Ministers as well as members of CNA-Q’s Joint Oversight Board in May 2016.
A new three-year Comprehensive Agreement was signed between the Ministry of Education and Higher Education and College of the North Atlantic in Canada, ensuring that College of the North Atlantic - Qatar (CNA-Q) will continue its role as Qatar’s premier technical college.
The contract was finalised at a formal signing ceremony at the Qatari Embassy in Ottawa, Canada’s Capital, with representatives from the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Government of Canada, Provincial Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, College of the North Atlantic (CNA) and CNA-Q in attendance.
"The Ministry of Education and Higher Education welcomes the new agreement and we are very pleased that the partnership continues. The signing opens new doors for collaboration in many potential areas," said H E Dr Mohammed bin Abdul Wahid Al Hamadi, Minister of Education and Higher Education.
H E Dr Mohammed bin Saleh Al Sada, Chair of CNA-Q’s Joint Oversight Board, and Minister of Energy and Industry, said, “I have witnessed the growth of CNA-Q since its inception. It is gratifying to reflect on the college’s role in shaping Qatar’s post-secondary landscape in providing vital technical and vocational training for our youth. With the signing of the three-year Comprehensive Agreement we look toward the future and maintaining CNA-Q’s positive contribution to Qatar. This agreement reinforces the strong and friendly partnership between the Ministry of Education and Higher Education and CNA-Q. This partnership has successfully produced over 5,000 highly skilled, technically-competent graduates for Qatar’s workforce who make daily contributions to the successful realisation of Qatar’s 2030 National Vision.”
“We are very pleased that the successful partnership between CNA and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education continues,” said Dr Ken MacLeod, President, CNA-Q. “With the signing of this agreement we start the next chapter, launching into new programmes, building more educational capacity, and evolving with the changing needs of our students and our business and industry stakeholders. In our 15th academic year, we take great pride in the achievements of the College thus far. Our faculty and staff have shaped CNA-Q into a student-centred, applied learning environment which is a focal point of educational pride in Qatar. Over the next three years, we look forward to new milestones, while continuing our most valued role — training more young Qataris to contribute to the knowledge-based economy envisioned in Qatar National Vision 2030.”
“Through strong partnerships, CNA-Q will continue to deliver a quality education to the future leaders of Qatar. I am pleased to see CNA-Q further its reputation as the premier technical college in Qatar,” said the Gerry Byrne, Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Labour, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. “The signing represents the continuation of the largest international post-secondary agreement ever awarded to a Canadian post-secondary institution.”
The first Comprehensive Agreement between Qatar and CNA was signed on September 30, 2001. The College opened in 2002, with 300 students and 11 programmes. Now in the 15th academic year CNA-Q has more than 2,100 full-time students enrolled in over 30 programmes, and boasts nearly 5,000 alumni. In addition, there are 2,500 students enrolled part-time in an array of corporate training and development offerings. The campus offers Canadian curriculum taught by Canadian industry experts in four areas of applied learning: Business Studies, Engineering Technology, Health Sciences and Information Technology.
