T he Right to Rep l y ISSUE 94 THURSDAY 19 SEPTEMBER 2013 Ceremony Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of QF, welcomes latest addition to HBKU community SPOTLIGHT STUDENT SPOTLIGHT CLEANING UP THE WORLD Omran Al Kuwari, Chief Executive at GreenGulf, outlines what lies ahead for the clean technology company Read more on page 7 POSITIVE RESPONSE AT QF Majority of Qatar Foundation staff and students feel they are part of a wider community Read more on page 4 UCL Qatar is inaugurated “TQI has offered an extraordinary opportunity to teachers and students to access quality education that will be instrumental in shaping the future of many young people” Jonathan Miller, International Program Manager at ROTA. Read more on page 2 UCL QATAR, the first UK university campus to be set up in Education City, has been formally inaugurated under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qa- tar Foundation (QF). HRH the Duke of York KG also attended the ceremony, held at Qa- tar National Convention Centre, alongside senior representatives from QF, Hamad bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Museums Authority (QMA), and University College Lon- don (UCL) staff, including UCL’s out- going Provost and President, Professor Sir Malcolm Grant. Also present were UCL Qatar staff and students, plus key stakeholders from the community who have played an important role in establishing UCL Qatar. UCL Qatar was set up in collabo- ration with QF and QMA in August 2012 to create a center of excellence in the Gulf region for the study of ar- cheology, conservation, museology, and librarianship, and to bring cul- tural heritage to the forefront. At the ceremony, His Excellency Sheikh Abdulla bin Ali Al-Thani, Ph.D., President of HBKU and Vice President of Education at QF, ex- plained HBKU’s plans to partner with its branch campuses to offer research degrees. “UCL has always been a pio- neer in higher education and I believe it has much to contribute to our emerg- ing research university. The globally recognized quality of its scholarship in many areas will enrich our collabora- tive, interdisciplinary model of teach- ing and research,” he said. His Royal Highness The Duke of Gathering hears about new Strategic Communications Unit See page 6 HBKU students start to debate the big issues See page 8 York said: “This collaboration and the work that UCL and Qatar are doing together can only be of benefit, not only to Qatar but to UCL and the wider UK-Qatar relationship.” A short film of UCL Qatar’s achievements and objectives was shown, and Professor Michael Wor- ton, UCL Vice Provost, acknowl- edged UCL Qatar’s new Consulta- tion Committee, which will advise the university on the Qatari context of its research. Professor Worton said: “UCL Qatar is young, but we are committed to ful- filling the educational, research, social, and ethical visions of both UCL and its key partners QF and QMA.” Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation (QF), at the inauguration ceremony of UCL Qatar. The ceremony was also attended by (from left) Professor Michael Worton, Vice Provost of University College London (UCL), His Excellency Sheikh Abdulla bin Ali Al-Thani, Ph.D., President of HBKU and Vice President of Education at QF, HRH the Duke of York KG, Professor Sir Malcolm Grant, outgoing Provost and President of UCL, Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Al Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums Authority, Professor Thilo Rehren, Director of UCL Qatar, and Dr Mohamed Fathy Saoud, President of QF.
Transcript
The Right to Reply
issue 94 Thursday 19 SEpTEMBER 2013
Ceremony Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of QF, welcomes latest addition to HBKU community
spotLigHt studeNt spotLigHt
ClEAnIng up THE WORlDomran al kuwari, Chief executive at greengulf, outlines what lies ahead for the clean technology company
Read more on page 7
pOSITIVE RESpOnSE AT QFmajority of qatar foundation staff and students feel they are part of a wider community
Read more on page 4
uCl Qatar is inaugurated
“TQI has offered an extraordinary opportunity to
teachers and students to access quality education that will be instrumental in shaping the
future of many young people”Jonathan Miller, International Program Manager at ROTA.
Read more on page 2
uCl QATAR, the first UK university campus to be set up in Education City, has been formally inaugurated under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qa-tar Foundation (QF).
HRH the Duke of York KG also attended the ceremony, held at Qa-tar National Convention Centre, alongside senior representatives from QF, Hamad bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Museums Authority (QMA), and University College Lon-don (UCL) staff, including UCL’s out-going Provost and President, Professor Sir Malcolm Grant. Also present were UCL Qatar staff and students, plus key stakeholders from the community who have played an important role in establishing UCL Qatar.
UCL Qatar was set up in collabo-ration with QF and QMA in August 2012 to create a center of excellence in the Gulf region for the study of ar-cheology, conservation, museology, and librarianship, and to bring cul-tural heritage to the forefront.
At the ceremony, His Excellency Sheikh Abdulla bin Ali Al-Thani, Ph.D., President of HBKU and Vice President of Education at QF, ex-plained HBKU’s plans to partner with its branch campuses to offer research degrees. “UCL has always been a pio-neer in higher education and I believe it has much to contribute to our emerg-
ing research university. The globally recognized quality of its scholarship in many areas will enrich our collabora-tive, interdisciplinary model of teach-ing and research,” he said.
His Royal Highness The Duke of
gathering hears about new strategiccommunications unitsee page 6
HBKu students start to debatethe big issuessee page 8
York said: “This collaboration and the work that UCL and Qatar are doing together can only be of benefit, not only to Qatar but to UCL and the wider UK-Qatar relationship.”
A short film of UCL Qatar’s
achievements and objectives was shown, and Professor Michael Wor-ton, UCL Vice Provost, acknowl-edged UCL Qatar’s new Consulta-tion Committee, which will advise the university on the Qatari context
of its research.Professor Worton said: “UCL Qatar
is young, but we are committed to ful-fi lling the educational, research, social, and ethical visions of both UCL and its key partners QF and QMA.”
Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation (QF), at the inauguration ceremony of UCL Qatar. The ceremony was also attended by (from left) Professor Michael Worton, Vice Provost of University College London (UCL), His Excellency Sheikh Abdulla bin Ali Al-Thani, Ph.D., President of HBKU and Vice President of Education at QF, HRH the Duke of York KG, Professor Sir Malcolm Grant, outgoing Provost and President of UCL, Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Al Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums Authority, Professor Thilo Rehren, Director of UCL Qatar, and Dr Mohamed Fathy Saoud, President of QF.
“Our partnership with ROTA has resulted in improving the quality of education for teachers and students in Indonesia”ROTA embarks on fourth year of teaching program
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News iN Brief
Qatar Biobank staff attend leading coursen Qatar Biobank staff traveled to Luxembourg to participate in a prestigious international training course. The event was co-organized by the Integrated Biobank of Luxembourg and the University of Luxembourg, and is the only continuing professional development course of its kind. Qatar Biobank staff were provided with a wider perspective on the financial, legal, and ethical aspects of biobanking.
Vodafone Qatar announces SMS winners n Vodafone Qatar, a member of Qatar Foundation, has handed out prizes including new cars and electronic goods. Numerous winners were presented with prizes at Vodafone’s headquarters in Qatar Science & Technology Park. Mobile phone users have won daily prizes since the World of Prizes text competition was launched. Everyone who participated will go into a draw for QR100,000.
CAMpAIgn. Qatar Diabetes Asso-ciation (QDA) conducted a diabetes awareness day at Qatar Petrochem-cial Company (Qapco).
During the event QDA medical staff provided health education about diabetes for some of Qapco’s staff. Several tests were implemented, such as blood sugar testing, examination for diabetic feet, and eye-screening.
The QDA team used its Diabe-tes Education Mobile Unit for the purpose. The unit is run and super-vised by physicians and professional diabetes educators in three differ-
ent rooms: the education and blood sugar test room, eye examination room with retinal camera, and foot care room.
Dr Abdulla Al Hamaq, Executive Director of QDA, said: “The mobile unit helps us improve people’s qual-ity of life in Qatar through raising awareness about the importance of following a healthy lifestyle, as well as diabetes management and preven-tion.”
Dr Sharoud Al Jundi, Program Manager at QDA, said: “The diabe-tes mobile unit enabled us to reach
people who need diabetes education and healthcare all over the country. We hope we can make a difference in their lives.”
Dr Adham Abou El Zahab, Medical Section Head at Qapco, acknowledged QDA’s role in combating diabetes.
“As the health of its employees and their knowledge of health-related is-sues is a priority, Qapco encourages such initiatives aimed at raising fur-ther awareness about ways to pre-vent, identify, and fight diabetes,” he said.
QDA has used the mobile unit previously in different functions at the Corniche, Katara, and Al Khor.
QDA strives to improve people’s quality of life
TEACHERS and students in Indonesia are reaping the benefits of the Teacher Quality Improvement (TQI) program run by Reach Out To Asia (ROTA), as it enters its fourth year.
The TQI program, a joint venture with Qatar Foundation member-Vodafone Qatar, is expected to have held intensive training for about 1,500 teachers from the Yogyakarta special region by summer 2014, benefiting about 180,000 students across 500 schools.
The program focuses on how teachers conduct themselves within the classroom and includes training on lesson planning and de-livery, managing classroom dynam-ics, and fostering a positive approach toward teaching and learning.
Essa Al Mannai, Executive Di-rector of ROTA, said: “Working to-gether, ROTA and Vodafone Qatar have created innovative and exciting educational initiatives, bringing hope of a better future to individuals and communities in Indonesia.
“Our TQI program has been very effectual in improving teachers’ soft skills and equipping them with social, personal, and pedagogical skills to better manage the classroom.”
ROTA has been working in In-donesia since 2006, focusing pri-marily on school construction in ar-eas struck by natural disasters. Since
Training Initiative to improve education for 180,000 students across 500 schools in Indonesia
ROTA embarks on fourth year of teaching program
ROTA’s Quality Improvement Program is benefiting teachers and students in Indonesia
ference, whether in the way people communicate, or in improving their quality of life.
