College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) is starting four new programmes for fall 2015 including: Minor in French, MSc Public Health, MSc Applied Statistics and PhD Gulf Studies. This was disclosed by CAS Dean Dr Eiman Mustafawi during an Advisory Board meeting held recently.
There will also be two reactivated undergraduate programmes, BSc Physics and BSc Mathematics.
CAS’ progress, growth, and future plans were discussed at meeting for the academic year 2014-2015, which was was opened by QU President, Prof Sheikha Al Misnad, who welcomed the members to the meeting.
The meeting was attended by Saad Alrumaihi, Secretary to H H Father Emir for Pursuance Affairs, Advisory Board Chair, Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Secretary General and CEO, Qatar Olympic Committee, Dr Hassan Al Mohannadi, Director of the Diplomatic Institute, Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Advisory Board Vice Chair, Said Al Muhannadi, Senior Advisory to the President and CEO, Qatar Petroleum, Prof Gilles Bousquet, Senior Special Assistant for International Strategies for the President of the University of Wisconsin System, Dr Jennifer Dupont, Research Director, ExxonMobil Research Qatar, Dr Adnan Shihab-Eldin, Director General, Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences.
Dr Eiman noted that CAS has 17 undergraduate programmes, 6 graduate programmes, 6209 undergraduate students, 116 graduate students and 480 academic staff.
Dr Eiman presented data on the performance of the college against its annual action plan. CAS faculty received 25 research grants valued at QR44,378,114, an increase of 19 percent from the previous year, observing that the percentage of faculty’s indexed publications was above the expected target (68 percent).
During the last academic year, CAS signed 7 MoUs with local and international institutions such as University of Dalhousie, Middle East Institute at the National University of Singapore, Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Katara, Hamad Medical Corporation, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo and Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar.
She highlighted the progress made last year, which included promoting students’ professional development and employability. This was done through conducting a number of soft skills workshops, enhancing the teaching and learning process by adopting a hybrid E-learning approach in some courses. During the last year the college worked on the recruitment of more students to programs in applied sciences, and the targets were achieved except for the programs of Public Health and Statistics programs. Success was achieved on increasing student exchange programs which provide a range of study abroad opportunities, conferences, and cultural trip. Furthermore, she highlighted the development of extra- curricular students activities and clubs, observing that the percentage of initiated student club associations linked to departments was twice the target.
On the measures that were below target Dr Eiman noted that two Graduate and two undergraduate programs were supposed to be approved but have been postponed until 2014-15. She also pointed out that research positions advertised have been filled only partially.
For the current academic year, CAS has thus far expanded its local and international connections through signing 8 MoUs with many local and international institutions, namely: Naufar Project (Qatar Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center), Korea Foundation, The Institute for Energy Economics, Institute of Developing Economics (IDE-JETRO) Japan, Osaka University, Australian National, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Denmark University and Primary Health Care Corporation.
She also noted that CAS’ 3 interdisciplinary research centers, the Sustainable Development Center, the Humanities and Social Sciences Center, and the Gulf Studies Center, have started their activities to enhance research productivity in the college through organizing remarkable events including workshops, seminars, conferences, and engaging the faculty.
Dr Adnan Shihab-Eldin commended the College for pursuing a liberal Arts and Sciences education. He indicated that graduates of liberal Arts and Sciences could fit in any work environment and not necessarily directly related to their specific majors. He also noted that students across the Gulf, as well as the public, do not realize that the highest paid graduates in the banking industry for example are PhD holders in physics and mathematics.
Saad Alrumaihi talked about the need to launch an awareness campaign to educate the public on this issue, noting that those students who are adept at mathematics are often encouraged to study Finance instead of Mathematics as most parents will not realize the application of a Mathematics degree in the job market.
Dr Jennifer Dupont said that it may be beneficial to add courses in statistics to the major requirements of more popular programs such as Biology and Chemistry as a way to allow more students to acquire skills in this important area. Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani stressed the importance of student internships in the last 6 months of their undergraduate study as a bridge to employment post-graduation. He asked the college to consider introducing such courses to majors that do not require them.
Dr. Adnan also noted the importance of recruiting exceptional visiting professors from Qatar, the Gulf, and internationally in order to work towards CAS’ vision. Dr Eiman responded that CAS has indeed been using this scheme for niche programmes, such as Gulf Studies Master Program which hosts prominent scholars specialized in issues related to the Gulf in a semester by semester basis.
Dr Hassan Al Mohannadi indicated that the highest performing students in the Diplomatic Institute over the past three years have been from QU which shows the quality of the university. He noted that his experience with QU graduates of the last 3 years is very positive, adding that majors such as History can produce excellent candidates for the Diplomatic Institute.
The Peninsula
