Tribune News Network
Doha
Muallemi, an edtech startup incubated at Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP) – a member of Qatar Foundation – successfully concluded a three-month programme focused on providing life skills and leadership training to pre-university and university Qatari students aged between 14-19 and 20-25.
Organised in partnership with the Ministry of Sports and Youth and the Nama Centre – a non-profit organisation for youth and entrepreneur empowerment – the programme featured a range of workshops to enhance leadership competencies and employability skills of the participants.
With the goal of nurturing future leaders, the workshops trained students on three distinct sets of skills covering foundational skills such as digital literacy, communication, teamwork; core competencies including basics of coding, creativity and innovation, effective leadership; and advanced competencies around financial knowledge, cultural diversity, project management, and awareness of sustainability.
The workshops leveraged Muallemi’s newly-launched online learning platform to provide participants with an innovative and engaging educational experience. The Muallemi platform serves as a comprehensive tool for summarising learning, tracking progress, and assessing performance via an interactive dashboard. The platform offers one-to-one personalised learning for students via online programmes. These are focused on English, Math, and Science and cover all types of school curriculum.
“As a rising startup in the educational technology space in Qatar, Muallemi is committed to continuous improvement and innovation. We are grateful for QSTP’s consistent support and guidance that has been essential to our growth. We have been actively researching and collaborating with local stakeholders to implement new and modern teaching methods to counter challenges associated with hard skills education in Qatar,” commented Abdulrahman Al-Thani, founder and CEO of Muallemi.
“The life skills and leadership programme was a pioneering initiative that used technology for skills development among youth, offering an alternative to conventional workshops. The programme uncovered remarkable enthusiasm of Qatari youth for self-improvement and learning – especially when provided with a learning environment that fosters active engagement, and collaboration.”
Maha Al Romaihi, director of Planning, Quality and Innovation Department, Ministry of Sports and Youth, commented: “Muallemi’s life skills and leadership development programme aligns with the Ministry’s strategic objectives for the development, active participation, and integration of Qatari youth into the society. The programme’s focus on introducing students to real-life challenges, allowing them to explore their strengths and gain essential leadership skills in an interactive environment contributes to fostering the next wave of Qatari leaders.
“The Ministry takes pride in working alongside local stakeholders such as QSTP to further build Qatar’s thriving innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem and collectively accelerate Qatar’s transition to a knowledge-based economy.”
Commenting on the importance of the programme, Mohammed Zebian, QSTP programme manager - acceleration, said: “Building critical skills among our younger generation is vital to cultivating the problem solvers and changemakers of tomorrow so they can serve as the fundamental pillars of empowered societies. It is incredibly fulfilling to see Muallemi – a startup incubated at our premises – drive impact in this area through its life skills and leadership programme. This important initiative showcases the value of innovative technology in enabling positive learning experiences and preparing youth to become more productive and engaged members of society, who will contribute to its economic growth.”
According to Logan Cochrane, Associate Professor at Hamad Bin Khalifa University and advisory board member at Muallemi, life skills workshops are important for personal growth.
Abdullah Al Balushi, one of the students at the workshops, highlighted the improvements he has seen in his daily interactions after the programme. “The first thing I learned is how to speak in front of an audience. Before, I used to get nervous, I was afraid, and I would shake, all because I was speaking in front of an audience. But now, public speaking has become as comfortable as speaking in front of my relatives.”
“I also learned how to serve as a group leader, how to guide them, see the negatives, see the positives, and distinguish who is nervous from who is not and support them accordingly.”
Muallemi is one of the 18 startups incubated at the QSTP Incubation Centre. The centre is focused on accelerating the establishment and growth of promising tech start-ups through its extensive support services and facilities. For more information, please visit www.qstp.org.qa.