“Our partnership with ROTA has resulted in improving the quality of education for teachers and students in Indonesia. We are proud of our rela-tionship with Reach Out To Asia and we are confident that TQI will bring
2010, with the support of Voda-fone Qatar, ROTA has turned its attention to improving the quality of education.
DAnA HAIDAn, Head of Corporate Responsibility at Vodafone Qatar, said: “Vodafone Qatar’s purpose has always been to make a world of dif-
more success to teachers and students in Indonesia.”
Jonathan Miller, International Program Manager at ROTA, added: “TQI has offered an extraordinary opportunity to teachers and students to access quality education that will be instrumental in shaping the future of many young people.”
qf helps To sTrengThen japan linksn Qatar Foundation representatives attended the Qatar-Japan Business Forum at Sheraton Doha in late August. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe delivered the keynote address at the event organised by the Japan External Trade Organization, Japan Cooperation Center for the Middle East, and Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation. His Excellency Mohammed bin Saleh Al Sada, Qatar’s Minister of Energy and Industry, also gave a speech..
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“The mobile unit helps us improve people’s quality of life in Qatar through raising awareness about the importance of following a healthy lifestyle”
qft94_eng.indd 2 9/17/13 5:24 PM
3NewsFollow us on: twitter.com/QFTelegraph, facebook.com/QFTelegraphThursday 19 sepTember 2013
TECHnOlOgy. The Arabic of the Holy Qur’an is being taught to stu-dents on Education City using an in-novative physical learning method to help them to remember the language.
The 20-hour course, called ‘Un-derstand Qur’an and Salah …The Easy Way’, started on 14 September and will continue for the next two
The unique method involves using your hands to understand the differ-ent verb forms and other features of the language used in the Holy Qur’an.
The method aims to teach 125 key words from the Holy Qur’an, which comprise more than 50 percent of the total text, including daily recitations and some basic necessary grammar.
Saturdays at the Hamad bin Khalifa University Student Center Cinema.
It uses TPI – Total Physical In-teraction – to teach the students Qur’anic Arabic, a method devel-oped by Dr Abdul Azeez Abdul Ra-heem, Assistant Professor at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in Saudi Arabia.
HBKu students get help learning Qur’anic Arabic
COnFEREnCE. The Research Center for Islamic Legislation and Ethics (CILE), a member of Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies, participated in the International Conference of Muslims of the French speaking area (CIMEF) in Senegal from 23 to 26 August.
Discussions centered on the title ‘Ethics, Governance and Peace: contributions from Islamic Thought’. Participating experts from CILE included Professor Tariq Ramadan, CILE Executive Director, and Chauki Lazhar.
The conference is of particu-lar importance to Francophone countries in Africa as more than 200 million Muslims live in ar-eas where French is the main language, or at least one of the official languages. These indi-viduals face similar challenges throughout their lives, but are limited in their opportunities to exchange their experiences with other Muslims.
Conference discussion fo-cused on the ethical issues sur-rounding text and context, the relationship between faith and behavior, applied ethics and morality in Islam, and ethical involvement.
DElEgATES also attended sev-eral workshops, on subjects including Islamic ethics, envi-ronment and climate change, and bioethics.
A number of delegates visited Goree Island, notorious for its connection with the historical slave trade. Ethics in tourism, art, culture, and media were debated following the trip, with one of the speakers being Ami-nata Traore, the former Minis-ter of Tourism in Mali. Other contributors included Kalidou Cisse, President of the Senega-lese Section of the International Organization of Plastic Arts, and journalist Mame Less Camara.
A document detailing the con-ference is due to be published at www.cilecentre.org.
CIlE takes part in conference about Muslimsin Francophone countries
Art fans enjoy Enwezor’s Mathaf talkn World-renowned artistic director, curator, and art critic Okwui Enwezor gave a talk at Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art. Enwezor, Director of Haus der Kunst in Munich, investigated the development of artistic production in unusual contexts during his address. Enwezor collaborated with Abdellah Karroum, Mathaf’s Director, in curating the Seventh Gwangju Biennale’s Position Papers in 2008 and La Triennale of Paris in 2012.
Sidra hosts healthcare seminar n As part of Sidra Medical and Research Center’s Symposia Series, a seminar on breastfeeding was held at the Four Seasons Hotel. Members of the medical community attended the seminar, which detailed the National Health Strategy’s breastfeeding objectives. The event featured a presentation from Dr Shaheen Manzur, General Practitioner at Dukhan Medical Center.
The sessions have been jointly or-ganized by MyEC (Muslim Youth in Education City) and Insight Club (TAMUQ), both registered clubs in Education City. They follow a se-ries of workshops held at the Abdul-lah bin Zaid Al Mahmoud Islamic Cultural Center, formerly known as Fanar.
QATAR National Research Fund (QNRF) has streamlined the appli-cation process for the seventh cycle of its fl agship funding program, the National Priorities Research Pro-gram (NPRP).
The NPRP, which provides grants for competitively selected research projects aligned with the Qatar Na-tional Research Strategy and its four pillars of energy and environment, computer science and information and communications technology, health and social sciences, and the arts and humanities, opened for ap-plications on 17 September.
Dr Abdul Sattar Al Taie, Execu-tive Director of QNRF, said: “The NPRP plays a pivotal role in bring-ing together investigators from aca-demia, government, businesses, and other stakeholders in Qatar. It has also been extremely successful at bridging the gap between the Qa-tari and the international research community.
“This new, streamlined applica-tion process will ensure that the ca-liber of proposals remains high and competitive and, in turn, will raise Qatar’s profile within the interna-tional research community.”
Applications for the grants have been made easier to submit with a new online, step-by-step Grant Ap-plication Guide on the www.qnrf.org website.
The roles of the members of the research teams have been further defi ned and, in order to consolidate expertise among team members, there will be smaller research teams and the grant will be reduced to $300,000 per project per year. An-other noteworthy change will allow
researchers who are grant recipients under its Junior Scientists Research Experience Program (JSREP) to also participate in the NPRP.
nOOR Al Merekhi, Acting Director of Programs at QNRF, explained: “The changes introduced in the NPRP are
Research Applications have been made easier to submit with a new online step-by-step guide
QnRF grants streamlined
aimed at empowering the research teams. To foster a research culture at all levels of our society we need to encourage young researchers. With this consideration the tuition fees and stipend for graduate students, who are part of the research teams, has been increased to $40,000.”
A QNRF-supported scientist at work
“This new, streamlined application process will ensure that the caliber of proposals remains high and competitive”
Thursday 19 sepTember 2013Hot Topic: Right to ReplyOn 5 SEpTEMBER 2013, QF TELEGRAPH ASKED WHETHER QATAR FOunDATIOn (QF) EngEnDERS A SEnSE OF BElOngIng TO A VIBRAnT AnD VISIOnARy ORgAnIZATIOn, OR WHETHER QF IS SIMply A plACE TO EITHER WORK OR STuDy.
We conducted a poll of members of the wide QF community regarding this issue and surveyed people from a variety of divisions, directorates and centers in order to hear their views.
While not unanimous, the response of the survey was overwhelmingly positive, with 87 percent stating that they do indeed feel a sense of belonging to a wider community – one that has a shared sense of purpose regardless of where an individual works or studies.
This meant that only 13 percent of respondents answering our anonymous questionnaire said that they felt that their relationship with QF is one that serves simply as their place of employment or academic study. The number of people who said no was higher among staff (14 percent) than among students (8 percent).
Of those to whom we spoke who said that they did not feel a sense of belonging to the wider QF community, all voiced a willingness to play their part in the community. However, it was felt by the people in this minority group that there were barriers that still needed to be broken down between the various sub-elements of QF.
Overall, however, QF appears to be meeting its remit of unlocking the human potential of the vast majority of its varied and talented community, thanks in no small part to the fact that it is built upon an unwavering and powerful vision and mission, with strongly aligned and carefully selected objectives across the whole organization.
Playing an important role in engendering this sense of belonging are many people working at all levels across the organization to reinforce an important sense of community and togetherness.
Among these are individuals who perform roles, often in a voluntary capacity, that go well beyond their core responsibilities in one particular
work or study at Qatar Foundation, most of our day is spent in Education City and it is important that we build an environment whereby there is more to the day than just the eight hours spent behind a desk or in a lecture room.
“Community Services and our Housing and Dining Services provide all that’s required for our community in terms of activities and support. QF intrinsically stands for community development and the coming together of cultures. Learning from interacting across centers and divisions, developing from each other’s experiences, and building on that, is an important part of what QF is all about. When you add to this the welcoming Qatari culture of hospitality, you engender a high level of belonging.
“We at Support Services partake in the overall QF vision and mission of community development and togetherness. Our activities, as well as our unique and extensive facilities, fuse together to provide lifestyle enrichment for our community, providing total support in a way not available in any other organization. A great deal of effort is put into organizing events and activities that serve to bridge any gaps that may otherwise exist.
sector of QF. Such people act as sport coaches, tutors, or volunteers at events and initiatives.
Beyond what is done by individuals at institutional level, there are initiatives which serve to encourage positive interaction between people from different centers, divisions, and directorates. For example, there were recent orientation events organized by Hamad bin Khalifa University and
its various partner branch campuses, which gave the opportunity for cross-campus support and interactions between new and existing students from across all QF’s university-level institutions.
At pre-university level, an event was organized to bring together the new academic staff from across all QF’s academies in a social and harmonious setting ahead of the new academic term. Buthaina Al Nuaimi, Associate Vice President for Education, Pre University Division, explains the importance of such events.
“We wanted new staff to realize from the start that they are part of a wide and welcoming community that reaches beyond the team based in their own school building,” she says.
At a QF-wide level, QF’s Support Services are mindful of the opportunity they have to bring members of the community together, and to do so in a way that can be edifying, healthy, or simply fun and entertaining, but in a manner that is always mindful of QF’s ethos and objectives.
