By Fazeena Saleem
A new institute for graduate studies is gearing up to open its doors for students in October to provide a unique platform for teaching, learning and research.
The Doha Institute for Graduate Studies will provide learning and research opportunities in ten different majors in the fields of Social Sciences, Humanities and Public Administration and Development Economics.
The institute will give students a unique opportunity to advance their studies and research experience in Arabic, while establishing relationships with their peers and distinguished faculty from the Arab region and beyond.
Speaking to The Peninsula Mohamad Chehade, Admissions Manager, Department of Enrolment and Student Affairs, Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, said that the prime aim of the institute is to build an education model unique to the region.
“It’s here for two things, one is the need for social science degrees, and these majors are marginalized in the Arab world. People usually go for medicine or engineering and for a career in that path. Other thing is that in the Arab world lately the trend has been to import different models like the American Universities and the British Universities. So why not create a model of our own as an institution in the Arab world with majors in social sciences and public administration and the most interesting part is that the education will be in Arabic,” said Chehade.
He said that the new institute will fill the gaps of graduate studies in the region while complimenting other universities and educational institutions in the country.
“Having this institution here in Qatar, will allow a number of people to remain in the region. For example in the case of Qataris, if they have the opportunity to stay in Qatar, its way better for them,” said Chehade.
The Institute
The Doha Institute for Graduate Studies is an independent institution operated exclusively for educational, research and public service purposes. It was founded in 2014, as an autonomous legal entity, by the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies.
“The project has been in the pipeline for over three years. Doha Institute started as the Arab Centre for Research and Policy Studies. People at the Arab Centre thought about creating an entity that will give space for higher learning and called it Doha Institute for Graduate Studies,” said Chehade.
The institute is expecting to get its license approved by the Supreme Council of Education (SEC) soon.
“We have completed all requirements needed for the licensing. They have done their visits and we should get it any time,” said Chehade.
It will apply for regional and international accreditation in due time, mostly after the first batch of students graduate in two years and once the institute is ready to offer doctorate studies.
Two Schools
The Doha Institute for Graduate Studies compromises of two schools - School of Social Sciences and Humanities and School of Public Administration and Development Economics.
The school of Social Sciences and Humanities offers programmes in Philosophy, History, Sociology and Anthropology, Political Sciences and International Relations, Legal Studies, Arabic Language and Linguistics, Comparative Literature and Media and Cultural Studies.
The School of Public Administration and Development Economics offers masters programs in Public Administration and Policy and in Development Economics, in addition to offering practical training that ensures continuous professional development and renewed knowledge.
“Public administration is very important for this region as many people prefer to join public sector after completing university, and these majors will add value to their work,” said Chehade.
Further, the Language Center at the institute offers intensive Arabic and English language courses in order to support students in the development of their linguistic skills towards the reading and comprehension of academic texts as well as the undertaking of research. The centre will also provide classes in key languages necessary for specialized research, including Turkish, Ottoman Turkish and Persian.
“Our target groups are from the wider Arab world. We have been very active in admitting students; we have been visiting many countries like Jordan, Tunisia, Kuwait, Lebanon Oman, Bahrain, Sudan and Saudi Arabia,” he added.
The institute aims at promoting Arabic language as a tool of scientific inquiry. Arabic will be the primary language of instruction and English will be a companion language in learning and research.
“Here we will be able to do research in Arabic and in time we will be able to have references in Arabic language. So the next generation will benefit and will be able to carry on with research,” he added.
Students and Faculty
The Doha Institute for Graduate Studies is looking to enrol exceptional students who hold bachelor’s degrees and have proficiency in Arabic and English.
Initially around 20 to 25 students will be enrolled for each major, totalling approximately a student body of 250. They will be complimented with a much diversified body of 50 faculty members from all over the world including the UK, US, Lebanon and Morocco.
“We will have a ratio of one professor for five students, which is an excellent ratio in this part of the world,” said Charade.
Admission
Applications are now open online on www.dohainstitute.edu.qa and will close on March 31. Names of selected students will be announced in May and classes will begin in October 2015.
“We also require a personal statement written in Arabic along with other certificates and application form. This would also help us assess the Arabic fluency of the applicant,” said Charade.
“The Doha Institute will have a language centre which will provide intensive coaching in English and Arabic prior to the semester for students who have difficulties in these languages,” he added.
Scholarships
Students at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies will have the opportunity for scholarships and getting on campus jobs.
“For people who will be coming over to study at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, the scholarship will be covering tuition, board, residency, medical insurance, “said Charade.
“For living expenses we will also be creating job opportunities within the campus. They can work at the library, with the professors or in the administration during the first year. In the second year, they can move on to work like a research assistant,” he further said.
Campaigns
An open house held at Qatar University recently given an opportunity for prospective students to meet the institute’s staff. Another Open House will be held today (Sunday) at the Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s students Centre.
The Campus
The institute will be housed in a campus being build in Al Tarfa area near the Qatar University.
It will have a library with collection of more than 40,000 items covering all core subject areas. In the coming years, the collection is expected to reach up to 150,000 items. In addition to printed books, scholarly journals and magazines, the library will hold a larger collection of e-books, online databases, and e-journals.
The Peninsula
