(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Irfan Bukhari &
Mohammed Osman Ali |
The Peninsula
Doha, Qatar: The University of Doha for Science and Technology (UDST) is responding in a research-based, timely manner to the needs of fast-changing world of innovation and technology. The state-of-the-art applied university is producing a skilled workforce for the current and future industrial needs of Qatar, the region and beyond through career-focused education.
President of UDST Dr. Salem Al Naemi is the man with a vision and mission continuously guiding and leading the institution with the fastest growth to become a leading applied university globally.
The Peninsula conducted a detailed, exclusive interview with Dr. Al-Naemi in which he shared his vision about the university and its achievements accomplished so far in a short span of time since it was established in February 2022.“The UDST is a younger name but historically rooted for a long time in Qatar.
“Our training and continuous training for re-skilling and up-skilling either for education-seekers or the workforce within the nation is really adding a lot of value for different industries of the country,” he told The Peninsula.
He said that the UDST is working with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education to influence schools' curricula from Grade 10.“Their Grade 10 curriculum will be aligned with the university's curriculum, allowing them the opportunity to enter UDST.”
He told the daily that the UDST is set to launch their Master's in Safety, Master's in Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity. Also he shared his plans to launch a bachelor's programme in Logistics and Supply Chain Management to meet the growing need of the country.
The UDST currently offers over 60 academic programmes to over 7,200 enrolled students hailing from over 85 nationalities.
UDST responds to global changes via research, innovation
Highlighting some of the significant achievements of the UDST, he said that the world is evolving and changing rapidly thus human needs are also going through changes.
“The University of Doha for Science and Technology, being an applied university, actively listens to these changes and closely integrates with the broader industry. This includes sectors such as energy, economy, finance, and even government.”
He noted that the ultimate strategy and goal of the university is to respond to these global and national changes through research, education, training and innovation.“The university has been responding to these changes. These timely responses have placed the university in a situation where it is been creating solutions for emerging scenarios in the industry.”
Dr. Al Naemi believes that these efforts have reflected very positively on the growth of the university.“This is why the university in a very short span of time (over 2 years) has grown over 120%, that's a very excellent growth.”
This growth, he said, really comes from the response to university programmes which are aligned closely with the present day needs. He said that worldwide changes also reflect locally.“All our majors are very responsive to the need of the hour.“Our training and continuous training for re-skilling and up-skilling either for education-seekers or the workforce within the nation is really adding a lot of value for different industries of the country.” He boasted the capability of the university to quickly respond to the industry needs like the need to design, develop, and conduct trainings as needed.
Dr. Al Naemi said:“We have also created an environment in the university which is very responsive to our community at large; also to our faculty, staff and students. At the same time it is responsive to our surrounding community. Our facility is open for the public to be used freely. We've been very engaged in all the activities that are happening at the national level.”
The President of UDST said that the community of the university is much diversified.“We have over 85 different nationalities... We have different groups either coming from Asia, Europe, the Middle East.”
He said that the UDST has responded very well not only to the growth but also to building a brand and an image for the university within the community.
“Another very important aspect is research. The university is very responsive at the national level on demand and need basis. Any problem or a challenge or an aspect that an industry would like to explore, we actively partner with industry stakeholders to address their issues or investigate solutions they require.”
UDST-QMC MoU contributes effectively on technology use
Talking about a recently signed agreement between University of Doha for Science and Technology and Qatar Media Corporation, he said that the memorandum of understanding (MoU) is very strategic and focuses on developing a blended track in Arabic and English within the Bachelor of Science programme in Digital Communication and Media Production, offered by the College of Computing and Information Technology at the university, which will be available to students starting from the Fall semester of this year.
“This track is designed to equip students with the capability to proficiently manage content in Arabic and the necessary skills to deploy the latest digital technologies in media production and to lead A/V technical teams, excel in all media production professions on stage or behind the scenes, and contribute effectively to use of technology and the communication departments of both public and private organisations.”
