DOHA: Ninety percent of Academic Bridge Programme (ABP) graduates successfully enrol in universities here and abroad, says ABP Director Dr Miles Lovelace.
“Ninety percent of those who graduate from the ABP have gone on to study at a university in Qatar, the US, the UK, or elsewhere,” said Dr Lovelace at the orientation for new students yesterday at the Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS) building.
As one of the centres of Qatar Foundation, the ABP was established in 2001 to give high school graduates a transition from high school to university studies. It has served over 2,500 young men and women through its foundation programme which focuses on English language, maths, science and computer subjects.
Now in its 13th year, ABP has accepted 250 students, 80 percent of whom are Qataris as priority is given to Qatari students, he said.
The remaining 20 percent are foreign students from 17 countries, he said, adding members of the faculty have increased to 60 maintaining a ratio of one teacher to five students to ensure high quality teaching. Over 70 percent of ABP graduates prefer to enrol in Education City universities such as Georgetown University School of Foreign Service Qatar, Northwestern University Qatar and Texas A&M University Qatar, while the rest enter universities in the UK and the US.
ABP is unique in pioneering a co-educational foundation programme which is new in the region, and Dr Lovelace said a number of education consultants from Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi have shown interest in adopting the programme in their institutions. “They come to ABP to see how the foundation programme effectively works in a co-ed setting,” he said. Around 180 new students attended yesterday’s orientation programme. They were introduced to facilities, policies and activities as well as administrators, faculty and staff who will be working with them throughout the upcoming year. Dr Mark Newmark, Assistant Director for Academic Affairs, presented a short presentation on most important elements of ABP and university success. Hassan Zeidan, Admissions & Records Coordinator, explained student placement based on results of the Accuplacer test. Alia Khairat, ABP Student Services Officer, discussed activities, policies and services provided at ABP. Classes for the new academic year begin on August 18. The Peninsula