Ali Abdulrahman Al Muftah, Executive Director, QF Support Services, explains: “For a lot of us who
“Everyone who joins the QF family, including those based away from Education City, are informed about all of our activities and initiatives, and encouraged to contribute to them. Our services have a far reach, extending to Al Khor and Al Wakra, where we serve the needs of the QF academies that are located there.”
Al Muftah believes that it is vital that Support Services play an active role in bringing people together from the widest possible QF community, whether it is for key events such as Qatar National Day or Qatar Sport Day, or for informal gatherings within QF’s community facilities.
“This is one of our prime areas of focus,” Al Muftah insists. “Community interaction and development is not only important, but also necessary. We live in a world where people from far corners are a click away, but personal interaction is equally important. This influences transference of ideas and personal and cultural customs. It’s all about experience and knowledge sharing and learning and developing one’s self, while at the same time developing the community.”
BASIC biomedical research has been carried out for decades throughout the world, but it often is done in ivory towers with no interest for real people or the patient.
Recently the term ‘translational research’ has come into vogue and basic science has taken a backseat, even at prestigious institutions in the United States and Europe.
Singapore, a place where I worked for 16 years, started off conducting primarily basic research, but has now undertaken a highly translational strategy, with many scientists used to doing basic research now switching gears to try to create real-world products.
I came to Doha six months ago to join the nascent Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI). QBRI is an exciting place as it seeks to integrate basic, translational, and clinical approaches. Under one roof we have basic scientists like me working with clinicians, surgeons, and also people who have started biotech companies. The different centers are working closely with each other within QBRI, but are also seeking out partners such as Qatar Computing Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, Hamad Medical Corporation, Qatar University, and many other international institutions to study diseases having worldwide influence, but with a local focus.
People will immediately ask how worldwide problems can have local focus – aren’t diseases just the same for everyone? The simple question to ask is: do we all get the same flu or does everyone who uses acetaminophen get liver failure? The answer is no, and one of the key reasons is that we are all individually
different on a genetic level. One specific area that QBRI
is working on is diabetes, which has a very high rate of incidence in Qatar. The Genomic Medicine and Systems Biology Research Center at QBRI is starting a study to look at specific markers or even causative genetic elements that could exist in the Qatari population so that we can better predict those more disposed to diabetes within the local population and in the future better treat them.
My work has focused on studying the basic mechanisms of stem cell transcription factors (TFs). Stem cells are cells with the ability to form or regenerate any part of the human body. TFs are proteins which are the drivers of DNA and tell different parts of DNA to make more less of different proteins. Within the last six months I have published two papers in high-impact journals that show how two key TFs work together to keep cells as stem cells or make them differentiate into endoderm (gut).
I will continue to work with stem cell transcription factors within QBRI’s Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research Center and in addition I will work with TFs involved in beta-cell formation and regeneration. Beta-cell produce insulin, which is either absent or of insufficient quantity in diabetic patients. Thus I will apply skills and methodology that I had been using for very basic research towards something which could have clinical value.
“The different centers are working closely with each other within QBRI, but are also seeking out partners”
Dr Prasanna Kolatkarsenior scientist, qatar biomedical research institute
STuDEnTS were urged to make the most of their time at Qatar Foundation (QF) by a former student who now heads up a social enterprise developing youth programs across the Middle East and North Africa.
Mohamed Farid, chairman and founder of The Youth Company, spoke at an orientation event at Hamad bin Khalifa University Student Center, which introduced new students to leadership, what it means and the importance of developing leadership skills.
Farid explained to the young people from all branch campuses at QF how the opportunities he had been given when he studied at QF as a student at Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q) had influenced his life and career.
He said: “Because of my involvement as a student at QF, I got a chance to really develop and empower myself to ultimately help me today in owning and being a chairman of one of the largest youth initiatives in the region.
“I am very proud that I was a QF student. QF really gave me the opportunity to do more and learn more. I was involved in student associations, and set up my own initiatives. I was already running this company while I was a student at QF. I was a student during the day
and then I would go to work during the night.”
He said it was important to remember that many students do get good jobs when they graduate from university, and that those who do are people who stand out.
HE SAID: “You build your own experience and create your own opportunities and, at the end of the day, you build your own career. You have to think of what will make you different.
“Ultimately it is about how you mobilize and organizeyour resources.”
Farid said that in September 2008 he and another student from QF set up their first student organization, which looked out for the interests of workers on campus. “We realized
the workers didn’t have enough time to get on the bus at the end of their shift,” he said. “Myself and my colleague from Georgetown University - School of Foreign Service in Qatar (SFS-Q) saw this and said this is not what QF is about.” And they set up a student organization focusing on human rights.
He challenged the students to advance projects that have already been started by previous alumni of QF, and to make their own mark. “The impact you make as a student will set the bar for other students,” he said. “Previously, we have managed to organize resources to start a student-led campaign that gathered $400 million to rebuild schools. What will be your legacy?
“You need to come together as different students from different international backgrounds and try to achieve, learn and experience what we have to experience.
“In QF there are more than 60 different organizations with which you can volunteer, or you could go to Qatar Science & Technology Park and undertake an internship with one of the 71 different companies based there. At QF, the opportunities are there, and you have to make use of them,” he said.
Former Qatar Foundation student returns to campus to explain to the new arrivals the value of making an impact
“I am very proud that I was a QF student. QF really gave me the opportunity to do more and learn more”
Students urged to make the most of potential
COluMnIST
Mohamed Farid, chairman and founder of The Youth Company
QFTelegraph helps you make the most of your life at qf
Do you have questions you want answered? Email us at: [email protected] and we will do our best to help you
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n What is World Heart Day? World Heart Day was created in 2000 to inform people about cardiovascular diseases (CVD), particularly heart disease and stroke, which are the world’s leading cause of death. Qatar Foundation’s (QF’s) Health, Safety, Security and Environment (HSSE) Directorate will mark the day on 29 September.
n What events will be held? The main purpose of activities is to increase awareness about CVD. Participants will be advised on how to keep the heart healthy and be able to have their blood pressure measured, as high blood pressure, or hypertension as it is also known, is a leading risk factor. People will also be able to get their cholesterol level checked, and their body mass index (BMI) and blood sugar levels assessed, since high measurements of these are linked to increased risks of CVD. Literature will be available to explain the importance of moderate exercise in reducing the risk factors of CVD. There will also be demonstrations of cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of an automated external defi brillator.
n Where will activities be held? HSSE World Heart Day activities will be held from 10.30am until 1.30pm at the Recreation Center; within the Liberal Arts and Sciences building, close to the cafeteria entry; at Tornado Tower (second fl oor); and within Human Resources Directorate. The event aims to inform and educate all over the age of 18 within the QF community as to what they can do to reduce their risk of CVD.
InTERnAl communication campaign successes that have led to tangible benefits for staff across Qatar Foundation (QF), as well as plans to make staff feel even more informed and an integral part of the bigger picture at QF, were the focus of an Internal Communication Network (ICN) meeting held on 4 September.
Members were told about new plans, as well as discussing the successes of the network and suggesting improvements. The event brought more than 50 ICN representatives from QF’s 70 directorates and centers together to meet face-to-face and to brief them on upcoming issues. The ICN is playing an active role in helping all staff at QF to embrace our shared organizational sentiments through unified communication as part of QF’s broader internal communication strategy.
THE EVEnT started with a welcome and presentation by Sara Al Safar, Internal Communication/Public Relations Co-ordinator at QF. Safar discussed the development of Maktabi, the online internal newsletter, over the past year, the future and direction of internal communications, and thanked ICN representatives for their key role in
enhancing internal communication practices throughout QF.
“Effective internal communication is very important for individuals involved in any organization to have identity and values,” said Al Safar. “This will lead to enhanced and improved engagement and activity.”
As an important aspect of the organization’s overall communication strategy, the networking event also provided an opportunity for Tariq Al Sada, Corporate and PR Manager at QF, to launch QF’s new Strategic Communications Unit, created to streamline all QF news output.
THE unIT will create a weekly communications grid to plot events and press releases, and from this the press office will prioritize stories to push strongly to the media, so individual centers aren’t competing for media coverage.
“On average, QF distributes 66 press releases per month,” Al Sada said. “While our goal is optimum media coverage, we think it’s just as important that every story reflect QF’s overarching vision and mission as well as newsworthy content. We also want to orchestrate distribution mindfully, so that on any given day, our various messages are in sync
Networking Event brings representatives together to discuss future plans
ICn gathering hears all about a new StrategicCommunications unit
“Eff ective internal communication is very important for individuals involved in any organization to have identity and values”
with each other.” The event also featured
workshops in which representatives had the opportunity to make suggestions on improvements to the network and discuss what is happening in their departments.
“We discussed ways for ICN reps to network and share best practices,” said Suhair Al Salah, Senior PR Media Officer, Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies. “The ICN gives us the opportunity to meet other communications professionals at QF, and benefit by being able to put our heads together and share our collective experience and knowledge.”
Qatar Foundation staff are briefed on the new Strategic Communications Unit
Rania abou, Translator, PR department, Qatar Diabetes association“I loved meeting all the other ICN representatives and I love the idea of getting together and exchanging updates and information. The Strategic Communications Unit is better for all of us. It is more prestigious for our press releases to come from the QF mother ship.”
Khaled Kassab, Public Relations Coordinator, Qatar leadership academy“This kind of workshop is helpful for us as representatives as it allows us to engage with new procedures and vision of QF and apply them. We have new learners every year and have to send out the best image of QF.”
amru Elfil, Events and outreach supervisor, Qatar solar Technologies“We hope the Strategic Communications Unit will help us streamline our core business and press releases and, hopefully, it will work out for the best. I’m looking forward to being part of it. It could help us to reach the right parts of the media.”
qft94_eng.indd 6 9/17/13 5:24 PM
Follow us on: twitter.com/QFTelegraph, facebook.com/QFTelegraphThursday 7 marCh 2013 7From the TopFollow us on: twitter.com/QFTelegraph, facebook.com/QFTelegraphThursday 19 sepTember 2013 7Director’s Note
omran al kuwari, Chief executive of clean technology company greengulf, looks forward to innovative developments
Fuelling a cleaner worldgREEngulF was established in late 2008 as the first private green tech company in the region.
