hand how countries are using football, not only for media and soft power gains and to create a favorable international image but also as a tool for nation-building,” said Vokhidov.
“As a student in Qatar, especially at the time when such major nation-building processes are happening, you can actually witness it and have an impact on it yourself, having this opportunity and level of accessibility is pretty fascinating,” he said.
Aspiring public relations practitioner, Al Mana, wanted to expand her knowledge about elements of her country’s history that she hadn’t previously explored.
“Football is an integral part of Qatar’s development,” says Al Mana.
“Before my internship, I wasn’t really interested in football, but as I got to work on documenting Qatar’s football history, my interest in the subject has increased and I now see my work as a contribution to my country’s development,” she said.
