DOHA, QATAR The perception by Koreans of this tiny Middle Eastern country is largely limited to its rich reserves of oil and gas.

As Qatar’s second largest importer of natural gas after Japan, Korea has been an important business partner for the nation, which boasts the world’s second highest GDP per capita at $61,902.

March 28 marked the launch of the first-ever direct flight between the two countries by Qatar Airways and the bilateral relations have entered a new threshold, according to the top Korean diplomat stationed here. He emphasized that the time has come for Koreans to discover the unknown facets of Qatar, particularly its strength in quality university education.

“So far Koreans have been woefully ignorant of Qatar and the Middle East in general,” Chang See-jeong, Korean ambassador to Qatar said in a recent Korea Times interview at his residence.

While the Korean business presence has been growing here, the 54-year-old career diplomat expressed his wish to see more Korean students benefiting from studying in Qatar, which he perceives could be a primary breeding ground for the next generation of Middle East specialists from Korea.

The country is home to a number of extended campuses of some of the most prestigious U.S. universities, including Cornell, Georgetown, Carnegie Mellon and Northwestern, among others.

They are housed in the Education City, built and operated by the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, a private foundation established by His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of Qatar.

“I hope to see more of our young students choosing Qatar for university education, rather than going to the U.S.,” Chang said. “A U.S. degree does not automatically guarantee jobs in the U.S. or in Korea. I urge young Koreans to broaden their horizons and consider the Middle East when thinking about an overseas college education.”

The ambassador explained that the Education City houses the most competitive disciplines of each of the U.S. universities.[Read More]