After almost five years, we have a pretty strong track record and have grown with the market and with the industry.
We have gone from consisting of two people in 2009 to more than 15 in Qatar alone. We also have offices in Saudi Arabia and expect to open an office in Berlin this year, and possibly Dubai.
The journey has been challenging because there is no precedent in the region of a comparable business that is focused on green technology. It requires us to look at innovative business models to make sure we add value and achieve enough growth to sustain our development.
We started with solar energy and that has been the key to our business so far. Now we’re looking at other technologies such as waste energy and electric vehicles. All the way through these, of course, runs the theme of energy efficiency, which is first and foremost.
Another thing we have been focused on for the past couple of years is waste energy. We think it makes a lot of sense for this region as we generate a lot of waste.
Next year will also be a big year for us in terms of focusing on electric vehicles. We have a clear path ahead of us in this technology. We are working with Siemens, looking at electric buses, which we believe is the transport area where we can make
most impact. We are also working with Qatar Fuel Additives Company Limited on deploying methanol-powered vehicles.
We think electric vehicles have huge potential and we have several initiatives in the pipeline. We hope to have a pilot project launched by the end of this year with Siemens on the electric buses. Siemens already has the technology, as the company has done so already in Beijing and Vienna. We need to see how that works in Qatar and look at the economics to see if it makes sense.
Our research so far has been mainly in the commercialization of new technologies. We are trying to understand what technologies are what, how they can be improved and the cost of these in our environment.
FuTuRE RESEARCHAs we look to expand our research, working with Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute as our partner, our focus is to work backwards. What will the market need? What will Qatar need? What technology is there? And what will be there in the next five years? We will be looking to close that gap.
This need is driving us toward the research side, so we can develop solutions that work specifically for Qatar. We don’t want to copy and paste solutions that might work for Spain and not have them working efficiently here.
In Qatar, our market needs are different from what is already out
there. So we need to work with companies and research institutions to develop something specific for our environment. For example, some technologies see a reduction in efficiency when the temperature reaches more than 35 degrees Celsius, but in Qatar, that is when we need them to work most. Also, we don’t have fresh water for technologies that require this.
Our big achievements – in Qatar especially – can be linked to the support that we have had from Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP) and Qatar Foundation (QF) as a whole.
We are fortunate to also have the support of Kahramaa (Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation) and Qatar National Food Security Programme early on, as well as the recognition of the Qatar 2022 Fifa team and the Doha 2020 Olympic team, with whom we collaborated.
We’re very proud of the research being done at GreenGulf. It is not just good for the company, but for the country and for QF. Not only are we developing knowledge in solar technology, we are also able to
demonstrate how a company can perform well in this industry.
We wanted to create a business model that shows you can do the right thing in society and be successful commercially and we hope this will encourage other entrepreneurs and companies to enter the clean technology market.
We have benefited from QF support in many ways. Almost all of our staff members are Education City graduates and we have strong relationships with the universities here, and take students on internships.
gROWIng SKIllSI have been very impressed with the talent coming out of the universities on Education City and Qatar University. We need mechanical engineering, economic, and policy experts and we have a lot of students, both Qatari and non-Qatari, who have been born and raised in Qatar and know it inside out, who have been great value and understand the way the political environment works and have been well-educated.
The industry has been able to
attract a lot of interest from students who are motivated to help the environment.
QSTP, where we have been based since 2009, provides us with a huge network of companies we can work with. There’s a great eco-system here at QSTP and that is how we met Chevron, with whom we have built our Solar Testing Facility next door, which provides almost 1 megawatt of power to Education City and also houses the largest commercial battery in the world.
QF has also supported our mission with contracts for solar installations in the major buildings in Education City. Qatar National Convention Centre was our first commercial project and since then we have installed solar power in a number of the university buildings and on the parking roofs.
A significant percentage of the power used by QF will come from solar and at the end of the year the students will be able to go online and see how much energy is being generated by solar.
QF is also partnering with GreenGulf and Kahramaa in a milestone project for the Qatar renewable energy sector to provide power from the sun back into the grid. In every country there is a first step and the industry starts from there. I’m very proud to be involved in making that happen.
“not only are we developing knowledge in solar technology, we are also able to demonstrate how a company can perform well in this industry”
GREENGULF PROJECTS• QsTP solaR TEsTiNg faCiliTY: greengulf jointly runs the facility with
chevron. photovoltaic testing started in June 2012; solar thermal testing is due to commence by the end of 2013.
• QaTaR NaTioNal CoNVENTioN CENTRE: greengulf, in partnership with enviromena, completed the first major solar installation in Qatar at the venue, which now provides 12.5 percent of its electricity.
• QaTaR foUNDaTioN sTUDENT HoUsiNg: greengulf is designing and installing 14 solar energy systems in Qf student housing complexes.
• QaTaR foUNDaTioN BUs sHElTERs: greengulf conducted a feasibility study for solar-powered shelters and is completing their design, construction, and installation at education city.
qft94_eng.indd 7 9/17/13 5:24 PM
STuDEnTS from numerous Education City campuses took part in a new de-bating event held at Gloria Jean’s coffee shop in the Hamad bin Khalifa Univer-sity (HBKU) Student Center.
‘Campus Conversations’ has been organized by the students who last semester ran ‘Thought Provoking Tuesdays’, which was named Best Education Program at the inaugural HBKU Awards Ceremony.
Main organizer Ahmed Hashmi, a third-year student at Carnegie Melon University in Qatar (CMU-Q), ex-plained why the name and venue had changed.
“The café offers more of a natural setting,” said Hashmi. “It is more in-formal and encourages a café conver-sation. At times the best conversations take place in cafés.
“We changed the name in order to rebrand and not be restricted to hold-ing events only on Tuesdays.”
Penny Yi Wang, a student from
Northwestern University in Qatar, handles the event’s publicity.
She said: “We’re trying to get more people involved in a cross-campus conversation. This is about trying to build a community at HBKU.”
Yi Wang updated respective Twit-ter and Facebook accounts for ‘Cam-pus Conversations’ during the first meeting, which involved students debating the value of a college edu-cation.
She added: “We always encourage students to follow us via social media and share their thoughts. They could even suggest future conversations –
we’re open to new ideas.”Prince George Abraham, a stu-
dent at CMU-Q, also helps organize ‘Campus Conversations’.
HE SAID: “We want people to talk about topics that will provoke them. It’s all about having a discussion and hearing different points of view.
“We feel we have momentum with this event after winning an award last year, so it’s great to be taking it in a new direction.”
Evan Witt, Campus Life Coordina-tor at HBKU, praised the event.
He said: “We’re starting to see more
Discussion Campus friends decide to take time to enjoy coffee and conversation
“We’re trying to get more people involved in a cross-campus conversation. This is about trying to build a community at HBKu”Students gather to debate topical issues
8
News iN Brief
sfs-q sTudenT wins leadership awardn Georgetown University – School of Foreign Service in Qatar (SFS-Q) student Atul Menon has won a prestigious leadership award. Menon, who took part in the weeklong ‘LeaderShape’ program in 2012, has received the LeaderShape Palmer Award, which is awarded to just two students in the world every year. The award recognizes Menon’s efforts to improve conditions for migrant workers in Qatar.
“It’s all about having a discussion and hearing different points of view”
and more student activism and this event is a great example of students putting something together for their peers.
“All the organizers are employed in the Student Center and it was Hashmi who came up with the idea originally. I went through the process with him, but it’s all down to them – they organize the events and publicize them.”
Witt added: “The questions asked are really organic, while the setting is informal. Hashmi will ask very open-ended questions, as well as follow-up questions occasionally. Most of the time the discussion is calm, but some-times it gets heated, which is to be ex-pected when controversial subjects are discussed.”
Anyone interested in getting involved with ‘Campus Conversations’ on Twit-ter should follow @HBKU_SC or look up #or4ngelife. There you will also find a link to the ‘Campus Conversations’ blog and details of upcoming events.
‘Campus Conversations’ in full flow at the HBKU Student Center
qft94_eng.indd 8 9/17/13 5:25 PM
9Students
CAMPUS LIFE
Shahnawaz Zali
IN MARCH 2013, I visited Cape Town in South Africa for eight days as part of a service-learning trip with university. We explored the rural areas and discovered how apartheid has affected South Africa, both at the time and its legacy today. During the trip we made a documentary called ‘South Africa: Through Our Eyes’.
What struck me the most was when we went to Laven-der Hill, south-west of Cape Town, which is blighted by social problems. It is an area where people lived during apartheid that has become one of the poorest communities in the country.
We went with one stu-dent affairs person and one marketing personwho was South African and talked to the people who lived there.
We went to talk to children in a local school in Lavender Hill and started filming the docu-mentary with the students, fo-cusing on their experiences. We learned about them and their culture. We asked how apart-heid had affected them and whether it was getting better or not after Nelson Mandela.
I learned that South Africa is
Shahnawaz Zali is a sophomore studying Communication at Northwestern University in Qatar.
still segregated and white peo-ple have the best jobs. Now it is starting to change.
We also went to visit some media companies to see what they are doing and found that for the first time their work-forces are now equally divided between races.
What struck me by visiting these deprived communities was what they were doing with the resources they have and what we could do with what we have. They were recycling eve-rything and practicing proper sustainability. They had drains and gutters made out of cans and were making really good use of their resources.
They used drinks cans and plastic bags to make sustain-able jewelry.
