Qatari Cultural Attache to UK and Ireland to QNA: More than 3,000 Qatari Students Study in British Universities -1-

Regarding ensuring the quality of the output for Qatari students studying at their own expense in the United Kingdom, Qatari Cultural Attache to the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, Fahad bin Mohammed Al Kuwari, stressed the need for students to obtain prior approval from the Ministry of Education and Higher Education before starting their studies. Students can easily apply for this approval via the website: https://eduservices.edu.gov.qa/ . This step is necessary to ensure that the specializations and universities they choose are in line with the Ministry's standards, he said. Al Kuwari shed light on the most important activities held by the Cultural Attache for students throughout the academic year, including cultural, artistic and sports activities. He indicated that more than 1,500 Qatari students have participated in these activities over the past five years. He pointed to the Attache's constant keenness to encourage Qatari students to participate in the activities in order to become ambassa dors for their country abroad, and to excel in various scientific, practical, cultural and athletic areas by developing their academic and practical capabilities, and developing their life skills and experiences. On the training programs announced by the Qatari Cultural Attache in the United Kingdom for students, Al Kuwari explained that the Attache has organized more than 50 professional training opportunities during the summer vacation for Qatari students in the United Kingdom over the past three years, in cooperation with Qatari entities such as Qatar National Bank, beIN Media, Qatar Islamic Bank, Al Diar Real Estate Company, and the Embassy of the State of Qatar in London. Al Kuwari also touched on the role of the Cultural Attache in supporting Qatari student clubs in various British universities - 15 clubs, in addition to the guidance and introductory meetings it holds for high school students in Qatar in coordination with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education to enroll in British universities , in addition to organizing a variety of qualitative events to provide more information about new specializations such as cybersecurity and modern engineering, and other events to enable new students to benefit from the experiences of graduate students. Regarding the extent of academic cooperation between Qatari and British universities, the Qatari Cultural Attache to the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland noted that there are five British universities operating in Qatar: Northumbria University in cooperation with the Qatar Finance and Business Academy; the University of Central Lancashire with Ras Laffan Emergency and Safety College; the University of Aberdeen with AFG College; the University of Ulster with City University College; and Liverpool John Moores University with Oryx International College. They all offer more than 44 study programs in specializations such as business administration, international relations, public health, and engineering, he noted, indicating that the Attache seeks to es tablish a student exchange program between British and Qatari universities, which allows British students the opportunity to study in Qatar for a year and gain a new experience. He pointed to the remarkable development in the academic cooperation between Qatari and British universities, in light of the joint initiatives and research projects in various fields such as science, technology and engineering, indicating that one of the most prominent fruits of this cooperation is the establishment of the Qatari-British Joint Technical Committee to promote mutual growth and recognition of Qatari qualifications in the United Kingdom. At the end of his interview with QNA, Qatari Cultural Attache to the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, Fahad bin Mohammed Al Kuwari, underlined that the State of Qatar invests heavily in human resources development and strives to enhance human development to achieve Qatar National Vision 2030. "We are working to prepare our students for the labor market, and to be qualified a nd equipped with skills and knowledge. This is achieved through internal and external scholarship opportunities provided by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education that are compatible with the requirements of the labor market, in coordination with various government departments," he said. Source: Qatar News Agency