Qatari riders triumphant at CHI al SHaQaB event

Transcription

BUILDING A REPUTATIoN
CoNTINUoUS LEARNING
Read more on page 7
Read more on page 4
are you taking full advantage of e-learning
opportunities provided by Qf?
jeff Brown, chief operating officer, ucl Qatar, on
establishing a new branch campus at Qatar foundation
QaTar foundaTion’s forTnighTly neWsPaPer issue 107 Thursday 20 MarCH 2014
Qatari riders triumphant
at CHI al SHaQaB event
PRiDE National riders win prestigious international equestrian competition
QaTarI equestrians displayed their
form at international equestrian
competition Concours Hippique
International (CHI) AL SHAQAB
from 10-15 March.
Over the six days, riders competed in show jumping, dressage, and
vaulting events, as well as a 120 kilometer endurance race.
In the Show Jumping CSI3* Grand
Prix Qatar Foundation, Qatari riders
took all the placings. Hamad Nasser
Al Qadi won, followed by Bassem
Hassan Mohammed, who also came
first in the CSI3* Big Tours, while
third place was awarded to his compatriot, Awad Al Qahtani.
Talking about the level of competition in the CSI3* events, John
Doney, Show Jumping Judge, said:
“With all the facilities and the training, all the things that happen in this
part of the world, the standard is increasing every year.
“So now the Europeans have to
watch what they’re doing in this part
of the world. It’s really good for our
sport.”
Germany’s Ludger Beerbaum won
the 1.60 meter Show Jumping CSI5*
Grand Prix with Jump Off at CHI
AL SHAQAB on his horse Chiara,
perspective
debut author speaks at
BQf literary majlis
see page 5
qft107_En_CMYK.indd 1
having made fourth place at the competition in 2013 on the same horse.
He explained why he enjoys
jumping in Qatar: “My horse likes
the venue. This is my third show in
Doha. In CHI AL SHAQAB 2013 I
came in fourth with Chiara and in
the Global Champions Tour final I
placed second. I’ve now come first
so you can imagine how happy I am.
“My horse enjoys the ring, the
facilities, the stabling, the warm up
area. You don’t find better anywhere
in the world. I’m delighted.”
It was the first time that vaulting
was held as a competition in Qatar.
Corinna Knauf, member of the winning German team, said coming to
AL SHAQAB was great for raising
the profile of the sport.
Melanie Hofmann of Switzerland
won the main dressage event – the
Qatar Airways 2014 Dressage Grand
Prix Special on 15 March - followed
by Joyce Heuitink, of the Netherlands, and Anna Ross Davies, of
Great Britain.
Qatar triumphed again, as Jassim
Mohammed Ali Al Meadadi won the
endurance race, held at Umm Saeed
Endurance Track - the first of only
14 of the 59 horses to last the course.
Hamad Nasser Al Qadi won the Show Jumping CSI3* Grand Prix Qatar Foundation
“Qatar Foundation remains
dedicated to the sustainable
development of Qatar and
its community”
Engineer Jassim Telefat, Group Executive Director,
QF Capital Projects and Facilities Management
Read more on page 3
BehiNd the sceNes
publishing Qf’s research
for a global audience
see page 11
3/18/14 5:45 PM
News
2
Write to us: [email protected]
Thursday 20 March 2014
“This project
demonstrates
the shared
vision of
QF and
Cerner to
build a better
future”
New QF-PHCC system
integrates healthcare data
News iN Brief
An oxy Qatar employee undergoes blood sugar testing
TaMuQ offers
conTinuing
educaTion courses
n Texas A&M University
at Qatar is to offer new
Continuing Education courses.
Project Management for
Engineers on 25 and 26 March
will address differences
between general management
and management of technical
functions. Advanced LabView,
from 13-15 May, is an advanced
training course.
Motor Drives for Industrial
Applications, from 12-15 May,
will inform electrical engineers
of industrial applications.
Power Systems Protections,
from 1-5 June is dedicated to
the protection of electrical
power systems.
CoNTACT US
QaTar FOUNDaTION
WELLNESS QDA’s initiative takes to the road with diabetes awareness message
State-of-the-art mobile
unit offers health checks
QaTar Diabetes Association (QDA),
a member of Qatar Foundation, is
using its Diabetes Education Mobile
Unit to increase awareness about diabetes and improve health by partnering with businesses in Qatar.
