''HBKU programmes keeping pace with country''s strategic directions''

(MENAFN - Gulf Times) President of Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) and member of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science, and Community Development (QF) Dr Ahmad Mujahid Omar Hasnah has affirmed that the university’s programmes depend on future foresight and working on meeting current needs, as well as keeping pace with the country’s strategic directions. In an exclusive interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA), he said the HBKU is considered a part of QF’s educational system, which is based on the continuous development of education, and an attempt to fast-forward the present towards the future and to develop plans that respond to the changes. The university made the transition of educating remotely while preserving the same educational quality within a short period, due to its presence in the QF environment, prepared in terms of technological infrastructure, flexibility to keep pace with changes, readiness to deal with crises, and as an environment that stimulates development and creativity, explained Dr Hasnah, noting that the university re-examines the aspect related to the human and social dimension, which involves the student’s presence in teamwork to build human relations. He expressed his belief that the future of education will be an integrated education that includes the presence of the student in the classroom at a time while discussions and teamwork continue online, adding what this opportunity provides in terms of attracting new students, faculty members, researchers, and experiences from various countries of the world without the need for them to be present in Qatar, and this supports the educational process and improves the quality of education within the educational system of QF. On the university’s role in supporting the development of multiple sectors in the country, the region, and the world, after more than ten years of its establishment, the HBKU president said the world today is experiencing rapid changes, and it is expected that the future will witness faster changes, both in terms of the pace of change in the education sector, professions, and others. He added that while in the past, there used to be qualitative shifts between separate periods, nowadays the acceleration has become within short periods of time, especially since artificial intelligence is playing a role in the educational process, and from this standpoint, HBKU’s mission is to graduate a student who can research, has diverse knowledge in addition to their in-depth knowledge in the specialisation of their choice. On the importance of research in the educational process and the opportunities it provides for young people, especially since HBKU is mainly research-based, Dr Hasnah said that scientific research develops the student’s skills and grant them opportunities to make an impact in their country as an active citizen capable of producing and dealing with major national challenges as well as finding solutions to problems related to climate change, cybersecurity, and others. The university provides interdisciplinarity as the sustainable energy programme enables engineering students to learn about the aspects related to renewable energy while also enabling public policy students to learn how to formulate public policies to achieve sustainability, and allowing law students to understand the foundations from which the mandated legislation was launched with sustainability, he explained, adding that from this standpoint, the student graduates having knowledge in various scientific and societal aspects alongside their specialisation. Dr Hasnah said the HBKU presents its programmes through future foresight, and it does not only consider the state’s current needs but rather work on meeting its future needs as well as keeping pace with its strategic directions, which makes FIFA World Cup Qatar 2020 a milestone in a long-term national sports strategy centred on Qatar’s active role regionally and globally in the sports field. He indicated that this role requires competencies capable of contributing in various aspects, pointing out that the university’s programmes contribute to this, including the Master of Science in Sport and Entertainment Management programme (MSEM), which prepares the required competencies in line with the State’s strategy, and the Master of Science in Exercise Science, in addition to the research studies conducted in the field of identifying the strengths of athletes and working on developing them. The HBKU president also noted that the university is teaching a future educational programme specialised in the field of physical therapy as the presence of the Aspire Foundation to raise an athlete generation, and Aspetar to treat athletes in Qatar, as the programme dedicated to physical therapy will contribute to meeting the requirements and strengthening the sports scene in the country. He added the university provides a Master of Science in Cybersecurity programme in line with the challenges in Qatar, the region, and the world, as well as the Master of Data Analytics in Health Management, in addition to many other programmes designed within the framework of the state’s national strategy in various fields, including scientific ones. Dr Hasnah underlined that the university considers itself an integral part of society in Qatar, and seeks to support the process of its development through its educational programmes and various activities. For example, it offers the Master of Arts programme in Womens Studies in Society and Development, in addition to the Master of Arts programme in the Humanities and Digital Societies as well as the Master of Arts programme in Applied Islamic Ethics. He said the university attaches great importance to stimulating creativity by empowering entrepreneurs, and this reflects positively on society, whether through the establishment of small and medium companies, and the amendment of public policies or the associated social and economic impacts that enhance community development. Regarding the future aspirations of the university as part of the higher education system at Qatar Foundation, Dr Hasnah cautioned that the main issue that the university places among its priorities are what is known today as education outside the traditional scope. That is how to present educational models outside the traditional context, not only at the higher education level but also at the basic education level. What we seek is to provide different educational opportunities that contribute to building an educated person who can deal with future challenges and not only with daily problems by working to develop the ''HBKU Network” initiative and its goal to form a network that enables workers in public institutions and ministries to benefit from the lectures and discussions that take place at the university so that they can gain knowledge in subjects that suit their interests without being restricted to obtaining academic degrees, pointing out that the university today provides this knowledge through educational platforms such as the ''IDEX” platform and others, and this in itself constitutes a tool to enhance the culture of lifelong learning, not to mention the MicroMasters programmes that the university also offers. The HBKU president said the university’s presence within the educational system of Qatar Foundation, along with the prestigious international partner universities, schools, and other centres such as Qatar Science and Technology Park, set forth a great opportunity to devote an educational experience based on self-learning and the desire to learn so that the students choose their educational path, where students get the opportunity to explore overlapping disciplines in a unique way that is not available in many places of the world, unlike the traditional educational path implemented previously where such option wasn’t available. Dr Hasnah added saying, we are working within the framework of the insightful and clear leadership vision of Qatar Foundation, under the directives of Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation, and the guidance of HE Sheikha Hind bint Hamad al-Thani, Vice-Chairperson and CEO of Qatar Foundation. Adding that this vision is always supportive of development, creativity, proactive thinking, and co-operation between the various centres of the Foundation and its partner universities and initiatives as we work together to build a knowledge-based economy in Qatar. Dr Hasnah concluded by saying humanity has gone through different stages where gold and other minerals constituted the true value, and then oil and gas extracted this value, and today, knowledge has become the value as data is considered the real wealth, crossing all ages and times. ''That is why we are working to unleash its capabilities so that our graduates and researchers become producers of knowledge that enables progress towards achieving our goal of Qatar becoming an exporter of knowledge and data,” he said.MENAFN23052021000067011011ID1102122925