THEY have so few resources and were making so much of them. It was very inspiring to see what they have done.
Living sustainably is impor-tant to me, and I am a Sus-tainable Living Ambassador here in Education City, which means that I encourage and educate my peers about sus-tainable living.
I think that we can all learn a lot from the people I met in South Africa as we seek a more sustainable future as part of Qatar National Vision 2030.
One of the major things I took from the South Africa trip was hope. Even if everything is going against you, you still have that sense of hope inside your heart and mind.
There’s a lot of hope there. Even though they have been struggling with poverty, they are focusing on the future. They’re preparing for the fu-ture and so are we.
Service-learning trip has given me real hope
HBKU’s partner universities.
IN ADDITION, almost 40 percent of graduates were offered places at uni-versities in the United Kingdom, the United States and other universities abroad. Many others also went onto other universities in Qatar.
Some of the graduates were offered more than one place at HBKU part-ner universities, with the 58 students receiving 68 offers for places, including 21 from Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar, 15 from Georgetown University – School of Foreign Service in Qatar, 12 from both Texas A&M at Qatar and
Northwestern University in Qatar, and four from each of Virginia Common-wealth University in Qatar and Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar.
Dr Miles Lovelace, Director at ABP, said the Class of 2013, 80 percent of whom were Qatari, was the most suc-cessful in achieving admission to HB-KU’s partner universities.
“Almost 50 percent of those who ap-plied to the six American universities in Education City were admitted, and this equals 33 percent of the graduat-ing class. The previous high had been 30 percent of the graduating class,” he said.
QATAR Foundation’s Academic Bridge Program (ABP) has this year seen the largest proportion of its graduates gain admission to Hamad bin Khalifa Uni-versity’s (HBKU’s) partner universi-ties in Education City.
ABP admits highly qualified co-educational students into an intense 30-week program to prepare them for university, and more than 85 percent of its 2,500 graduates have gone on to attend English-language universities in Qatar or abroad.
In May 2013, 177 students graduat-ed from ABP and 58 of those students – 33 percent – were accepted to one of
ABP graduates are on the move to HBKU
JUNIORS from Carnegie Mellon Uni-versity in Qatar (CMU-Q) have im-proved their employment prospects after developing a mobile app.
Noshin Nisa, a junior majoring in Information Systems at CMU-Q, fellow junior Ali Naqi, and a recent CMU-Q graduate, Anas Halbawi, formed the team that has created a mobile news app for local media busi-ness Doha News.
Nisa, who was User Interface Lead, said she obtained the internship after speaking to Omar Chatriwala, co-founder of Doha News, at CMU-Q’s career fair. She expressed her inter-est in web and mobile design and was contacted after the fair and asked to submit an essay on why she should be selected for the internship.
She said: “It was a very differ-ent experience to what I expected. In class I design something and get feedback from my professor and col-
leagues. In this internship, everything I did was scrutinized and I was asked to justify everything I did and explain the research behind it.
“I did a huge amount of research behind every dot of the design. I learned what it is like to work in the real world. There has to be a reason behind everything that you do.”
SHE SAID the internship would really help her in her future career.
“There are senior projects where people make an awesome applica-tion, but it’s just a project. We are just juniors and we already have an app in the (Apple) Store,” she said.
“As a design student I need to show them that I have done something real. You have to have some experience and be able to show people what you can do, so this is going to help me a lot.”
Anas Halbawi said although Doha News already has a mobile version of
Technology Internships obtained at careers fair boost employment prospects
CMU-Q students create a mobile app for Doha News
the website, the new app will make it easier for readers to find out what’s happening in Qatar on the run.
“Our team has put a lot of effort into making it user-friendly, giving the user the best experience possible. The most prominent feature is user submissions. Doha News gets a lot of its content from the community in Qatar, be it content or photos, and therefore we decided to make this fea-ture one touch away from anywhere inside the app.”
Halbawi met Chatriwala at the careers fair when he was in his fi-nal year and just months away from graduating.
He said: “My internship with Doha News ends with the launch of the app and the website. I will be working with another company for a while after my time with them is over, but I wouldn’t hesitate to go back to join their team, if they have an open position.”
Follow us on: twitter.com/QFTelegraph, facebook.com/QFTelegraphTHURSDAY 19 SEPTEMBER 2013
Students in the news, from left: Noshin Nisa, Anas Halbawi, and Ali Naqi
“Even if everything is going against you, you still have that sense of hope inside your heart and mind”
“Education has the most leverage to make changes in the world and I really do believe young people are the future”The 60 Second Interview
10
puBLicatioNs
reView
What is your greatest achievement?I am from Japan and I studied in the UK before working in Washington DC and joining the United Nations, with which I worked in developing countries such as Bangladesh in the education sector and community development, before moving to Abu Dhabi and then Qatar.Through traveling or working in different countries, my greatest achievement is learning from the people that I have met.
Those people have really guided my life, opened my personality, and taught me a lot of things. Later in life when I get old and look back at what remains to me, I will remember those people who have influenced and supported me a lot.
If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?I would like basic education for everybody, for boys and girls, regardless of religion or status. Education has the most leverage to make changes in the world and I really do believe young people are the future, while ignorance is the most dangerous thing.
I used to work in finance at the beginning of my career, financing infrastructure by aid agencies. We
provided the transportation, built the airport and the school, and thought it would bring a better quality of life to a poor country. But without people in it, we can’t implement what we really want to achieve.
What does it mean to you to work for Qatar Foundation (QF)?I believe strongly in QF’s three pillars. The motto ‘unlocking human potential’ is something particularly meaningful to me. My parents were both educators and I remember
when I was young we used to see hundreds of Vietnamese refugees arrive in the port of Tokyo. We called them the ‘Boat People’, and many were orphans who had nothing. They stayed in a refugee camp or were adopted by families. I would accompany my mother, who would visit to teach them Japanese and how to read and write. They worked so hard, and even though they didn’t have enough for themselves, they would save some of their bread and try to share it with my mother.
What are the best things about living in Qatar?People are very proud to work here and build their nation. As the country is still an emerging market, growing at a fast speed, they don’t limit themselves in what they can and can’t do.
Apart from your own workplace, what part of QF’s operations interests you the most and why?I am interested in education, especially the Qatar Science Leadership Program. I would like to create some kind of program for talented female students, to take them outside the country and expose them to different cultures so they can exchange ideas and experiences while they are young and still a blank canvas.
Maria yogoThe project manager, research Coordination and special initiatives, qatar foundation research and development, talks about the influence people of diff erent backgrounds that she has met through traveling have had on her life
DElEgATES who attended a seminar hosted by Qatar Environment and En-ergy Research Institute (QEERI) were informed about climate change issues by Professor Marwan Khraisheh, Dean of Engineering at Masdar Institute of Science and Technology in Abu Dhabi.
Professor Khraisheh said a dedi-cated response from scientific and academic communities, working in collaboration with industry and gov-ernment, was needed to develop in-novative sustainable solutions.
“We all know there will be grow-ing demand for energy and water in the future,” said Professor Khraisheh, who received a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Washington State University in 1996. “This will mainly be driven by population growth and income increases. The key to solving many of these problems will be com-munication.”
Professor Khraisheh, a winner of the US National Science Foundation Career Award, outlined the various obstacles being faced by companies and countries looking to develop re-newable energy sources.
“The big issues are high capital
QEERI seminar highlights the importance of climate challenges delegates are told that research is needed to develop innovative sustainable solutions
costs and slow asset turnover – we’re talking billions of dollars here,” said Professor Khraisheh, who was speak-ing at Tornado Tower.
“Also, consumers are indifferent – generally they don’t care where their energy comes from. There’s also a reli-
ability issue at present. We need some-thing that’s available all the time. You don’t want a situation where there’s a popular soccer match on and the elec-tricity fails.”
pROFESSOR Khraisheh went on to talk about Masdar, a private, not-for-profi t university that has grown from hosting 80 students in 2009 to more than 400 just three years later.
He said: “Masdar is a unique re-search environment specifi cally cre-ated to give world-class faculty and students every opportunity to thrive and develop into future leadersand critical thinkers in science and technology.
“The goal of Masdar is to help transform the economy. The govern-ment has committed that 7 percent of total energy will come from renewa-bles by 2020, and that is a real target.”
Professor Marwan Khraisheh addresses delegates at the seminar
The World of Ironn Edited by Dr Jane Humphris, Head of UCL Qatar Research in Sudan, and Professor Thilo Rehren, Director of UCL Qatar, The World of Iron brings together in one volume research from around the world.
Dr Humphris was instrumental in the creation of the first World of Iron Conference, which took place in 2009 and the book, published this summer, compiles papers submitted to the conference by colleagues from across Africa, the Indian subcontinent, West and Central Asia, and the Far East.
The contributions provide a comprehensive understanding of the latest data and conclusions about the technologies, role, and impact of iron production within these regions.
The World of Iron is published by Archetype Publications
EnvironmentReview
qft94_eng.indd 10 9/17/13 5:25 PM
11Behind the ScenesFollow us on: twitter.com/QFTelegraph, facebook.com/QFTelegraphThursday 19 sepTember 2013
THE cream of the Arab world’s young entrepreneurial talent has been showcased for the past four years in hit TV show Stars of Science, a Qatar Foundation (QF) initiative to encourage young innovators to unlock their human potential.
As the fifth season graces the screens of audiences in more than 17 different countries, QF Telegraph takes a look behind the scenes to fi nd out where these innovators come from, and how the program supports them to take their business ideas to the next level.
The program, which is supported by QF’s various research institutes, cent-ers, and universities, selects 16 young people aged 18 to 30 with an innova-tive scientifi c business idea from across the Arabic world through a series of casting sessions.
Hopeful candidates apply to the program producers, who are based in Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP), through the program’s web-site: www.starsofscience.com.