QDA has developed a new partnership with Occidental Petroleum of Qatar Limited (Oxy Qatar) under which
it visited Navigation Plaza in Doha,
giving more than 120 employees
from Oxy Qatar and Qatar Petroleum
information about preventing diabe-
tes, living with it and managing it.
The Diabetes Education Mobile
Unit is run and supervised by physicians and professional diabetes educators. It has three rooms: an education
and blood sugar testing room, an eye
examination room with a retinal camera, and a foot care room.
People who visited the mobile unit
on 26 February were offered a number
of tests including a foot check-up and
a retinal eye examination.
At Oxy Qatar’s office, QDA also
provided visitors with blood sugar testing and dietary counseling.
Oxy Qatar helped furnish the mobile unit with its state-of-the-art medical equipment in 2012.
QDA also joined forces with Qatargas to host a ‘Diabetes Awareness Day’
at its Winter Camp at the Sealine area,
near Mesaieed, on 8 March.
More than 200 people, including
diabetic patients and their families,
attended the event at which the mobile unit was available for carrying out
blood sugar tests and delivering awareness sessions on diabetes.
Dr Abdulla Al Hamaq, Executive
Director, QDA, said: “A sedentary
lifestyle puts us in danger of obesity
and diabetes, and therefore my message is that we need to work towards
decreasing the main factors of diabetes Type 2, and that can be done by
following a healthy lifestyle which includes regular exercise, healthy food,
and losing weight to protect ourselves
from having diabetes in the future.”
rima ismail
Publications Manager
email: [email protected]
Tel: +974 4454 0960
ghada saade
head of Translation and editorial
Tel: +974 4454 0961
New QF-PHCC system integrates healthcare data
asma al Binali
Publications specialist
follow us on twitter.com/QfTelegraph
and at facebook.com/QfTelegraph
© 2014. Qatar foundation. all rights reserved. no part of
this publication may be reproduced without the written
permission of Qatar foundation.
Printed
on
recycled
paper
1,345
13,447
By using recycled
paper for this issue of 122,141
QF Telegraph, the
environmental impact
has been reduced by: 5,776
kg
of CO2 and greenhouse gases
km
travel in the average car
of water
kg
liters
rECOrDS Qatar Foundation (QF) has
partnered with Cerner Middle East,
a healthcare information technology
company, to implement an electronic
health record (EHR) system at the
new QF Primary Health Care Center
(QF-PHCC).
The EHR system which has been
put in place includes automated
physician and nursing workflows,
along with laboratory, dental and
administrative services. Clinicians at
QF-PHCC, which is based in Hamad
bin Khalifa University Student Center, are able to document care and
place medication and other orders
directly in the EHR.
Sheikha Amal Al Thani, Acting
Executive Director, Health, Safety,
Security & Environment (HSSE) Directorate, said: “We have been using
the new EHR system for a few weeks
now and are already reaping the benefits with approximately 80 percent
paperless work, accurate medication
list, immediately available charts and
smooth registration of patient data.
“We are pleased with the support
Cerner has provided us to deliver this
successful implementation that meets
our vision to be a world-class patientcentered and integrated primary
healthcare center in Qatar.”
Michael
Pomerance,
Vice
President and Managing Director, Cerner Middle East and Africa, said: “This project demonstrates the shared vision of QF and
Cerner to build a better future with
healthcare that integrates data from
all the health sources on one platform
and lays the foundation for population health and wellness management
in Qatar.”
of landfill
Qatar heritage exhibition opens
n Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar opened its ‘Lines in
the Sand’ interactive project on 12 March, linking Qatar’s past and
present. The exhibition will be open until 14 April. The collaborative
project also involves the University of Wales and Qatar Museums
Authority, and used drones to take photographs to document
examples of Qatari heritage.
Experts attend neuroscience conference
n Global experts attended Qatar Clinical Neuroscience Conference,
held by Qatar Foundation, Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, and
the New York Academy of Sciences, at Sheraton Hotel, Doha, from 15-17
March. The conference highlighted advances in clinical neuroscience,
including translational studies, advanced brain imaging, novel
diagnostics, investigative therapies, and findings from clinical trials.
