Doha: “There is no substitute for continuous and constructive dialogue with stakeholders, including students, parents, employers and other educational and research institutions in the country on how we are doing and what can be improved”, QU President Prof Sheikha Abdulla Al Misnad said in her address ‘Education Reform in Qatar: Reflections on the role of the national university’ at Australian National University (ANU).
Prof Al Misnad stressed that reforming education is a living process constantly being refined based on meaningful assessment and robust evidence from the field, and that it must be accepted that it is a topic of national conversation that will generate mixed reactions and in which all voices must be heard in order to move forward.
Prof Al Misnad discussed QU’s role in the ever-evolving academic and social environment in Qatar to an audience comprising ANU Pro-Vice Chancellors Dr Erik Lithander (International and Outreach), Prof Richard Baker (Student Experience), Prof Amin Saikal, Director Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies, ANU faculty and students.
She told the audience that Qatar University’s mission rests on the essential pillars of high quality undergraduate and graduate education, rich and well-rounded student experiences, up-to-date research that addresses community needs, and strong ties to the local community
Noting the similarities between the two universities’ mission on education reform, she said: “Being a national university, ANU will appreciate the delicate balance involved in meeting local expectations and answering national ambitions all within the context of an inter-connected political and economic global environment”. She added that the description of ANU as “a resource for the nation” captures exactly Qatar University’s own view of its role as an incubator of the nation’s precious human resources and an engine of its development.
Prof Al Misnad also highlighted QU’s accreditation successes, new graduate programmes, an expanding research portfolio, generous research funding, and ever-growing international collaboration. She countered that there are also challenges that are not unique to Qatar University, and that require vision, ambition, commitment, dedication and persistence from university leadership, faculty, staff and students alike. “Without this, and a strong political commitment at the highest level, the reform could not have happened”, she said.
The 5-day visit to Australia comprised a tour of top universities in Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane and Sydney to explore possibilities of cooperation with QU. The visit also included meetings with state officials including the Australian Minister of Education, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women and Girls, and Queensland Minister for Education, Training and Employment. Qatar Ambassador to Australia Yousef Ali Y Al Khater accompanied Prof Al Misnad on some of the visits and discussions which focused on joint efforts to increase student mobility, and academic cooperation between the institutions of both countries.
The Peninsula