Fahad El Kuwari, Stars of Science Media Relations Manager, said: “We come across many potential future candidates, be it in the universities or the scientific institutions, due to the nature of our daily contact with the people from the innovation field, so when we meet these talents we encour-age them to apply online for the next season. But fortunately, we can easily say now that the show has acquired a certain success and reputation among the new generation of innovators and we are receiving enough interesting ap-plications.”
The applications are reviewed by a committee of product development experts and technical advisors, which go through every application to estab-lish a fi rst shortlist of candidates who are invited to attend one of eight des-
tination casting sessions around the Arab world.
The applicants are whittled down during televised presentations of their idea, while a jury of 18 experts from across the Arab world, including repre-sentatives from many of QSTP’s ten-ant businesses, assess the candidates across four key aspects: complexity, use, marketability and patentability.
Ten percent of the assessment is based on the contestants’ character and overall motivation, resourceful-ness, and strong communication skills, and an ability to pitch their projects are taken into account.
Once the best candidates have been shortlisted in the casting sessions, they are invited to Doha to pitch in front
of a 10-jury panel who will select the fi nal 16 projects that will compete to win a share of $600,000 seed funding to develop their ideas further. Across four stages in the development pro-cess, candidates will be eliminated until just four remain. These fi nalists will be judged in a live grand finale by both a jury and public voting by telephone and SMS.
Throughout the filming of the se-ries, which lasts about three-and-a-half months, the candidates work 12 hours a day, six days a week on their projects, said Khalid Aboujassoum, who won fi rst place in Stars of Science Season 4 with his invention Tahi, an automated cooking pot designed to automatically mix ingredients and stores recipes. He went up against senior mechanical en-gineering student from Texas A&M University at Qatar, Jaber Al Henzab, who invented a device called WASFA that automatically regulates pill-talking for patients in their own homes.
Aboujassoum, who was an engineer working for Qatar Mobility Innova-tions Center (QMIC) before he en-
tered Stars of Science and now works full-time on his business, said the men-toring he received over the four stages of the competition – proof of concept, engineering prototyping, design pro-duction, and business feasibility – gave weight to his idea and gave him a well-rounded view of the product develop-ment lifecycle.
He said: “You validate your idea and prove it can work, but can it be engi-neered as a product that has potential to sell? Yes. Can it be designed in a way that it is a nice thing for users to have and will be attractive to customers on the shelves? And now we have a prod-uct, can it sell?
“As a candidate you go through all of these phases, expand your horizons and build up your knowledge, not just of the technology but of business. You understand the connection between the four phases and complete the pro-gram with a really rich understanding of the product development lifecycle.”
He said the interaction with experts at every stage of the process was inval-uable, although the candidates them-
Stars of Science supports young entrepreneurs who inspire others how qf’s popular initiative to celebrate innovation turns ideas into real businesses
selves made the fi nal decisions on the direction in which they wanted to take the projects.
Aboujassoum said the program contributed towards Qatar’s drive to become a knowledge-based economy.
“It turns you from a scientist who does research and writes papers into a well-rounded entrepreneur or busi-nessman,” he said.
“A very small percentage of research gets commercialized and we need to do all we can to see how can we be among this ten percent of people who are awarded patents, commercialize their research, and turn it into a sustainable business that fl ourishes, adding value to the economy, creating job opportu-nities, and celebrating science.”
The program enables the candidates to create real prototypes of their ideas and it is then up to them to take it the next level.
Now Aboujassoum, who has just returned from business meetings in Silicon Valley in the United States, is in talks with investors and mentors, and is refi ning the fi nal product.
El Kuwari said candidates often continue with their individual efforts to set up their businesses. Some re-turn to higher education and many have won awards, scholarships, and grants around the world, becoming entrepreneurs and sought-after public speakers.
“We can easily say now that the show has acquired a certain success and reputation among the new generation of innovators”
25,000
A contestant faces the judges during last season’s show
In five seasons, Stars of Science has received more than
online applicationsof those that appear on the show are students
More than More than
3,700 436,000fans follow Stars of Science on Twitter
Qnl’s first book discussion focuses on The Corsair historical novel generates discussion about battles, piracy, and invasions
business Card
A RISK CHAMpIOn ADVOCATES FOR EXECuTIVE SuppORT TO SAnCTIOn IMplEMEnTATIOn OF RISK MAnAgEMEnT. THE RISK CHAMpIOn SHOulD
SHOW HOW RISK MAnAgEMEnT WIll HElp MAnAgEMEnT MEET THE InSTITuTIOn’S OBJECTIVES AnD BETTER pOSITIOn THE InSTITuTIOn FOR
THE FuTuRE.
AVID readers turned out for the fi rst Qatar National Library (QNL) book discussion, held at Education City Clubhouse.
The 20 guests were treated to a surprise visit from author Abdulaziz Al Mahmoud, whose fi rst book The Corsair, a historical novel about war and piracy in the Gulf region in the early 19th century, was discussed.
The discussion, which was held in English, talked about the characters and messages of the book, as well as differences between the Arabic and English versions.
Al Mahmoud explained his inten-tions behind parts of the book and said he wanted to hear feedback because he was currently writing his second historical novel, about the Portuguese occupation of the Gulf region.
“I have talked a lot about my book,” he said. “I decided to come and just listen to what people are say-ing about it.
“What I am doing now is going into other parts of the history of this region. The Portuguese were here for 170 years and people don’t know much about that time.”
lISA Reynolds, Senior Information Services Librarian at QNL, led the discussion, reading passages and ask-ing what the attendees thought of the relationships with characters and strik-ing scenes within the book.
QNL also brought along fi rst-hand witness accounts referring to the his-torical pirate Erhama Bin Jaber, who features in the novel, from its Her-itage Collection, including records from the Bombay government from 1856 and the journal of adventurer JS Buckingham from 1830.
Reynolds said: “A lot of British travelers were coming through the region at that time and would make a living publishing books about their travels.”
She said this was the first book discussion QNL had held although Qatar Foundation has a lot of expe-rience with author talks. She said: “We will still hold author talks, but in tandem. We hope to have more book discussions where people that read similar books can come together and talk about them.
“For our fi rst discussion, we chose a book by a local author and which is about a historical novel about the region. The book is also available in Arabic and English, so we thought it would be accessible to most people.”
REynOlDS added: “I liked the book. It is almost like an old-fashioned swashbuckler and reminded me of the adventure stories from the 1930s and 1940s.
“I learned some things I didn’t know about the region and it en-couraged me to do some further research.”
What is the most enjoyable part of your job?One of the things I enjoy is meeting the requirements of Qatar Foundation’s (QF’s) main stakeholders, as they tend to be major in nature.
Another thing I enjoy is aligning customers with service-providers and seeing them work in synergy to ultimately increase the satisfaction experienced by customers.
What does it mean to you to work at QF?I believe QF has a unique corporate culture. Since ambition and determination are key drivers, we are all working directly to support Qatar National Vision 2030.
QF has become a torchbearer for innovation, with its unique ecosystem, which is extremely rare and uncommon anywhere in the world. It is a privilege to work here. What is the most interesting initiative you have been involved in since you began working at QF?The most interesting initiative at QF, in my opinion, is the establishment of the Shared Services Directorate. From it I have learned a number of things about service management, as well as best practices and
performance management.
What other QF activities do you take part in? For example, are you an Internal Communications Representative, a member of the Speakers’ Bureau, or a member of a QF sports team?I am a Risk Champion, Quality Management Systems representative, Health, Safety, Security and Environment representative, and I am also a representative for other operational matters in the Directorate. I also take part in several volleyball and bowling tournaments at QF.
Why do you think it is important to be involved in activities at QF outside of your direct work responsibilities?It is important to be involved in different types of activities as you learn about different perspectives and you learn about different ways of doing business.
You also build your communication skills and ultimately you build a sense of partnership and trust that will enable you to tackle any hurdles that may come your way. Communicating with people in different departments is very important and is something that helps everybody develop.
“I belonged to a book club when I was in New York City and I think it’s great when people come together and read a book together. It is nice to read something new. I have read period stories, but not from this area and I don’t know a lot about that part of this area’s history. I like that it is based in the region and that I am learning.”
“You don’t see much written about Qatari history, let alone fiction about Qatar. I was keen to find out if the plot was based on real-life research and how much was fictional. What I like most is that it is set here and I am able to visualize the geography of Qatar, now and in the past. Matching the story with places I know is what I enjoy the most.”
“I have enjoyed reading books ever since my childhood. I like to listen to people when they discuss and criticize them, so I like these events and would like them to happen more frequently. In this book, I enjoyed reading about the history and how people at that time lived and how they thought.”DID yOu KnOW?
Tiff any schureman lore guilmartin Dr Khalil al said
Abdulrahman Al-Ajail
Senior Business Analyst, Shared Services
Directorate
Risk Champion, QMS Representative,
HSSE representative
qft94_eng.indd 12 9/17/13 5:25 PM
Squash sessions are being held every week for men and women at Qatar Foundation Recreation Center, while those who want to improve quickly can book individual lessons.
Manjush Mathew has been playing squash for just a few weeks, but he’s already hoping to join a league in the near future.
Mathew, whose wife works at Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, said: “Squash is great for your fitness and the courts here at the Recreation Center are excellent – there is some buoyancy, so they aren’t too harsh on your knees.
“I’ve had about eight lessons now and, although I’m still learning, I am thinking of taking part in a
league in future.”Squash coach Jayalal Diryantha Jayawardena,
who oversees social events as well as one-on-one lessons, said: “I would encourage anyone to play squash. There are lots of opportunities for people to join us. We also have a QF team, and last year it came second at a national tournament.”
Time for squash at the QF Recreation Center
13Sports
sport iN Brief
Tennis ladder seT To sTarT
n Tennis players across Education City are being encouraged to take part in a tournament, which starts on 22 September.
