Officials from Swinburne University of Technology and Barzan University College in a group photo.
Doha, Qatar: Barzan University College (BUC), in partnership with Swinburne University of Technology - the first Australian University to offer degree programmes in Qatar, successfully hosted a trio of high-impact events under the BUC In Conversation series, recently.
The series is part of a larger strategy to redefine the role of higher education in preparing Qatar’s future-ready workforce through deep industry collaboration.
Following the momentum of the industry breakfast briefing, these latest engagements reaffirm BUC and Swinburne’s bold, shared vision to co-create the future of work by embedding real-world relevance, applied learning, and global innovation into the heart of university education.
The BUC In Conversation series brought together visiting Swinburne academics Dr Adam Baker (Academic Director, Global Engagement), Professor Pat Rajeev (Chair, Department of Civil and Construction Engineering), Associate Professor Julian Vieceli (Associate Dean, Education, School of Business, Law and Entrepreneurship) and Dr Atie Kia (Lecturer & Unit Convenor, Department of Computing Technologies) who flew in from Melbourne to deepen the strategic partnership that has positioned Swinburne as the first Australian university to offer internationally recognised qualifications in Qatar.
“At Barzan University College, we believe in the power of collaboration to drive meaningful change,” said Eng. Abdur Rahman, CEO and Co-Founder of BUC. “Through the BUC In Conversation series, we’re not just hosting events—we’re cultivating a dynamic environment where industry and academia come together to shape Qatar’s future.”
The series of events brought together industry leaders, young professionals, and prospective students to explore cutting-edge topics in entrepreneurship, cybersecurity, AI, and engineering innovation. Each session was meticulously designed to bridge academia and industry, offering fresh insight and inspiration to Qatar’s youth, decision-makers, and employers.
Held in collaboration with the Australia Qatar Business Association, this fireside chat connected entrepreneurial ecosystems across two hemispheres. Associate Professor Julian Vieceli (Swinburne) and Dr Lotfi Belkhir (BUC) led the conversation, joined by dynamic panelists Moslem Al-Qawasmi and Dr Golnoush Golshirazi, unpacking how cross-border collaboration is unlocking global opportunities for entrepreneurs in both nations.
“The BUC In Conversation series is a reflection of our vision to co-create an innovation-driven ecosystem that supports Qatar’s growth—empowering students, industry, and communities through collaboration, insight, and future-ready education, while at the same time strengthen ties between Australia and Qatar through meaningful knowledge exchange,” said Wei Li Wong, Director of Strategic Engagement & Partnership Development at BUC.
The event enabled the 35 guests, made up of start-up founders, venture capitalists, leaders from industry, Swinburne alumni, students and academics to learn from each other, network and discuss ideas in an informal café setting.
Co-hosted with Vodafone Qatar, this session was led by Dr Atie Kia (Swinburne) and Ali Haider (Vodafone). The masterclass explored the emerging frontier of AI-powered offensive security, including AI’s role in reconnaissance, social engineering, automated exploitation, and evasion, combining insights from both academia and industry.
In partnership with Engineers Australia and GHD, this masterclass spotlighted engineering innovation aligned with Qatar National Vision 2030. Speakers included Professor Pat Rajeev (Swinburne), Eng. Abdul Zameer Sab (Engineers Australia), and young engineer Faiz Basheer (GHD), who inspired attendees with forward-thinking discussions on sustainable construction, digital engineering, and next-gen infrastructure.
