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Each year students across the globe make the decision to pursue higher education abroad and go in search of an outstanding educational environment driven by innovation, reputation and creativity, with a good number finding their way to the internationally reputed institutions housed in Qatar Foundation's (QF) Education City.
For foreign pupils, studying in Qatar not only affords them the opportunity to pursue a quality education, but also to discover new cultures and a uniquely diverse community. At Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), students are offered an array of innovative multidisciplinary programmes, presented in an experiential learning environment.
HBKU is host to a number of students who have chosen to study in Qatar and make this country their home away from home. The diversity of HBKU's student body, which includes individuals from more than 37 nations in addition to a large proportion of Qataris, enriches the fabric of the university, whether in the classroom, in the research labs, or beyond.
For some international students, this diversity can be a deciding factor during the university selection process. HBKU's international graduate students can, and do, immerse themselves in the country's rich cultural heritage. Katsiaryna Panasiuk, from Belarus, chose a postgraduate degree at HBKU in order to gain global experience that would complement her studies.
Katsiaryna studied Arabic at undergraduate level, and by pursuing her graduate degree at HBKU, a Master of Arts in Audiovisual Translation, she has been able to immerse herself in Middle Eastern culture to give her education, and Arabic skills, a boost."Moving to Qatar, and my experience at HBKU, has allowed me to grow both academically and personally. I have a better understanding of who I am and have become more aware of how living in Belarus has shaped my outlook. At first, being the only non-Arab in my class was a challenge, but it has proven to be a hugely rewarding and enriching element of my student experience and has given me and my peers the opportunity to learn from one another's cultural backgrounds," Katsiaryna says.
Encouraging students from a variety of backgrounds and cultures to engage and collaborate within a research-intensive setting allows the university to develop well-rounded graduates for an increasingly global workplace. Students like Katsiaryna and her peers at HBKU are inspired to cultivate a culture where people can play an active role and lead positive change in their local and the wider global community.
Shaimaa Ziara left Gaza, Palestine, to complete her Master of Arts in Translation Studies (MATS) at HBKU."I chose to come to HBKU to pursue my MATS graduate degree, as this was not an option for me back home. However, reaching this point in my educational journey was not as easy as everyone else's; due to the blockade imposed on Gaza and the restrictions on travel and movement for Palestinians, it took me more than four months to be able to arrive in Doha to start my studies. Therefore, I am truly grateful to be given the opportunity to study something I'm passionate about in HBKU, as it wasn't available for me in my home country."
"Meeting people from different cultures and backgrounds have had a profound effect on who I am as a person, and my studies at HBKU have been an unbelievably enriching experience both socially and intellectually. I'm both proud and excited to apply all that I've learned in Qatar, both in and out of the classroom, to a career in media," Shaimaa says.
Being a centre for scholarship and research, HBKU has become an attractive regional hub for aspiring students in search of a unique academic offering. However, this is not limited to those students who come to Qatar to begin their postgraduate studies. Hailing from Afghanistan, Abed Shirzai is graduating this April from HBKU's College of Islamic Studies (CIS) with a Master of Arts in Public Policy in Islam (PPIP) having progressed through various Education City institutions since leaving high school.
Abed successfully graduated from QF's Academic Bridge Program and Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q) before pursuing his graduate studies at HBKU."I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to complete my Master's at HBKU, concluding my academic journey within Education City," Abed says.
The multidisciplinary academic programmes at HBKU are designed to inspire its students, faculty and researchers to work towards discovering innovative solutions that respond to regional and global challenges. This rich curriculum gave Bosnian PPIP student, Vahid Suljic, the opportunity to explore various fields he feels passionate about, including religion, economics and politics."The multidisciplinary nature of HBKU's programmes are interesting, and I appreciate studying in Education City as it's a place where so many nationalities intersect, along with some of the best professors from both Eastern and Western cultures."
For some students, gaining international experience prior to entering the job market is part of the attraction to HBKU's graduate programmes. Not only striving to pursue a degree to compliment their career specialisation, a number of graduates seek the holistic educational approach and international, multi-cultural exposure afforded to HBKU students, which extends beyond the classroom.
Amiirah Mohomed enhanced the existing professional knowledge she gained working in an Islamic bank in her home country of Mauritius prior to coming to Qatar to pursue her Master of Science in Islamic Finance programme at HBKU.
"When I first arrived at HBKU, I was surprised by the wide gap that exists between academic theory and what was being implemented on the job," Amiirah says."I've learned how to bridge this through my studies, which have taught me to explore ways of improvement and which propose alternative solutions."
In just a few years, Qatar has become a regional hub for aspiring students to pursue the highest quality of education, in a unique academic environment, committed to excellence, innovation, creativity and diversity. Exposed to these values, students from all around the world come to HBKU to pursue graduate studies, and are inspired to develop their own holistic worldview.