Tennis Ladder is open to men and women and will take place at the EC Clubhouse until early December.
A number of matches will be held over the next three months in the ‘ladder’ stage before knockout matches and a final are held.
“Squash is great for your fitness and the courts here at the Recreation Center are excellent”Time for squash at the QF Recreation Center
Follow us on: twitter.com/QFTelegraph, facebook.com/QFTelegraphThursday 19 sepTember 2013
pRIVIlEgE pROgRAMqf members are entitled to discounts and special rates at a variety of outlets and amenities upon showing their qf id.
ValiD To oCToBER 2013Safety Center 15%Tornado Tinting and Polishing 30% Gardenia For Happy Occasions 15%Fantasy Events 15%Gayat Al Ahlam 15%The Rider Trading & Contracting Co 15%
ValiD To NoVEMBER 2013Sabah W Masa 10%The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf 10% Jeff de Bruges 10%
ValiD To DECEMBER 2013Titanium 20-30%Bambinos 15% Fauchon Paris 10%Tivoli Furniture 30%Rabshah Furniture 35% Gulf Flowers Furniture 35%
Top Furnitures 35% Youth Furnitures 35% Grand Heritage Doha Hotel & Spa 15%Lone Star Jewelry 15-30%Al Sulaimen Jewellers WLL 45-55%Qatar Optics 25%Flying Carpet 15% Ozone 10-15%Al Malaki Men’s Requirement 25%Al Jaber Opticians 25-30%Yateem Optician 10-50%Milano Sports 20%
oNgoiNg offERs Lollipops 20% Mosafer 15%Samsonite 15%Highland (Vouchers after minimum purchase of QR100)Nine West 10%
Aldo 10%Dune 10% Charles & Keith 10%Spring 10% Aldo Accessories 10%Skechers 10%Inglot 10%(Discount after minimum purchase of QR150)Naturalizer 10%Levi’s 15% Roots 20%Guess 15% Morgan 15%Lab 20% Karisma 10%Bench 10%Garage 10% Arts & Gems WLL 25-40% Al Muftah Center 10-35% TGI Fridays 10%
DHL Express 30%Aramex (Qf staff free shop and ship registration Qf students 50% discount)Nissan-Saleh Al Hamad Al Mana (special price list on Qf portal)Mannai Trading Company (special price list on Qf portal)Tajmeel Academy 20%Nasser Bin Khaled & Sons Co 10-30%(10% on labor charges and 30% on spare parts)
lifETiME offERUnique 10%
More details about offers and discounts, including a number of savings on hotel rates, can be found on the Qf portal or email [email protected]
To find out more about the Qur’anic Botanic Garden, email: [email protected]
Qur’aNic BotaNic gardeN
FuTuRE filmmakers were en-couraged to get creative during a workshop held at Hamad bin Khalifa University Student Center as part of a collaboration between Qatar Foundation (QF) and Doha Film Institute (DFI).
Several short films were screened as part of an initiative aimed at encourag-ing potential screenwriters and direc-tors to get involved in the film industry. After each film the attendees offered their thoughts to host Ben Robinson, DFI’s Education Producer.
Robinson said DFI had developed a strong relationship with QF.
“This partnership is perfect for us as QF offers fantastic support,” said Robinson. “We get to use great cine-mas and fantastic classrooms. We also have access to great support staff and are right in the middle of student life. It’s important for us to appeal to stu-dents, as we want to inspire them while they’re still learning.
“QF is also allowing members of the public to take part in this event, so it’s sharing its resources with Doha.”
Robinson urged those who attended the workshop, which featured films about Star Wars creator George Lu-cas and the plight of Palestinians, to try and break into the movie business.
He said: “Film-making and screen-writing are as hard as becoming a doc-
tor, but if there’s something you want to do in film, please come and work with DFI.
“Each one of you has at least 10 sto-ries – you just need to unlock them, and that’s where our workshops come in. I hope they open your mind.”
QATARI Ahmad Alhajri, 19, spoke regularly during the event, which he
dfi hosts film workshops aimed at offering students insight into the business
Tried & Tested
QF supports event to encourage interest in film industry
About the plantLentil is an annual plant. it is a low, bushy, herbaceous legume with square stems reaching 30-80 centimeters in height. the species is thought to be indigenous to the Mediterranean basin and west asia.
Plant in the Holy Qur’an and Hadith“o Mûsâ (Moses)! we cannot endure one kind of food. so invoke your Lord for us to bring forth for us of what the earth grows, its herbs, its cucumbers, its Fûm (wheat or garlic), its lentils and its onions. He said: ‘would you exchange that which is better for that which is lower? go you down to any town and you shall find what you want!’” The Holy Qur’an, Surah 2, 61
Did you know?Lentil is a nutritious plant high in carbohydrates and protein. the seeds are used in soups and other delicious dishes. flour from the ground seed are used for infant food. the seeds are also a source of starch for the textile and printing industries. Young pods are eaten as vegetables. the husks, bran, and dried haulms provide fodder for livestock.
Ahmed El Gharibassistant researcher
described as inspiring.“I totally loved it,” said Alhajri. “I
have worked with DFI a couple of times and it was fantastic. Seeing the George Lucas film and the other mov-ies really changed my point of view. They really changed something inside me and inspired me.
“The event could have been im-proved with even more films. I hope
there are more screenings like this in future.”
Palestinian Suleima Al Haj Abed said: “I loved it – it was a lot of fun. As an aspiring filmmaker it is good to expose yourself to different films from around the world. It’s definitely inspired me.”
Numerous future DFI events are be-ing organized in collaboration with QF.
“This partnership is perfect for us as QF offers fantastic support”QF supports event to encourage interest in film industry
Film enthusiasts are given useful advice during a workshop at HBKU Student Center
bought that are synthesized in a labora-tory and are not derived from animals.
A DEFICIEnCy of Vitamin B12 can cause many serious symptoms, includ-ing anemia, gastrointestinal problems, impaired sensation of touch, poor memory, depression, difficulty co-or-dinating movement, balance problems, dizziness, abnormal reflexes, impo-
VITAMIn B12 is needed for maintaining the brain and nervous system, the for-mation of blood, and for metabolizing food to produce energy. Vitamin B12 also plays a key role in the synthesis and regulation of DNA.
Only bacteria and archaea (a type of single-celled organism) are capable of synthesizing Vitamin B12. Humans must, therefore, obtain the vitamin through animal products in their diet.
Good sources of Vitamin B12 in-clude meat, eggs, fish, seafood, and dairy products. Liver contains very high concentrations of the vitamin.
Vegetarians and vegans are at risk of suffering from a Vitamin B12 defi-ciency because it is not found in suf-ficient quantities in foods not derived from animals.
Vegetarians and vegans are, there-fore, advised to take a Vitamin B12 supplement. Supplements can be
tence, and shortness of breath.Vitamin B12 deficiency in children
impairs development and can cause mental retardation, speech problems, poor language skills, poor socialization, poor head growth, poor weight gain, seizures, and involuntary movement, in addition to the symptoms that can be experienced by adults.
Early signs of Vitamin B12 deficien-
cy include a tingling sensation in the hands or feet, fatigue, muscle cramps and pain, headaches, slurred speech, weakness. and loss of appetite.
Vitamin B12 deficiency is treated with supplements, which can be ad-ministered as pills, a patch put on the skin, an injection, or as a nasal spray.
If you think you may be suffer-ing from a Vitamin B12 deficiency, see your family doctor at the earliest opportunity.
For more tips and advice follow Sahtak Awalan on Twitter at www.twitter.com/SahtakAwalan or Facebook at www.face-book.com/SahtakAwalanSupported by Qatar Foundation, Sahtak Awalan is a five-year initiative inaugu-rated by Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar (WCMC-Q) to improve the health of all Qatar’s residents. Strategic partners include the Supreme Council of Health, the Supreme Education Council, Qatar Petro-leum, Occidental Petroleum of Qatar Ltd, ExxonMobil, Vodafone Qatar, and Qatar Olympic Committee.
Vitamin B12 is an essential source for healthy livingwCmC-q’s Sahtak Awalan initiative recommends good sources to meet your vitamin needs
qft94_eng.indd 14 9/17/13 5:25 PM
Follow us on: twitter.com/QFTelegraph, facebook.com/QFTelegraphThursday 19 sepTember 2013 What’s On 15
QF Radio’s programs can be downloaded via iTunes. The station can be found under Radio > International > QF Radio.
QF Radio is available in Arabic on 93.7 FM or online
via www.qfradio.comfacebook and twitterfacebook and twitterfacebook and twitterFollow QF Radio on
qaTar philharmoniC orChesTraUPCOMING CONCERTS
QATAR Philharmonic Orchestra (QPO) is all set for a new season of shows. A host of leading soloists and conductors will perform with the resident QPO ensemble of 101 musicians throughout 2013-14.Concerts will take place in Build-ing 16 at the Opera House, Katara Cultural Village.
HAN-NA CHANG CONDUCTS BEETHOVEN’S SEVENTHOpera House, Katara Cultural VillageSaturday 21 September at 7.30pmThe first QPO concert of the new season will be conducted by music director Han-Na Chang.
South Korean Chang will perform along with guest artist Gilbert Yam-mine, from Lebanon. Yammine will play the Qanun during the show, which will feature pieces by Maurice Ravel, Marcel Khalife, and Ludwig van Beethoven.
Symphony No 7 in A major, Op 92, is a symphony in four movements com-posed by Beethoven between 1811 and 1812. At its premiere, Beethoven remarked it was one of his best works. The second movement, Allegretto, was the most popular movement and
had to be encored. The instant popu-larity of the Allegretto resulted in its frequent performance separate from the complete symphony.
DVORAK’S NEW WORLD SYMPHONYOpera House, Katara Cultural VillageSaturday 28 September at 7.30pmThe second show of the new season, again conducted by Chang, will fea-ture Japanese classical violinist Say-aka Shoji. Brought up in Siena, Italy, Shoji became the youngest winner at the Paganini Competition in Genoa in 1999.
