DOHA: Twenty-three exceptional Qatari students have been named National Vision Scholars in the inaugural Summer Engineering Academy (SEA), an elite, ten-day academic enrichment programme at Texas A&M University
at Qatar.
SEA, which runs from June 28 until July 9, is designed for outstanding Qatari students who will enter grade 12 in September, said Dr Hamid Parsaei, Director of Academic Outreach at Texas A&M at Qatar. The programme engages students in research projects that are related to Qatar’s research challenges in energy, water and cybersecurity.
“The National Vision Scholars are working closely with some of our most prominent faculty researchers to help devise solutions to Qatar’s research challenges,” Parsaei said.
Parsaei said the goal was to entice young Qataris to choose educational pathways in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) disciplines. For that initiative, Texas A&M at Qatar partnered with Maersk Oil Qatar (MOQ) to host SEA and a 10-day Future Engineers Program, which runs parallel to SEA and engages more than 40 Qatari students rising into grades 10 and 11.
Sheikh Faisal Al Thani, Deputy Managing Director of MOQ, said investment in human capital was essential for Qatar’s progress toward a knowledge-based economy.
“At MOQ we are committed to fulfilling the potential of the country’s young people — the very people who will help shape Qatar’s future,” Sheikh Faisal said. “By offering our expertise, capabilities, resources and passion, we aim to increase curiosity, enthusiasm and engagement in STEM subjects for all students. We’re proud to support their development and look forward to helping realise the impact that these bright young minds can have on Qatar’s progress.”
As the largest private-sector supporter of STEM skills in Qatar, MOQ has played a vital role in driving the development of a number of successful educational programmes and initiatives in the past few years. It has worked closely with leading partners such as Texas A&M, the College of the North Atlantic Qatar (CNA-Q) and Qatar University (QU) to achieve these aims.
MOQ has shaped the focus of each of these programmes around delivering against three key objectives. First, to increase engagement and support the progress and development of students in STEM subjects from primary to high school.
Second, to build the capacity and capability of teachers and educators through enhancing and accelerating their professional development as well as providing access to leading teaching practices and tools.
Third, the vision to build a strong STEM education research base accessible to quality graduates that promotes the application of technology to transform the learning environment.
The Peninsula
