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Ailyn Agonia
Doha
Renowned political analyst and international journalist Rami Khouri has called on the incoming freshmen at the Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q) to take into heart the responsibilities and obligations that are resting on their shoulders as young journalism and communications students, especially at the time of a political struggle in the region.
Speaking during the convocation ceremony to welcome 95 students of NU-Q's Class of 2021 on Sunday, Khouri, a member of the Joint Advisory Board for NU-Q, reiterated the critical role of media and communications in the diplomatic crisis and how media and professional communications become part of the 'battleground'.
"Not only is the country (Qatar) under siege but the media as a profession is now also a target of a siege by other countries. When I spoke to graduating class five years ago, my message was that they have the biggest story in their life to write about," he said.
"Today's situation is even more profound because for the first time ever we have the media and communications sector both a subject and an object of the siege on Qatar. People are using communications technique, propaganda techniques, fake news, lies, exaggeration and all other kinds of malicious communication approaches to try to discredit Qatar. And so, in both process, the media is central to the political struggles that is going on," he added.
Khouri underscored the importance of recognising the political, personal and professional dimensions in the lives of the students as they pursue to become journalists and communicators.
He reminded the students of their obligations to understand, maintain and strengthen the link among those dimensions.
"Recognise that your impact in life and how you will be remembered years from now by your peers and history will not be mostly about what you achieved politically or even professionally. What will be remembered is how you behave as a human being and as a person. Whether you continue in media or pursue other professions, personal conduct of human beings is what makes that the human being standout," Khouri said.
NU-Q Dean and CEO Everette E Dennis led the formal ceremonies to introduce the beaming Class of 2021 comprising students from Qatar and 25 other nations from around the world. The batch is the largest and most diverse group of students to join NU-Q and includes the university's first ever students from countries like Nigeria, Gambia, Sweden and Ukraine. It is the first class to begin its undergraduate programme in the university's new building.
Nouf al Sulaiti, president of NU-Q Student Body, also warmly welcomed the new students whom she urged to make the most of their experience of Northwestern's impeccable education.