3/18/14 5:45 PM
News
Follow us on: twitter.com/QFTelegraph, facebook.com/QFTelegraph
rOTa donates refurbished
computers to local schools
RECyCLiNg Project helps children while reducing electronic waste
EDUCaTIONal charity Reach Out
To Asia (ROTA), a member of
Qatar Foundation, has donated refurbished computers to schools in
Doha.
Fifty computers, screens, keyboards, mice, cables, 16 laptops,
docking stations, and bags have
been offered to Pakistan Welfare
Forum Preparatory School, at
Pakistan Education Centre, and
the Egyptian Language School in
Doha under its computer refurbishing project.
ROTA launched the project to address the environmental impact of
electronic waste, one of the fastest
growing waste streams around the
world, and to use refurbished computers to improve access to information and communication technology
(ICT) education.
The computers were donated by
the College of North Atlantic Qatar
to ROTA for projects in Asia and
Qatar, while the laptops, docking
stations, and bags were donated by
Jaidah Group.
An expert from World Computer
Exchange trained 10 ROTA volunteers on how to refurbish, repair,
test, and prepare computers for installation in schools.
The Egyptian Language School,
a primary and secondary school
Schoolchildren benefit from RoTA’s refurbished computers
based on the Egyptian curriculum,
operating under the Egyptian Embassy in Qatar, will use the donation
to set up a computer lab as one of
the requirements of the International
GCSE (IGCSE).
Pakistan Welfare Forum Preparatory School follows the Pakistani
curriculum to bring pupils who have
never been in school up to speed in
basic subjects such as math, English,
and Urdu as a second language, before they enter the main school of the
Pakistan Education Centre.
Essa Al Mannai, Executive Director, ROTA, said: “These computers
will enable children to have access
to technology and learn using ICT,
improve their access to quality education, and help them with future
career opportunities.
“The computer refurbishing
project has been a good program
that has helped schools in need of
computer equipment and made an
impact in creating friendly ties and
breaking down barriers.”
QNrF awards research grants to PhD candidates
aWarDS Qatar National Research
Fund (QNRF), a center of Qatar
Foundation Research and Development, has awarded grants totalling
US$1,629,600 to four PhD candidates in Qatar as part of the first cycle of its Graduate Student Research
Awards (GSRA) program.
GSRA was created to further develop graduate studies by supporting
outstanding Qatari and international
students interested in pursuing doctoral degrees in universities in Qatar.
Four female PhD candidates from
Qatar University received the grants
to carry out extensive research in the
areas of urban planning, electrical engineering and computer science.
Dr Abdul Sattar Al Taie, Executive
Director, QNRF, said: “The caliber
of the candidates and the proposals
we received from them highlights the
growing research capacity and culture
in Qatar.We believe that GSRA is a vital addition to QNRF’s funding scope
and, after seeing the potential of these
candidates and their research plans,
we are confident that the program
vodafone Qatar rolls out exclusive zones
n Vodafone Qatar, a Qatar Foundation joint venture, has opened a
service zone tailored exclusively for women at its Landmark Mall store.
The company plans to roll out women-only zones across its other stores
in Qatar. Marouf Trad Mahmoud, Area Manager, Vodafone Qatar, said:
“Providing bespoke service channels to our customers and offering tailormade experiences that suit their needs and expectations is a top priority.”
will continue to encourage research
creativity and productivity for future high potential graduate students
– ultimately benefiting Qatar.”
Emam Sabor and Simona Azzali
are based in the Department of Architecture and Urban Planning, and
will focus their projects on incorporating environmentally friendly practices
into urban development projects in
Qatar. Sabor aims to develop a framework to evaluate urban sustainability to enhance the quality of life and
physical conditions of neighborhoods.
Azzali seeks to identify how huge
sporting events can boost sustainable
urban regeneration and growth.
Regina Padmanabhan, a PhD candidate in electrical engineering, is
focusing on improving patient wellbeing by developing technologies
that optimize multiple drug interaction, and Amal Al Mouhamed, a PhD
candidate in the computer science, is
processing Arabic digital audio-visual
data in order to facilitate its access and
retrieval, and the production of new
multimedia resources.
