DOHA: Ten Education City students have scaled the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro, one of the world’s highest mountain peaks located in Tanzania.
The seven day climb — known as WALK (We Are Leaders @ Kilimanjaro) — was part of the EBDA leadership development programme, which is sponsored by Maersk Oil Qatar to test students’ teamwork, perseverance and adaptability under extreme pressure and difficult weather conditions.
Students were chosen after demonstrating a commitment and interest in leadership development, along with a track record of overcoming challenges. During the programme, students learned how to work towards their goals, work in a diverse team, and unlock their potential.
EBDA, meaning start in Arabic aims to provide students from Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s (HBKU’s) partner universities across Education City and from Qatar University with the skills and knowledge to become leaders in the future.
Congratulating the students, Ameena Hussain, Director of Student Life, HBKU said: “Climbing Kilimanjaro is one of the world’s most difficult hikes — the students worked together and showed impressive determination and perseverance to complete it in seven days. HBKU Student Life developed this as part of the year one activities for the EBDA leadership programme for the first time this year and it embodies the programme’s focus on experience-based learning.”
Sheikh Jassim bin Saud Al Thani, Head of Qatarisation at Maersk Oil Qatar, and sponsor of EBDA, said: “I am in awe of the students for overcoming such an arduous climb. We are delighted to support this unique leadership-building challenge as part of our wider commitment to develop Qatar’s future leaders. Maersk Oil is committed to assisting young people in becoming leaders, who will in return contribute to the ongoing growth and development of Qatar in the years to come.”
Hundreds of students have already participated in EBDA activities, such as the LeaderShape Programme, Desert Challenge, and Not Your Average Spring Break. WALK was organised by the Student Affairs Department of HBKU. Concurrent to the WALK challenge, another group of 24 students from Education City completed their own challenge in EBDA’s Not Your Average Spring Break (NYASB), by taking part in a service learning trip to Indonesia for ten days, in partnership with Reach Out to Asia.
The Peninsula
