NU Q welcomes record number of Qatari students

(MENAFN- The Peninsula)

Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q) Dean and CEO Everette E Dennis addressing students at the convocation ceremony held at Qatar Foundation’s HBKU student centre.

DOHA: Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q) greeted its Class of 2019 at a ceremony for students and parents held at Qatar Foundation’s HBKU student centre. With the administration and staff in full academic regalia more than 60 new freshman students were inducted into the university including the largest number of Qataris to date. This year’s class totals a record 207 undergraduates.

Addressing this year’s freshman class convocation speaker Jonathan Lyons highlighted to Qatar’s budding academics the Middle East’s contribution to knowledge and its impact on Europe and the wider world and challenged NU-Q’s community to read reflect and appreciate the notable impact of Arab thought and invention on education itself. From the ancients forward he commented scientific thought and philosophy has benefited from Islamic contributions.

Lyons the author of The House of Wisdom (2008) and Islam Through Western Eyes (2012) spent 20 years as foreign correspondent at Reuters reporting from conflict zones around the world. He empowered students to ensure no barriers hinder successful learning and ended his remarks with “a call to action to free yourself from the prevailing academic and social consensus. To strike out on your own and pursue knowledge wherever it may take you.”

Everette E Dennis dean and CEO of NU-Q greeted students and began by thanking the national leadership and Qatar Foundation “for their foresight to recognise the importance of communication media and journalism in Qatar’s national development” which is NU-Q’s mandate.

He argued “QNV2030 explicitly acknowledges the need for educated citizens and professionals as part of a quest to create a knowledge-based economy for this country and the region.”

The ceremony signalled the start of the academic year and the conclusion of NU-Q’s Wildcat Welcome Week - an orientation program for incoming students to learn about academic and community expectations forge friendships and meet the mentors who will serve as critical resources through the next four years.

Najla Al Khulaifi President of the NU-Q Student Union spoke to her fellow peers commenting; “NU-Q is an extraordinary rich and diverse community with enormous opportunities – academic extracurricular athletic and social. It’s time to step outside of your comfort zone get comfortable with being uncomfortable and prepare to challenge yourself.” Al-Khulaifi advised this year’s freshman year to “look at the world through a new lens and be ready broaden your horizons by embracing this new academic experience.”

NU-Q is committed to excellent teaching innovative research and the personal intellectual growth of its students in a diverse academic community.

Students receive instruction from a world-class international faculty across three major programs: journalism communication and liberal arts. This year’s class of 2019 represent the diverse community in Qatar hailing from 19 different countries across the globe.