3
QF wins
prestigious
CSr award
rECOgNITION Qatar Foundation
(QF) has won the Sustainable Leadership Award from the World Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
Congress for its sustainable Education City concept.
This accolade was awarded to QF
at the congress, an annual forum at
which global leaders acknowledge
and discuss global corporate efforts
in sustainable CSR, held in Mumbai
on 17 and 18 February.
QF was recognized for its Education City concept, which expresses its efforts across economic,
social, human, and environmental
development.
Economically, QF encourages and
supports the diversification of Qatar’s economy through research and
development for the benefit of local
and international industries. Socially,
it upholds Qatar’s cultural heritage
through its architecture, while promoting the role of women in the field
of science, and hosting global congresses such as the World Innovation
Summit for Education.
It offers Qatar’s population and
private sector some of the world’s
top-class tertiary institutions for the
development of human capital; and
environmentally, it makes great efforts to raise ecological awareness
through green building and sustainable development.
The congress’s advisory council
said Education City was an innovative way to permeate sustainable living across Qatari society.
Noting the significance of the
award, with regards to QF’s ongoing
effort to unlock human potential,
Engineer Jassim Telefat, Group Executive Director, QF Capital Projects
and Facilities Management, said:
“QF seeks to support the country’s
development plan put forth in Qatar
National Vision 2030.
“Therefore, the activities of all the
centers and universities under its
umbrella are built on the philosophy
of advancing educational, scientific,
and community development.
“Qatar Foundation remains dedicated to the sustainable development
of Qatar and its community. Equally
as important are our continued efforts at Education City to raise
awareness in the local community –
especially among the youth – about
green living,” he said.
UCl Qatar delivers first Spanish lecture
n UCL Qatar offered a unique opportunity, on 11 March, for the Spanishspeaking community in Qatar to learn more about the Islamic heritage
of Spain. Dr Jose Carvajal Lopez, Lecturer, Islamic Archaeology, UCL
Qatar, delivered the university’s first Spanish public lecture, titled Una
visión de al-Andalus: El pasado islámico de España, as a result of the
popularity of a previous lecture on the subject held in English.
3/18/14 5:45 PM
4
Hot Topic
By Dana Abu Nahl and Nelly Al Fayed,
Communication juniors at Northwestern
University in Qatar
Have your say
QaTar FOUNDaTION (QF) HaS
CrEaTED THE E-lEarNINg
POrTal, WHICH IS aN aDvaNCED
PrOgraM WITH THE PUrPOSE
OF SHarINg KNOWlEDgE aND
PrOvIDINg QF STaFF MEMBErS
WITH a WIDE raNgE OF ONlINE
COUrSES. E-lEarNINg MaKES
ONlINE COUrSES COvErINg TOPICS
IN INFOrMaTION TECHNOlOgY
aND BUSINESS aCCESSIBlE
TO all MEMBErS THrOUgH
ITS COllaBOraTION WITH
MalOMaTIa, a lEaDINg PrOvIDEr
OF TECHNOlOgY SErvICES aND
SOlUTIONS THaT MaNagES THE
QaTar NaTIONal E-lEarNINg
POrTal aND IS gOvErNED BY
ICTQaTar.
Elyas Felfoul,
Head of
Administration,
QF Education
Division
“In my field
I work with
journalists and
would like to learn key skills
about dealing with the media, if
we could do that through these
courses I would love that.”
Bachar El Tabbah, Events
Management
Coordinator,
HBKu
The e-Learning portal aims to
promote an e-Learning culture
within the QF community that
follows major trends in the global
learning environment. Staff and
trainees are encouraged to take
part in this initiative to both learn
and share knowledge across the
community.
QF Telegraph wanted to know
what staff members and trainees
thought of the online courses and
whether or not they were taking full
advantage of QF’s e-Learning.
Most employees surveyed who
had experienced the courses were
very impressed and keen to learn
more new skills by embarking upon
additional courses.
Aboo Fyzal Karattiyattil,
Administration Assistant, Capital
Projects, said the courses were not
just of great use to employees, but
also benefit QF.
