Tribune News Network
Doha
From South Africa to Switzerland, to Kazakhstan, GU-Q students spent eventful summers engaged in hands-on learning to prepare for active citizenship and productive careers in international affairs.
Several students spent their summers engaging in real-world casework to build their resumes. Abdullah bin Masood and Obaid Ullah were admitted to a highly selective eight-week consulting internship at diiVe in South Africa, where they developed real solutions for clients.
Abdullah’s team created a monitoring and evaluation framework and funding strategies for a non-profit youth unemployment agency, which they presented to its board of directors.
“Our recommendations were well-received and slated for implementation. This experience reinforced my passion for leveraging business acumen to drive social impact,” he said.
Ibrahim Absar advanced his consulting goals at the London School of Economics (LSE), where he studied innovation management.
“I learned that true innovation isn’t just about bold ideas, but about executing them in ways that really transform industries,” he reported, adding, “As I aim for a future in strategy consulting, the ability to drive disruptive change will be crucial, and this experience has prepared me to do exactly that.”
Also at LSE for the summer was International Economics major Areesha Fatima, who took courses on econometrics and big data.
She wasn’t alone in capitalising on the summer to develop highly technical applied skills; International Economics major Anupa Khanal spent her summer in Vienna, Austria, at the Alternative Economic and Monetary Systems intensive program. Interested in a career advancing circular economics and the impact of sovereign wealth funds, Anupa lived in green dorms and furthered her understanding of economic solutions to the climate crisis.
Meanwhile, International Politics major Aras Karlidag shared that he spent part of his summer in Milan, Italy as a Lex Fellow, taking part in a selective pre-law fellowship where he took legal training and worked on active cases at multiple law firms.
“As an aspiring lawyer or lawmaker, seeing how a variety of firms across different fields of law operate, and working on real cases, helped me put law in a global context, and understand its nuances and significance across various legal systems.”
Future diplomats focused on building their networks and learning diplomacy from expert practitioners. Abdul Hannan immersed himself in the culture and politics of Europe at the Graz University International Summer School at Seggau Castle in Austria, studying the European Union.
“The knowledge, intercultural skills, and connections I gained have prepared me for success in globally focused roles, which require insights into territorial disputes, demographic shifts and regional transformations that affect global stability and cooperation,” he reflected.
Hannan was joined there by classmate Marjona Nurullaeva, who studied diplomacy to further her research for the Certificate in Media and Politics, focusing on democracy in a post-digital world.
International Politics major Adam Boummasri attended the Global Health and Diplomacy in Action summer symposium at the University of Geneva, where he learned critical skills and networked with key actors in the global health policymaking landscape.
Commenting the experience, he said, “Making friends and hearing about their experiences made me feel humble and motivated to continue my studies in International Politics. We were also able to attend workshops at international organizations based in Geneva as part of the program, including the WHO, the IOM, The Global Fund, and the UN.”
Other students deepened their diplomatic language skills through summer immersion programmes.
Jesmin Mangue studied in Portugal while RemasAlhawari attended a CAVILAM-Alliance Française language programme in Vichy, France.
Lyaliya Nurpeissova and Manizha Abdulloeva spent their summer in Kazakhstan working with legal experts and human rights activists, filming a documentary on the criminalization of domestic violence. In addition to developing technical skills, they practiced essential soft skills for creating change, such as empathy and collaboration.
“When we approach storytelling with compassion, we have the power to create a deeper connection and inspire others to take action,” said Lyaliya. “Working with activists and survivors showed me how collective effort can bring hidden issues to the surface. It’s not just about storytelling — it’s about building movements that inspire action and support human rights,” added Manizha.
Rania Harrara interned in Jordan at Reclaiming Childhood, an NGO supporting refugee girls.
“In my capacity as a coach at the refugee camp, I got close to a lot of young girls and realized the reality of living under refugee status. This reinforced my desire to use my GU-Q degree to become a lawyer and advocate for women’s and girls’ rights globally.”