A special feature of Qatar’s development over the past two decades has been its investment in higher education and research fields. The country’s leadership has put a special emphasis on building a knowledge economy. Qatar University and Qatar Foundation’s Education City have been spearheading the higher education and research work in the country. While QU serves as the country’s primary institution of higher education, Qatar Foundation has created a unique, multidisciplinary ecosystem of education, housing branch campuses of seven of the world’s top universities in its Education City, apart from its flagship Hamad Bin Khalifa University.
The Education City as well as Qatar University have been attracting an increasingly large number of international students over the years, making Qatar an education destination in the region. Qatar University currently offers 94 academic programmes through its 11 colleges. It is serving more than 25,000 students, 30 percent of whom are foreign students.
Capitalising on this unique position of the country, Qatar Tourism, Qatar Foundation and Qatar University have launched a new campaign to promote Qatar as an education hub, particularly in the region. The campaign comes at a right time to promote education and showcase country’s offerings. Qatar combines globally-renowned education with world-class facilities and excellent employment opportunities.
Apart from higher education, the country has made a lot of progress at the school level education. The vast school network, overseen by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, combines excellent facilities with modern education standards. A special feature of school education has been the focus on instilling Qatari identity and values in students’ minds while equipping them with modern education of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
The Ministry of Education and Higher Education has recently unveiled a four-pronged strategy to further develop the country’s education system and encourage innovation. There are more than 350,000 students enrolled in more than 500 public and private schools in the country. At the higher education level, there are 34 institutions and universities offering 378 academic programmes. This year Qatar spent nearly QR17.8bn, or 9 percent of the State’s budget, on education.
The Ministry’s plans and the Qatar Tourism campaign come at a very important stage in the country’s history. As Qatar readies to host the historic FIFA World Cup later this year, the tournament will also serve as an occasion to celebrate 70 years since the establishment of formal education in the country.
Check all issues & supplements
Copyright © 2022 The Peninsula