Karattiyattil said: “Organizations
can benefit from trained staff by
keeping them in their jobs, rather
than having them away from their
workstation, even if for a small
duration. It is also true that there
won’t be a gap between having
‘
yO u R O P iN iO N
ARE yOu
TAKiNg FuLL
ADVANTAgE OF
QF’S E-LEARNiNg
RESOuRCES?
Share your views by emailing us
at [email protected] with a ‘yES’ or
‘NO’ as well as a sentence stating
your reason.
All submissions are confidential
unless you state that your name
can be used.
You can also register your vote
anonymously online on Maktabi.
do staff make use of the opportunity to study?
does the resource inspire people to improve their skills?
‘
‘ COuNTS
‘
are staff taking advantage
of QF’s e-learning courses?
something learned by the staff
and its implementation in the
organization. A self-learner would
be more eager to practice and test
what they have learned.”
Although some staff and faculty
members were not aware of the
availability of e-Learning courses,
they were very open to the idea
and supportive of online courses.
Nearly everyone surveyed was
excited to know that QF provides
the community with opportunities to
further develop their knowledge in
both their fields and interests. People
showed a keen interest in e-Learning,
with many saying that they would
definitely make use of it in the future.
Those surveyed were captivated
by the idea of utilizing more of their
free time to further advance their
knowledge and skills. Staff were
interested in knowing more about
what the program is about and what
courses e-Learning has to offer.
Gaining certificates was one
of the strong motivations to start
making good use of the e-Learning
opportunities.
Zainab Elfil, International
Education Conferences Officer,
QF Education Division, said: “I
think distance learning is great
and becoming more and more
popular. Knowing that QF offers
such a service and that you can
get certificates is great. I would be
interested in learning more about
the service, especially since I work
in education.”
HISSa Al Mohannadi, Campus Life
Coordinator, HBKU, agreed. “It is
a great idea. I am always open to
information that can help us improve
our work as it can be very useful,”
she said.
Hamad Al Khalifa, Finance
Directorate, thought it was of
particular benefit to full-time
employees. “Although I feel that
the learning environment created
by a classroom can be a great
contributor to the learning process,
this concept can be very beneficial
to those who have already attained
their degrees, are working full-time
jobs and wish to advance their
careers and knowledge.”
Staff members showed interest in
joining the program and developing
their knowledge and interests,
especially as the program can be
used any time during the day,
making it flexible and suitable for
people in many different situations.
The ease and accessibility
appeared to draw people’s interest
in the program, as the ability to
learn at their own pace made it
more practical for them. They were
interested in using the program,
completing courses, developing
skills, and receiving certificates
without the pressure of deadlines,
which could cause difficulty
because most respondents said they
were employed full-time.
Some staff and trainees also
displayed interest in the program
upon hearing that there are 4,000
courses offered by e-Learning.
The variety of courses seemed to
capture people’s attention.
With the allowance of flexible
hours and the use of virtual
interactions, e-Learning clearly
provides an excellent opportunity
for those who work long hours and
prefer virtual connectivity.
“This concept can be very beneficial to
those who have already attained their
degrees, are working full-time jobs
and wish to advance their careers”
“Of course I
am interested
in these
courses, it is a great
opportunity. I have heard of it
but they should work more on
promoting it.”
Sana Jamshed,
Administration
Assistant,
Research
Division, QF
“I had been
looking for sites
and books from where I could
gain knowledge about different
topics; e-Learning helped me in
this matter.
“Rather than searching things
while surfing on the internet,
I got everything I needed
altogether.
“The courses are easy to
understand when you start
going through them, in a sense
that it provides you with easy to
understand information.”
Thameena Sayed Mohamed
Husain,
Administration
Assistant,
Assets &
Building
Services, Qatar
National Convention
Centre
“I enjoyed every second spent
on my e-Learning sessions.
“After seeing all the courses
offered I feel more motivated
in pursuing more and more
courses, as this brushes up my
skills and provides me more
knowledge.
“I also wish to continue to take
further courses. This type of
self-paced course is of great
help to an employee like me.”
