DOHA: Qatar University Core Curriculum Programme (QU-CCP) will host a conference on general education in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region on October 15.
The event will see the launch of Mena General Education Network to ensure high-quality general education programmes for undergraduate education in the region.
The conference, the first of its kind in the region, is being organised in collaboration with Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U).
Themed ‘General Education in the 21st Century: A Paradigm Shift’, the event aims to promote high-quality practices and research on general education pedagogy in and for the region, and address the fundamental starting point for collaboration, Dr Maha Al Hendawi, CCP Director and Chair of the conference’s steering committee, told a press conference yesterday.
The event will bring together presidents and representatives of universities from countries in Mena and over 150 delegates from academia and industry to discuss challenges of educating youth who will become the future generation of leaders in the region.
It will be inaugurated by QU President Dr Hassan Al Derham, and will feature addresses by QU Vice-President and Chief Academic Officer Dr Mazen Hasna, Dr Al Hendawi and AAC&U Vice-President, Office of Diversity, Equity and Student Success, Dr Susan Albertine.
During the conference Dr Al Derham will launch the network to promote best practices in general education pedagogy at QU and other higher education institutions in the region by providing opportunities for working together on common goals and concerns, she said.
Keynote speakers include Vice Chancellor, Academic Affairs and Student Development, University of Minnesota, Dr Lorrie Carrel, and Head of Direct Investment, Saudi Aramco Investment Management Company, Dr Ibrahim Almojel.
Discussions will focus on the paradigm shift of general education programmes in the West and the essential role they play in preparing graduates to tackle the complexity and challenges of the 21st century.
On the sidelines, a pre-conference meeting will be held on October 14 for members of the network and a STEM workshop ‘Coding for all: Expanding access to computer science through general education’ for participants.
Dr Hasna said: “The conference reflects QU’s role as a key driver of progress and innovation in higher education in Qatar and the region. It is an important opportunity to build a global partnership on quality education, and we look forward to the outcomes and recommendations that will emerge from discussions, and which will enrich our general education component that contributes the most to QU graduate attributes.”
The steering committee includes members from universities in Mena: Dean, Preparatory Year, King Saud University; Prof Nami Aljehani, Chairperson, Academic Assessment Unit, American University of Beirut; Prof Ali El Hajj; and Director, Undergraduate Research, American University in Cairo, Dr Amani Elshimi.
The Peninsula