UDST programmes aligned with World Economic Forum's studies
Talking about challenges, the President of UDST noted that a 'general shyness' towards STEM was a kind of challenge the university was facing but many solutions were being applied to address the challenge.“This challenge is faced globally; there is often reluctance among students to enter this field due to its demanding nature, requiring extensive study, analytical skills, and critical thinking. We are actively developing various strategies to market the importance of STEM, particularly for our nation, which relies heavily on energy and a knowledge-based economy.”
UDST is implementing an ambitious plan to prepare students for STEM education starting at the school level. We are collaborating closely with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education to increase the number of nationals graduating from schools in this field. The more students they successfully prepare, the better it is for us, he added. He said UDST is working with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education to attract more Qatari students to STEM education and hopefully these students will be coming to UDST.“It will also help to overcome and fulfil the need of the industry at large .... we are also focusing on incentivising students to pursue STEM. We are achieving this by creating a more engaging and enjoyable approach to teaching the subject.”
Dr. Al Naemi said the UDST was working with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education to influence schools' curricula from Grade 10.“Their Grade 10 curriculum will be aligned with the university's curriculum, allowing them the opportunity to enter UDST with some credits already earned.
“Instead of, for example, spending 4 years (for a bachelor's programme), they may spend only three years.”
He said the UDST is engaged in effective marketing of STEM education in schools. He noted that the university's programmes are aligned with the World Economic Forum's studies on the future needs of the job market.
“This approach will attract more nationals to STEM education, thereby also fulfilling the needs of the local industry. Just two years ago, we had around 2,800 students. Today, we have 7,500 students.”
UDST's role in nation building includes education, research
On the University's role in nation building, he said that it has three aspects.“One fold is really designing and delivering educational programmes which the industry needs. This is how we are actually preparing the future workforce for the economy and the labour market ultimately adding value to the economy.”
He observed that the second role involves conducting research, which is the real response to the diverse needs of various industries, including energy and renewable energy.“In these areas, we have made several important decisions. Following this, there's food security - where we are undertaking numerous projects that will add value - along with sustainability, agriculture, climate change, and health, etc.”
Dr. Al Naemi said that UDST is conducting research on bioinformatics to study different aspect of diseases and different behaviours in Qatar.“UDST is conducting extensive research on the impact of food and various lifestyle behaviours on health. We are also exploring solutions for various medical treatments through advanced research in pharmacy technology. UDST also undertakes research in AI and cybersecurity. All these efforts will add value to our economy, either directly or indirectly.”
UDST programmes are focused on forecast jobs
Regarding relevance of the university academic programmes due to their alignment with present and future job markets, he said:“All of our programmes are needed for today and tomorrow. We are focused on forecast jobs.”
For example, he said, in engineering the renewable energy is one of the areas which is very important and UDST offers a major in Electrical Power and Renewable Energy Engineering.“Similarly, smart manufacturing is another programme that UDST offers and is of tremendous importance to the industry.”
He said that UDST has also introduced a Marine Engineering programme as Qatar is set to increase LNG production by 2030.“This programme stands as Qatar's first undergraduate offering in this field, tailored to support the nation's burgeoning LNG shipping industry.”
Dr. Al Naemi mentioned that UDST will provide a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in addition to the diploma in practical nursing - in response to the global shortage of nurses, a situation that is not limited to Qatar alone.“These programmes are designed to supply the workforce with skilled nurses for both the present and future needs.”
He noted that there is a significant demand for midwifery, and UDST stands as the sole institution in Qatar offering a programme in this field.“Our health discipline majors, such as medical radiography, respiratory therapy and others are unique in Qatar. We are the only educational institution in the country to offer such majors.”
