South African anti-apartheid revolutionary and peace champion Nelson Mandela once said: “Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change world”. No doubt, education is the only stairway to the growth and development of human kind, which transforms society into a better world.
The visionary leaders of Qatar realised this fact long ago and has been consistently investing whatever resources available, including billions of dollars, bringing in the cream of experts in every field of science and humanities from across the world, building enough modern infrastructure facilities, providing latest technological facilities, equipment and gadgets, inviting world’s renowned universities to open their campuses in Qatar etc. These efforts have been bearing fruits for several years now, by graduating thousands of brilliant brains and sound minds who are now employed in different strategic sectors in the country and in the wider world.
It was a proud moment for Qatar on Tuesday when some 477 students graduated from the country’s first applied university, the University of Doha for Science and Technology (USDT). The importance that Qatar attaches to education was evident from the line-up of leaders and dignitaries who were on hand to honour and recognise the achievements of the students at the graduation ceremony. Speaker of the Shura Coucil H E Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanim, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior H E Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, Minister of Education and Higher Education H E Buthaina bint Ali Al Jabr Al Nuaimi, Minister of Transport H E Jassim Saif Ahmed Al Sulaiti, Minister of State for Energy Affairs H E Saad Sheirda Al Kaabi and several other dignitaries were present.
The university is one of the main stays of Qatar’s future developments as it offers 62 applied academic programmes which prepare students for professions in the fields of technological engineering, business administration, computing, information technology, health sciences etc, key areas in which there is a high demand for talented brains.
Education is not just about making people able to read and write, but it should also contribute to the country’s development by supplying talents in specific fields in which the country focuses for future progress. Technology, computing, engineering, health etc are the sectors where there is a great demand for workforce. There is no doubt that UDST understands this well and as it is concentrating its programme offerings on such areas. With the tremendous support the government is providing to the education sector, the university can do its bit to realise Qatar National Vision 2030.