3/18/14 5:45 PM
Perspective
BQF novelist shares
insight at literary Majlis
Mai Al Nakib discusses upcoming collection of short stories
oPinion
Professor rodney sharKey
‘Prof-Off’ provides unique
format for healthy debate
IN a debating event, called ‘Prof-
Mai Al Nakib participates in a discussion at the first BQF Literary Majlis
BlOOMSBUrY Qatar Foundation’s
(BQF’s) first Literary Majlis, held at
the Msheireb Enrichment Center on
11 March, saw BQF authors reflect
on their creative writing process and
introduce their forthcoming works.
For first-time author Mai
Al Nakib, Associate Professor,
Department of English Language
& Literature, Graduate Program
in Comparative Literary and
Cultural Studies, College of Arts,
Kuwait University, the event was
an unprecedented occasion to
showcase The Hidden Light of
Objects, her upcoming collection
of short stories. The book will be
published by BQF in April.
“I attend many academic
conferences every year, but, this is
my first time at a literary event in
this capacity,” Al Nakib told QF
Telegraph. “I thought it would be
an excellent opportunity for me to
introduce my book to the public.
The Literary Majlis is an important
event and a good chance for me to
meet esteemed writers who are also
part of BQF.”
The Literary Majlis offered an
opportunity for authors and readers
to interact and brought together
members of Qatar’s community to
discuss literature. Al Nakib read a
short excerpt from the title story
and discussed some of the key
components of her collection. She
was joined by fellow BQF-published
writer Abdulaziz Al Mahmoud, the
“The world of publishing is incredibly
competitive and to have both the expertise
of Bloomsbury and the regional specificity
of QF creates a bridge for authors like me”
Qatari author of The Corsair, who
offered a preview of his upcoming
historical novel, The Holy Sail.
Al Nakib said: “My book is a
collection of short stories that are
loosely connected, and primarily set
in the Middle East. This Majlis has
given me a chance to discuss some
of the key components of my stories
– setting, repetition, the process of
remembering, the trope of objects,
and their secret lives.”
According to Al Nakib, events
such as the Literary Majlis are
essential to foster an evolving and
vibrant culture of reading within
Qatar and across the Gulf region.
“I think that these events provide
a good opportunity for writers and
readers to get together,” she said.
“There is a rich history of literature
in the Arabian Gulf, that goes back
decades, and there is also a growing
interest in writing among young
people in the region today.”
The event was Al Nakib’s second
trip to Qatar, having first visited two
years ago to sign a contract with BQF
that led to her current status as a
debut author, whose first publication
is set to appear in bookstores across
the country.
As she explained, both the
initial signing with BQF and her
participation in the Literary Majlis
are indicative of Qatar Foundation’s
(QF’s) drive towards building a
knowledge-based economy and could
also be a source of inspiration for
budding authors everywhere.
“It’s tremendous that Qatar is
investing in knowledge, culture,
science, and research,” she said. “At
the same time that everything in the
country is developing at such an
accelerated pace, it is admirable that
Qatar is focusing heavily on building
a knowledge economy, which is
what makes any economy truly
sustainable. The amount of emphasis
being placed by QF on regional
research and – in the case of BQF –
regional authors is indispensible to
Qatar and to the region.
“The world of publishing is
incredibly competitive and to have
both the expertise of Bloomsbury
and the regional specificity of QF
creates a bridge for authors like
me. Though obviously I hope my
stories will appeal to readers outside
the Gulf, I’m glad that they can
also have a regional audience. BQF
effectively bridges the gap.”
5
Off’, held at Education City on 25
February, I debated with Professor
Benjamin Reilly, Associate Teaching
Professor of History, Carnegie
Mellon University in Qatar, on
the topic ‘Freedom of Speech in
Education City: Fact or Fantasy?’
We received our debate positions
10 minutes before the event began
and I was given the position of
defending the existence of free
speech at Education City. Both
of us were prepared to argue
the opposite of the position we
were given should the draw have
demanded it.
Once I had been cast in favor
of free speech, I set out to prove
its presence by arguing that it
takes place in my classroom,
at QatarDebate, and that the
introduction of the new Qatar
Foundation Migrant Workers’
Welfare Charter indicates to me
that there is a clear will towards
facing up to difficult questions.
