Qatar University (QU) Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) held a ceremony recently to celebrate getting accreditation for the College’s BSc and MSc Environmental Sciences programmemes from the Committee of Heads of Environmental Sciences (CHES) and the Institution of Environmental Sciences (IES).
CHES is the leading accreditation body for environmental science higher education degree programmemes across the globe. As a rule, CHES accredits only honours and graduate programmemes; however, an exception was made for QU’s BSc programmeme because of its rigorous nature, putting it at the same level as an honours programmeme in other universities.
The ceremony was attended by QU President Prof Sheika Abdulla Al Misnad, CAS Dean Dr Eiman Mustafawi, CHES Chair and IES Trustee Prof Philip Wheater, Head of Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences Prof Samir Jaoua, former head of the Department, now Director of QU Laboratory Animal Research Center Dr Hamda Al Naemi, and QU and CHES officials.
In her remarks, Dr Mustafawi said: “I am proud to say that the College of Arts and Sciences is home to these two pioneering programmes, the only Environmental Sciences programmes across the entire region to receive prestigious CHES accreditation. Today, these programmes join a growing list of accredited programmes at the College that includes the Biomedical Sciences Programme accredited by the National Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences in Fall 2008; Chemistry Programme accredited by the Canadian Society for Chemistry in Fall 2009; and Statistics Programme accredited by the Royal Statistical Society in Spring 2011. Two additional CAS programmes -- Mass Communication, and Human Nutrition -- are currently undergoing the rigorous process of accreditation”.
“Offering our students internationally-recognized programmes contributes to the realization of our mission to become a model national university. In fact, these two multidisciplinary programmes in Environmental Sciences exemplify QU’s standards of excellence by emphasizing advanced principles in this field in areas such as conservation, pollution control, marine ecology, climate change, environmental biotechnology, environmental law and economics, and sustainable development,” she added.
Prof Wheater said: “Since the discipline of environmental science is relatively young, such accreditation is an important milestone in gaining recognition of the quality of standards of the education provision. Membership brings with it a number of benefits including a range of membership grades appropriate for students and professionals at different stages of their careers. There are also routes available to attain chartered status”.
Prof Jaoua said: “CHES accreditation will open up new collaboration in research and students exchange. All accredited universities will work together under the umbrella of CHES to implement significant research addressing important environmental issues”.
Dr Al Naemi said: “When I started planning for Environmental Sciences programmes at QU, I placed high standards and expectations for new multidisciplinary programmes that are one of a kind in Qatar and the region. I am glad we met these expectations, positioning the department, College, and the university as a whole as leaders of programmes that are recognised at the international level”.
The Peninsula
