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The Peninsula
The Qatar National Vision (QNV) 2030 aims to transform the country into an advanced and sustainable society capable of maintaining its development and providing a high standard of living for its people and future generations.
To actualise this goal, Qatar needs to develop a rich citizen talent pool and localise expertise for development. Hence, the role of universities is essential in this regard, especially with the ever-changing nature of the business and economic scene.
“We live in a very dynamic environment. Hence, the business world is rapidly changing, and so is business education and our curriculum,” Dean, QU College of Business and Economics, Prof. Rana Sobh, told The Peninsula in an interview.
“We are constantly revisiting our programmes' portfolio, curricula and pedagogies to better prepare our graduates for the ever-evolving demands of the job market and to better respond to society's challenges and needs,” she added.
These developments are particularly crucial as the country harnesses its position as a lucrative investment destination for entrepreneurship and companies worldwide – backed by a progressive and multi-sectoral development plan with committed government support of tertiary institutions. According to Prof Sobh, the college launched two new minors starting in the Fall of 2022; a minor in Entrepreneurship and Innovation open to business and non-business students and a minor in Business Analytics. A minor in taxation will be offered in the Fall of 2023, and other innovative minors and programmes are underway.
“Our college is host to leading researchers and competent teachers who strive to provide transformational and immersive learning experiences to our students,” Prof Sobh emphasised.
She said the high-quality research output of CBE's faculty and graduate students constantly advances knowledge and impacts the business community, especially in meeting evolving demands.
“To stay current, in addition to looking at international trends and consulting with our advisory board, we rely on alumni and employer surveys, meeting with different stakeholders as well as information gathered from public and private organisations to find out the knowledge and skills needed to meet job market needs,” she added.
With over 4,500 enrolled students in its undergraduate and graduate degree programmes, the CBE, established in 1985, offers six majors -- Accounting, Finance, Management, Marketing, Economics, and Management Information Systems with minors in Business Analytics, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and Taxation. Besides, the CBE offers several postgraduate programmes such as a Master of Accounting, MBA, MSc Finance, MSc Marketing, PhD in Business Administration, and Executive Master in Leadership.
Over the years, CBE has earned several accreditations, including the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) business accreditation for all its programmes since 2010, followed by supplementary accreditation for its accounting programme last year.
“This achievement places the College of Business among less than 5% of business schools worldwide who have earned AACSB Business accreditation and among 1% of all such accounting programmes worldwide,” Prof Sobh noted.
In 2023, CBE's accounting and finance programme achieved a global subject ranking of 151-200, Business and Management Studies achieved a global subject ranking of 301-350, and Information Systems (with Computer Science) reached a global subject ranking of 151-200 on the QS World University Ranking. The MBA programme has also risen to second on QS Global MBA Rankings 2023 for the Middle East and Africa Region and in the top 100 worldwide. Prof Sobh said this is a testimony to the college's focus on“high-quality business programmes” and indicates the quality of CBE's curricula, faculty, student assessment and delivery methods.
According to the Dean, achieving a high rank in the QS subject indicates that the college has a strong reputation for producing graduates who are well-prepared for careers in accounting and finance. She said it reflects that the CBE has leading researchers in its faculty who can attract research funding and collaborate with international partners.
“Every four years, the CBE performs academic programme review followed by proposing plans for revising the programme,” she said. “In March 2023, the CBE welcomed experts from the UK, Canada, USA, and New Zealand to review several undergraduate and graduate programmes in light of worldwide academic trends while considering regional and international needs to create a balance between business profitability and sustainability-related concerns.”