I approached the issue
from the point of view of the
First Amendment to the US
Constitution, which is that free
speech is acceptable up until the
point that it causes harm. I argued
that free speech should be possible
and celebrated as long as nobody
is adversely physically affected —
injured or worse — by the results
of that speech. I also spoke briefly
about a more recent turn towards
the principle of offence wherein
someone can claim a right to limit
freedom of speech based on the
fact that the speech in question
caused somebody offence. To me,
physical harm remains key here. If
it is hate speech, then of course it
is offensive but it is also most likely
directed towards producing harm.
This is very serious. However, if it
is offensive, but no physical harm
is likely to occur, then is it right to
prohibit it?
In the discussion with students
after the event, they raised a very
important question. What is the
limit point for free speech? I
suggested that one’s own individual
limit point should encompass
something one abhors; that you
should allow someone the platform
to express views you completely
disagree with because that is the
nature of free speech, but only up
to the point where you think it is
speech designed to incite actual
physical harm. And, of course, it
goes without saying that this can
often be a very difficult point to
identify.
“You should
allow someone
the platform to
express views you
completely disagree
with because that
is the nature of free
speech”
It was clear that the students
enjoyed the event because a
‘Prof-Off’ puts professors in a less
secure position compared to what
they are accustomed. Usually the
power relations in a classroom are
one-directional: the professor is in
charge. Here the students loved
the idea that the professors are
unsure of what they are about to do
and have to prove themselves in a
pressurized situation.
Most importantly, I felt that this
was a debate that students not only
wanted to attend but wanted to take
part in by offering their opinion on
the issue, which they did. And the
opinions were very diverse. There
was no animosity and nothing to
suggest that you could not talk
freely in Education City.
I would like to see ‘Prof-Offs’
become more regular. Bringing
together students from the different
branch campuses in an informal
setting like Hamad bin Khalifa
University Student Center for an
intellectual activity, is part of what
student life is all about.
COlUMNIST
Professor Rodney Sharkey
associate Professor of english,
Weill cornell Medical college in Qatar
WHAT Do YoU THINK?
Send us your opinion at [email protected]
3/18/14 5:45 PM
6
QF Spotlight
hoW do i?
QFTelegraph helps
you make the most
of your life at Qf
n How can I find policies
and procedures on QF
Portal?
Go to the QF Portal
homepage at http://
qf-portal/ and you will
see the ‘QF Record’ link
under ‘Essential Employee
Information’. You will be
prompted to enter your
password to connect to the
QF Portal.
n How do I find what I’m
looking for?
To navigate the site, you
can look through the
folders, or organize the
records by document type
or directorate, which are
listed in alphabetical order.
It is also possible to
search for a specific
word in the policies and
procedures. Go to the
search field on the top
right-hand corner of the
screen, and type in the
word you are looking for.
The search results will
retrieve all documents
containing the word.
If you know specific
data, such as the
procedure number, you
can click on ‘Advanced
Search’. Enter the details
and click on ‘Filter’.
Once you’ve found
the document you’re
searching for, you may
download it as a PDF.
n of what relevance are
these documents to me?
The policies and
procedures are useful
to all QF staff, whether
for a new employee who
needs to understand the
policies and procedures
of their workplace, or an
experienced member of
staff who wants to ensure
they are in compliance.
Employees can also look
up the procedures of other
departments with which
they work to see how their
request will be handled.
Do you have questions you
want answered? Email us at:
[email protected] and we will do
our best to help you
Attendees at the Machine Learning and Data Analytics Symposium co-hosted by QCRI
COMPuTiNg Qatar Foundation institutions highlight advances in data research
Top machine learning and data
analytics experts come to Qatar
QaTar Computing Research Institute
(QCRI), a member of Qatar Foundation (QF), demonstrated the depth of
Qatar’s expertise in machine learning
and data analytics at an international
symposium held in Doha.
QCRI and global aviation specialists Boeing co-hosted the Machine
Learning and Data Analytics Symposium (MLDAS) on 3 and 4 March at
Tornado Tower.
The symposium brought together
top researchers and practitioners from
the Middle East, Europe, the United
States, Canada, South America, China, and Pakistan to discuss applications, recent advances and new solutions in machine learning and data
analytics, two of the fastest growing
areas of computer and data sciences.
