By Fazeena Saleem
DOHA: The inaugural Times Higher Education (THE) Mena Universities Summit was launched yesterday under the patronage of Deputy Emir H H Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani. Organised for the first time in the region, the summit aims to help THE magazine develop a new university ranking for the Mena region and hosted in partnership with Qatar University.
The two-day summit, dedicated to academic leaders within and beyond the Mena region, will consult on plans for a new addition to THE rankings portfolio: ‘THE Mena University Rankings’, shaped by metrics designed to meet the region’s specific challenges.
A gala dinner hosted by the Qatar University (QU) to launch the summit at Ritz Carlton –Doha was attended by many dignitaries including Vice-Chair of QU Board of Regents and Managing Director of Qatar Leadership Center Sheikh Dr Abdullah bin Ali Al Thani, QU president Prof Sheikha Abdulla Al Misnad and THE magazine Editor-at-Large Phil Baty.
“In recent years Qatar has become a hub for education…….Higher education has a vital role to play in our region’s development through teaching, research, and social and economic engagement. By sharing experience and best practice, our universities will be able to raise their standards and enhance the contribution they are making to their communities,” said Dr Abdullah bin Ali Al Thani in his welcome speech.
“I believe this inaugural Times Higher Education Mena Universities Summit is the start of a good tradition that will yield many advantages for our sector and our region, and I am proud that it is being hosted by Qatar University,” he added.
Sharing academic strength of the country Dr Al Thani said that the Qatar University presently has around 18,000 students with 1,000 faculty, and eight branch campuses at the Education City, Hamad bin Khalifa University and other campuses adds much value to the status of education in the country.
The summit will also feature sessions on university leadership, international research collaboration, industry-university collaboration and teaching excellence.
Baty said: “THE World University Rankings can promote healthy competition between the leading universities around the world — helping to ensure that universities set ambitious targets and are always striving to improve and to reach their full potential.
“But the rankings also foster collaboration. They can help universities and individual scholars find new, like-minded partners, and bring people together under shared admirable global goals —the passing on of knowledge from generation to generation and the unfettered pursuit of new knowledge for the good of humanity as a whole,” he added. The sessions of the summit are scheduled to be held at the Qatar University today.
The Peninsula
