(MENAFN- The Peninsula) By Fazeena Saleem / The Peninsula
Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar) with an aim to meet the needs of the community, will introduce new study programs as the campus enters into the 20th year of academic excellence in the country.
The new programs are likely to include filmmaking and photography, as well as a unique course on health and well-being, says Dr. Akel I. Kahera, VCUarts Qatar Dean.
'We are looking at responding to the needs of the community. One of the things we are looking at is the possibility of extending one of our degree programs to include filmmaking and photography. Part of the vision is that we are trying to capture the enthusiasm of Qataris, who may want to peruse a degree in filmmaking and photography, said Dr. Kahera.
'We are also thinking of expanding our fashion programs to fashion merchandising. But we have a deep interest in making sure the existing programs be strong, while we expand them, he said speaking to media on the sidelines of the 20/20/20 exhibition being held to celebrate the success of the campus.
Additionally, in a new attempt, VCUarts Qatar is working together with Weill Cornell Medicine in Qatar and Texas A & M University at Qatar to develop the course ‘Designing for a Healthy Society' for this spring.
'It's interesting to work on a health and well-being program as we are an arts school. But health effects all of us: how we eat, how our psychology, behavior and environment evolves into it, and how we convince people to eat a certain way matters here. There is a visual component to it. You see it, and you convince. Then the narrative, there is sort of technical information which translates how it helps your body, so we are working with WCM-Q and Texas A & M Qatar, said Dr. Kahera.
Being the first US campus to open in Education City, at present VCUarts Qatar has 361 students and they represent a diverse range of nationalities with students coming from more than 40 different countries. Among them, 95 percent are female, 61 percent Qatari, 40 students have cross-registered at different campuses within Education City. It has a student faculty ratio of 1:6.
The campus offers programs in Art History BA, Fashion Design BFA, Graphic Design BFA, Interior Design BFA, Painting + Printmaking BFA and Design MFA.
VCUarts Qatar is the only campus within Education City to have two female Qatari faculty, and them being VCU graduates makes it unique.
VCUarts Qatar is the Qatar campus of the Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Richmond, Virginia. It was established in 1998 through a partnership with Qatar Foundation.
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