Having spent my childhood and youth in Qatar, I always thought while growing up that I would have to leave my country for a number of years, not just for my professional career, but also for my education. As I grew up in Doha it seemed to be an accepted truth that my peers and I, all students at the Scientific School, would be expected, if not required, to attend university abroad – whether in Beirut or Cairo, Europe or North America. After that we might remain abroad, for graduate school or a job. Demographists will call this trend a “brain drain”. We in Qatar would have called it a logical option. Since our young country had no notable educational institutions and little opportunities for personal development, what other choice did we have but to leave? During the past decade while I was a teenager, this situation changed dramatically. Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development established Education City in Doha. You’re probably familiar with it. Top-tier American universities were recruited by Qatar Foundation to establish branches here to create a campus that is now one of the best in the Middle East for education and research. The universities represented in Education City include Virginia Commonwealth University, Weill Cornell Medical College, Texas A&M University, Carnegie Mellon University, Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and Northwestern University. About half of my fellow students at Education City are Qatari and the others hail from 45 other nations. It makes for quite a dynamic international marketplace of ideas. My classmates come from places like Pakistan and Lebanon, and have introduced me to their own traditions and customs, some of which I would have never known anything about. To have such a global experience right here in my home city is quite an opportunity – something I might not have been afforded had I attended a more homogeneous university elsewhere. Plus, all of our classes are in English, which encourages me to expand my bilingual capabilities and become more prepared for the international business world. Even though I am a student at Carnegie Mellon University within Education City, I am given the opportunity to round out my education with classes at the other branch campuses. There are many options from design courses in VCUQatar to Political Science courses in Georgetown. And there is no lack of things to do outside of classes. I am the president of the Student Government and Business Association in CMUQ, where I learned about the meaning of public service and a true understanding for Business. There is a wide choice of pre-professional organisations as well as volunteering opportunities. I have attended international conferences and lectures with well-known experts in their fields as well as special events such as the Doha Debates. The experiences both inside the classroom and outside the classroom at Education City truly round out my core studies. It is heartening to know that my nation is unique among its neighbours. Of course, we have vast natural wealth in oil and gas like the others in the Gulf Co-operation Council region. However, our experts have forecast a time when Qatar’s economy will be diversified beyond fossil fuels. By making Qatar a regional centre for education, we are taking an important and significant step in this direction. In addition, Education City has been touted abroad as an intelligent and effective tool in building and developing our young nation. I am proud that my attendance at Education City provides me with a world-class education, a stimulating learning environment, and the means to continue to further develop my nation into a regional leader. Education City makes me proud to be a Qatari, and also reinforces my values and ties to my family. As happy as I am to attend Education City, I can assure you that my parents are even more thrilled. They know that their son is close to home and receiving a fantastic education at a fair cost for tuition. In addition, Education City provides me the opportunity for real-life career training. Through the Qatar Foundation family, my fellow students and I are able to build a network with people from some of the region’s most innovative projects in education, research, business, technology, health and community development by applying for internships at progressive organisations like Reach Out To Asia, Sidra and Qatar Science and Technology Park. It goes without saying that such opportunities help make the transition from graduation to starting a career that much smoother. Knowing that my family is nearby – and not overseas as the case would have been had I been forced to attend university abroad – has allowed me to pursue my world-class studies with confidence, support and enthusiasm. I know that when I graduate I will be in top consideration for jobs and I know that I will remain true to the ideals that are most important to me: my values and my family.
Gulftimes