The program for the show features pieces by Sergei Rachmaninoff, Ser-gei Prokofi ev, and Antonin Dvorak.
The New World Symphony was composed in 1893 while Dvorak was director of the National Conserva-tory of Music of America. It is by far his most popular symphony and one of the most popular in the romantic repertoire.
For further schedule information, including how to book tickets, visit www.qatarphilharmonicorchestra.org
Varied concert schedule for QPO gets under way
Spiritual HourRiseInternational newsMusic HourDrive new
Straight TalkFashionInnovationlegendary ArtistThink About It new
Decades new
DailySunday to Thursday Daily Daily Sunday to ThursdaySundayMondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayThursday
A nEW show, which explores disagree-ments among the four main schools of Islamic jurisprudence related to Sharia law, is to be aired on QF Radio’s Arabic frequency.
Presented by Sheikh Abayi Moham-mad, Diversity in Fiqh looks at the ways Muslims apply varying points of view to different parts of Islam.
Sharia law is the body of Islamic law. The term means ‘way’ or ‘path’ and is the legal framework within which the public and some private aspects of life are regulated for those living in a legal system based upon Islam.
Sharia deals with all aspects of day-to-day life, including politics, economics, banking, business law, contract law, and social issues.
There is not a strictly codifi ed uni-form set of laws that can be called Sharia. It is more like a system of sev-eral laws based on the Holy Qur’an, Hadith, and centuries of debate, in-
terpretation, and precedent.Cleanliness was discussed in the
first episode of Diversity in Fiqh, in-cluding the question of when water is considered clean or unclean. The show’s participants discussed the conditions for clean water and wheth-er it is principled to perform ablution with polluted water.
SHEIKH Salem Sidi Mohammad was interviewed during the first episode and talks about the different etiquette used by Muslims regarding this issue.
Upcoming shows will highlight the undisputed Islamic laws Muslims are unable to alter, as well as those that are open to interpretation. A number of other topics will also be discussed on the show, including fasting and prayer.
QF Radio broadcasts in Arabic on 93.7FM and in English on 91.7FM, or listen online at www.qfradio.com
diVersitY iN fiQH Every Saturday at 4pm QF Radio 93.7FM (Arabic)
the entire HBKu student center sports and recreation area will be open for student competitions, mini tournaments, fitness activities, and casual play. prizes will be awarded and snacks and drinks will be provided.
qf.org.qa for more information.
Basketball Social Every ThursdayShoot a few hoops in a friendly atmosphere at the EC Clubhouse multi-purpose court, between 6pm and 8pm. All skill levels welcome. Meet at the clubhouse reception. No prior registration is
required, but for more information please call 4454 0829 or email [email protected]
3D Encounters: Where Science Meets HeritageUntil 31 December UCL Qatar hosts an exploration of how 3D digital replicas of museum collections can be used
to advance museum, archaeological, and conservation practice.
Using 3D visualisations of artefacts from UCL Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology in London, the exhibition offers a 360-degree view of ancient items. For more information contact UCL Qatar on 4457 8680.
evenTs
sepTember 2013
Community ClassesFrom 19 SeptemberLearn new skills, make friends, and get creative by getting involved in Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar’s (VCUQatar’s) Fall Art and Design Community Classes.
More than 40 different non-credit classes are available as part of VCUQatar’s mission to provide educational experiences in art and design and cultural opportunities to the various communities of Qatar. Signup online. For inquiries call 4402 0555 or email [email protected]
Indoor Summer Cricket ClassUntil September 28
Coach Aruna de Silva will be on hand to help youngsters looking to sharpen their cricket skills at the Indoor Summer Cricket Class at the Community and Recreation Center. The class runs from 9am to 11am on Fridays and Saturdays. Cost QR500. For more information, please call 4454 0801 or 4454 0841 or email [email protected]
ONGOING
Singing class Every SaturdaySing out proud! Take the chance to get vocal training and a music education from professional Ukrainian singer Miss Katrina.
The classes, which cater from 6 years old to adults, are from 8am to 3pm at the Community and Recreation Center, Ain AlQot Theater. Please call 4454 0824 or email communityservices@
The EC Clubhouse multi-purpose court is the venue for Basketball Social sessions
COMMUNITY AND RECREATION MOVIES tuesdays, thursdays and saturdays. times: 4-6pm. open to all Qf staff and family members. Ain AlQot Theater, 2nd Floor Recreation Center. For information email: [email protected]
HEALTH CAREthe Medical center sun–thurs: 7am–4pm and sat: 8am–noon. tel: 4454 1342
Nutrition servicessat, 10am–6pm, sun, 8am–4pm, Mon, 10am-6pm, tues 10am–6pm and wed 8am–4pm, thu, 8am-4pm.To schedule an appointment with a nutritionist email [email protected]
SPORT AND FITNESS
Swimmingpublic swimming (olympic pool – early laps only): sun–thurs: 5.30–8amschool swimming time: 7am–2.30pm, sun–thurs. public swimming: 2.30–3.30pm (olympic pool, laps only); 3.30–9.45pm (all three pools). exceptions apply. fri and satpublic swimming, 8am–9.45pm. Children’s swimming courses QR250. Call 4454 0801 for details.
Jacuzzi, spa and saunafai club (women) and al wahaa (men) run sat–thurs, 1–9.45pm. closed fri
Faculty and staff soccer pitch 1, 6–8pm, sun
Volleyballgreen floor gym, 4.30–6pm, Mon
Basketball green floor gym, 7–9pm, tues
Floorball wooden floor gym, 7–9pm, tues and 10am–12noon, sat
Indoor football
green floor gym, 5.30–7pm, wed
Badmintonwooden floor gym, 6–9pm, wed green floor gym, 10am–1pm, fri
Squashsquash court, 5–7pm, thursLadies only: squash court, 4–5pm, sat
Water poloolympic pool, 4–6pm, fri
Circuit trainingMon and thurs, 4–4.45pm. free
Fitness evaluationa new program to help members develop a suitable exercise regime. Contact any Recreation Center fitness instructor for details. Sun–Thurs, 5.30–10pm
Children’s footballfor youngsters aged six to 17. tues, 2.30–3.30pm and 3.30–4.30pmClasses cost QR400 per week.Call or email Recreation Center for details.
Zumbatues and wed 4.30–5.30pm, activity room. sessions cost Qr30 per class or Qr250 for 10 sessions. Call or email Recreation Center for details of how to reserve your place in the class
Ladies’ aerobicswed, 4.30–5.30pm, sat 10.30–11.30am. free.
SPORT AND FITNESSJacuzzi, spa and sauna Male and female spas open from 1–10pm every day except tuesday.Circuit trainingwed, 5–6pm, sat, 8.30–9.15am. free.Tennis lessonsIndividual classes cost QR35 for half an hour, QR60 for one hour or QR500 for a block of 12. Payment by credit card only. Contact Education City Clubhouse for details.
Ladies’ aerobicstues, 9–10am and tues, thurs and sun: 5–6pm. free.Contact Education City Clubhouse.
DININGLebaina Restaurantsun-wed: 6am–9.45pm thurs–sat: 6am–10.45pm Breakfast served daily 6–11am The Grillsun-wed: 4.30–9.45pmthurs-sat: 4.30–10.45pmMeseika Snack Barsun-wed: 6–9.45pm thurs–sat: 6–10.45pm
CLUBHOUSE MOVIEStuesdays (7-9pm - over 18s only), thursdays (7-9pm), fridays (3-5pm) and saturdays (3-5pm). open to all Qf staff and family members. EC Clubhouse. For information email [email protected]
COMMUNITY SUPPORT SERVICESsun–wed: 8am–10pmthurs–sat: 8am–11pm
OPENING HOURS7am-10pm
Swimming pool sun-thurs: 7am-3pm – school time; sun-sat: 3-6pm public swimming; tues 9am-noon, 5-8pm Ladies’ time; fri: 7am-6pm public swimming
RECREATION ACTIVITIESKids’ activitiesfootball with richard, 4-5pm, sunfootball with adrian, 4.30-5.30pm, wed football with adrian, 4-6pm, tues and thursfutsal with flavio, 9-10am, friBasketball class4-7pm and 9am-3pm, tues, fri and sat
Kids’ taekwondo2-4pm, tues and thursKids’ boxercise3-4pm, wedSwimming otters: 4-5pm and 3-4pm, sun and tues; turtles: 5-6pm and 4-5pm, sun and thurs; dolphins: 3-4pm, Monday and thurs; guppies: 5-6pm, Mon and sat; sharks: 6-7pm, Mon and sat
HEALTH AND FITNESSInsanity workout4-4.45pm, Mon, wed and satCircuit training5-5.45pm, sun and tuesAdult learn to swim 16-7pm, wedBreathing technique5-6pm, wedLadies learn to swim 29-10am, satLadies’ aqua fitness class5-5.45pm, tuesAdult taekwondo class5-6pm, Mon and wed
SOCIAL ACTIVITIES Badminton social5-7pm, sun
FACILITIES Multipurpose hall (basketball, badminton, football, climbing wall, and volleyball courts); outdoor football court with running track (pitch 4); 25 meter swimming pool; awsaj recreation Mixed fitness center; Ladies’ fitness room; studio
For more information please contact [email protected] or call 4454 2549
For venue details call Recreation Center, Tel: 4454 0801, Education City Clubhouse, Tel: 4454 0834, or Student Center, Tel: 4454 0288, or Awsaj Recreation Center, Tel: 4454 2549, or find Qatar Foundation Recreation Services on Facebook
lulu eXpress
eduCaTion CiTy Clubhouse
sTudenTCenTer
reCreaTion CenTer
n all activities below are for Qf members and students only.
