90 Qatari students pursuing MA & PhD abroad

Currently, there are 90 Qatari students pursuing MA and PhD abroad with government scholarship and 46 of them are doing masters degree and 45 are doing PhD, said Cesar Wazen, Director of Scholarships and Partnerships Office at Qatar University (S&P Office-QU).
There are 119 students selected for scholarships abroad and expected to join their universities soon, he added.
The office yesterday held its 6th annual Scholarship and Sponsorship Students’ gathering in which a total of 17 (five PhD and 12 MA) returned scholars were given awards in recognition of their commitment and academic achievements.
The event was attended by QU President Dr Hassan Al Derham along with senior QU officials, deans and heads of departments.
Wazen said that 29 students were selected in 2016 from various colleges and departments across QU (27 students scholarships) and (2 students sponsorships) at universities around the world, Wazen explained.
The five PhD holders will join QU as assistant professors or administrators, and the MA holders will continue their PhD studies or join the university for one or two years and pursue their education there, Wazen told the Peninsula.
"We are doing our best to attract more Qataris to fill vacancies and our need is increasing with the expansion of the university programmes," he added.
A majority of scholarships are in the arts field but there are also some scientific fields like biology, chemistry and engineering.
"This reflects the gap still remaining in some areas but fortunately we do not have students who had to discontinue their studies for some reasons," said Wazen.
The event aimed to celebrate returned scholars who pursued their education in prestigious international universities and whose experiences inspire current students.
In his opening remarks, QU President, Al Derham said: “We are here to listen to your experiences and observations studying abroad. Investment in national competencies contribute to building the future generation of skilled expertise to advance QU’s role in the region and to realize the University’s vision.”
Dr Al Derham also stressed the importance of attracting high-qualified faculty and researchers from all over the world, which contributes to strengthening the university’s global dimension. “This is reflected in QU’s achievement of the first place among 200 institutions worldwide in the International Outlook indicator in the overall Times Higher Education World University Rankings list (THE-WUR) 2015-16”, he said.
The five PhD scholars honoured are Seeta Al Athba (College of Arts and Sciences), Al Anoud Al Maadeed and AbdulAziz Al Ali (College of Engineering), Muna Al Marzouqi (College of Law), and Noora Lari (Social and Economic Survey Research Institute).
The 12 MA scholars are Abdulla Al Otaibi, Hayat Al Jabiry, and Dalal Al Dosari (College of Arts and Sciences), Sara Al Rasheed (College of Business and Economics), Rouda Al Marri (College of Education), Sultana Al Nabet, Shaikha Al Saud and Hameda Janahi (College of Engineering), Mohsin Al Marri (College of Law), and Mohamad Al Sai, Abdul Aziz Al Thani and Omar Al Khatib (College of Sharia and Islamic Studies).
Dr Mona AlMarzooqi, PhD graduate in Law from the USA, and Ms Aisha AlAmmari, a scholarship student pursuing a PhD program in Law delivered presentations and highlighted their personal experiences, challenges and advices to students planning to study abroad.