“UDST has also launched the Software Engineering programme, a crucial field for developing various systems, apps, and digital functions across multiple industries. In addition to our programmes in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and data science fields that are expected to be in high demand in the future, potentially creating millions of job opportunities over the next 50 years. Another important major is Digital Communication and Media Production. With journalism increasingly moving towards digital platforms, we are adapting our programmes to meet these evolving needs. Furthermore, the Banking and Financial Technology programme stands at the forefront of modern finance. In today's digital age, understanding the intersection of finance and technology is crucial for innovating solutions and navigating the complexities of the global financial landscape.”
Taking technology further is the aim of UDST
On research, he said it is very important from different angles.“Taking technology to the next level based on the current and future needs is the aim of UDST being a national university. The research could be in engineering or climate change, medicine or in the financial sector. We have a research strategy aligned to meet Qatar National Vision 2030 and its pillars including STEM education, well-being of humans, sustainability and digital technology.”
“All our research aligns with these specific areas of focus and is conducted in collaboration with a partner from the industry, whether from governmental or private sectors.” He added:“In this case our research outcome will have an added value to the entity we are working with.
“As a university, we operate an incubator centre known as UHUB, designed to assist our students and researchers in navigating the life cycle of transforming their ideas into tangible realities. This process encompasses everything from the initial idea, through research, to the development of a prototype, and eventually, to creating a marketable product from which we can generate revenue. At present, we are incubating five distinct ideas within our centre.”
UDST cultivates inclusive environment
To another question about attracting and retaining faculty, Dr Al Naemi said:“For individuals to thrive and remain engaged in their workplace, it's essential to foster a sense of belonging, comfort, and transparency. At our university, we prioritise operating transparently and with an open-minded approach. We strive to cultivate an inclusive environment where every faculty and staff member feels a strong sense of belonging and comfort.”
He said that the UDST has been certified as a Great Place to Work® for the second consecutive year after a thorough and independent analysis conducted by Great Place to Work Middle East.
UDST programme majors add up to a knowledge-based economy
On Qatar's plans of diversification of economy towards knowledge-based and the university's role in this regard, Dr. Al Naemi said it is really very important for the nation and for UDST.“Our university boasts a certified professional training centre, designed to train and certify the workforce across various trades within the country. This initiative aims to enhance the skill set of workers, whether they are mechanics, electricians, or in other technical professions. This not only boosts their individual earning potential but also broadens their employment opportunities globally, as our centre is accredited by a prestigious American institution.”
He said all majors offered by the UDST are playing an important role taking the country towards a knowledge-based economy.“Our future graduates and today's graduates will be an added-value to the knowledge-based economy.”
UDST to introduce Master's in Safety, AI, Cybersecurity
Sharing some of the future plans and academic programmes, he said that the UDST always looks for an opportunity aligned with the need and demand of the industry.
“We are introducing a Master's in Safety, responding to its significant demand, especially within the energy sector, and it will be available soon. UDST is also launching a Master's programme in Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity starting this Fall, in line with the substantial demand in these areas. Recognising Qatar's growing need for expertise in logistics and supply chain management, we will initiate a Bachelor's programme in this field from the Fall. Nursing bachelor programmes will also be available from the Fall.”
UDST aspires to become a leading institution globally
The UDST President said:“As an applied university, our vision is to become a national leader in this field. Currently, we stand as the sole applied university in existence. However, our ambition extends beyond regional leadership; we aspire to be recognised as a leading institution on a global scale. This is our goal.”
Dr. Al Naemi expressed the desire to enhance the university's international presence by facilitating the exchange of faculty and students on a global scale.“Currently, we have numerous partnerships, and we are striving to extend these collaborations to include institutions in Europe, the US, and Asia.”
UDST providing over 20 years of experience in applied education
In response to a question about the accumulated experience of the university, he clarified that while UDST may be a newer name, it has deep historical roots. He mentioned that the university was founded by an Amiri decree in February 2022. He further elaborated that UDST has over 20 years of experience in providing applied education in Qatar, formerly as the College of the North Atlantic-Qatar, and is recognised for its world-class faculty and cutting-edge facilities.
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