After a decade of outstanding academic excellence, UCL Qatar says its farewell with a memorable graduation ceremony and a closing event.
UCL Qatar, one of the oldest universities in Qatar Foundation [QF] is closing its doors after operating in the country for more than 10 years.
The British university established it’s Qatar branch in 2010 in a partnership with QF to develop and operate a centre for the study of cultural heritage and knowledge management.
“The impact of UCL Qatar’s academic endeavour will continue to inform the cultural heritage and knowledge management sectors and professions for years to come. I am certain that, going forward, there is much scope for fruitful collaborations between Qatar Foundation and UCL, as one of the world’s top universities,” said Dr. Richard O’Kennedy, Vice President for Research, Development and Innovation, Qatar Foundation.
During its time in the country, the institution successfully accomplished its mission of creating “the best environment for advanced research and learning excellence in the cultural heritage sector,” preparing over 331 graduates for the job market.
The prestigious institution has offered postgraduate and doctoral academic programmes in Conservation, Museums and Gallery Practice, Archaeology of the Arab and Islamic World, Academic Research and Methods, and Library and Information Studies.
“As we bring to a close UCL Qatar’s operations, your achievements and those of our 331 former students will continue to have huge impact in Qatar and in whichever place your life and career take you,” said Dr Sam Evans, Director of UCL Qatar.
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“My colleagues and I hope that you will treasure the experience with UCL Qatar and Qatar Foundation and the privilege that comes with the opportunity to work in a multicultural environment and on transnational projects. A global outlook made even wider and more significant by the challenges of this last year.”
On Sunday, UCL hosted its final graduation ceremony and closing event, celebrating its decade-long academic excellence as the last batch flips their tassels.
“I am most thankful for the enlightening and challenging projects that encouraged us to find new ways to solve important issues, both locally and in the broader world of Library and Information Science,” said graduate speaker Asmaa Al-Maadheed, a Qatari Language Teacher and Library and Information Professional who attained an MA in Library and Information Studies this year.
“Joining the Library and Information Studies programme helped me realise the breadth of my knowledge and provided the roadmap for how I can grow my skills in the future. It has been a truly amazing process.”
The last cohort of graduates included 108 graduating students from 29 countries, with more than 86 students already securing employment in leading local and global organisations, including Qatar National Library, Qatar Museums and the National Museum of Australia.
More than 73 of the students were women and 7 of them were Qatari nationals, UCL Qatar said in a statement.
Not only that, but the university made sure to provide top-tier hands on experience for its students by working closely with Qatar Museums and Qatar Foundation on a variety of research and community projects, leaving an academic legacy for the country’s cultural heritage studies.
“Over the past decade, we have enjoyed a remarkable relationship with UCL-Qatar that has seen us collaborate on numerous projects. From training and seminars, to archaeological fieldwork and heritage research, we have enjoyed an immensely fruitful relationship,” said Ahmad Musa Al-Namla, Chief Executive Officer at Qatar Museums.
In line with the University’s global engagement strategy, UCL will transition its current Qatar operations from a physical campus to a London-based partnership approach, the university announced.
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