Dr Mohammed Zaki, Principal
Scientist, QCRI, and co-chair of the
symposium, said: “Mining big and
complex datasets has become a critical business and scientific necessity in
all fields of study from social networks
and digital humanities to bio and
health-informatics. QCRI is spearheading cutting-edge fundamental
and applied research in this area, as
exemplified by the symposium.”
QCRI presented its work alongside
delegations from Google, Microsoft
and NASA. Nikunj Oza, Leader,
Data Sciences Group, NASA Ames
Research Center, discussed algorithms
the organisation has developed to detect anomalies in aviation-related data,
such as data recorded on board commercial aircraft and data on the trajectories of aircraft, representing landings
and takeoffs at airports.
QCRI’s contributions included
how to optimize machine learning
algorithms when organizing massive
amounts of data from websites, social
networks, sensors, and scientific experiments, and avoiding bottlenecks.
Its research into reducing latency
through optimizing the performance
of data systems, and data cleaning, or
isolating quality data, was featured as
well as its research into social media’s
enormous impact on opinions and cultural trends. QCRI also demonstrated
its Artificial Intelligence for Disaster
Response, and Forecast and Analysis
of Social Media and Traffic tools.
QCrI, in conjunction with Texas A&M
University at Qatar and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, presented a research project, ‘Computational
Neuro-Modeling of Visual Memory:
Multimodal Imaging and Analysis’,
which looks at whether the brain reacts
differently to memorable versus forgettable images, and how it differentiates
between them.
But it was not just QCRI’s advances
highlighted at the symposium. Qatar
Mobility Innovations Center, QF’s
research and development center for
emerging mobility and wireless technologies, presented in conjunction with
the University of Surrey, United King-
dom, ‘A Machine Learning Framework for Detection of Sleeping Cells
in LTE Network’ about detecting telecommunication cells which are not
providing normal services to the users
in order to lower maintenance costs
and improve network performance.
SIDra Medical and Research Center,
another member of QF, discussed its
research project, titled ‘A Novel Innovative Machine Learning Framework in Identifying Multi-Condition
Diseases’, which presents a novel
machine learning algorithm, called
“extreme learning machine”, which
produces better accuracy in the classification of diseases, requires less
training time and is less complex to
use than earlier models.
Dr Dragos Margineantu, Boeing
Technical Fellow and co-chair of the
symposium, said Boeing Research &
Technology’s Data Analytics Group
has a long history of innovating and
integrating data analysis technologies into Boeing products to improve
its processes, and by establishing
relationships with universities and
research institutes like QCRI, it leverages emerging technologies in the
global community. Boeing presented its own research into ‘Interactive
Learning – Scalable Inverse Reinforcement Learning with Experts in
the Loop’ and ‘Aircraft Health Management Analytics’, which seeks to
improve operational efficiency of aircraft through analysis of aircraft data
to reveal patterns, detect anomalies,
and monitor changes.
Margineantu explained: “There are
many complications in handling the
analysis of this data, including misaligned readings across thousands of
sensors, missing data, temporal correlation, messy non-standard abbreviations
in free-text descriptions, and high variability of the features. The main goal is
to extract critical information and to
create alerts that anticipate events that
require maintenance action.”
He added that Boeing’s main goals
during the symposium were to “explore revolutionary data analytics
approaches and to drive their application on tasks that generate large
amounts of data”.
“Mining big and complex
datasets has become a
critical business and scientific
necessity in all fields of study”
3/18/14 5:45 PM
Director’s
From theNote
Top
Thursday 20
March2013
2014
7 March
7
Building an
excellent
reputation
jeff Brown, chief operating officer,
ucl Qatar, explains the process
of establishing a student-oriented
university branch campus
I JOINED UCL Qatar in November
2013, having spent two years working
in Kazakhstan for a University
College London partnership
establishing an undergraduate
engineering school to support
capacity building in Central Asia.
My role addresses all the nonteaching aspects at UCL Qatar,
including human resources,
public relations, finance, physical
infrastructure in terms of facilities
and IT, general administration, the
student experience and recruitment
- everything that’s outside the
classroom, but impacts on the
classroom at the same time.
We have come a long way in the
past two years, and indeed during
my time as Chief Operating Officer,
we have completed and embarked
upon some major projects. In terms
of physical infrastructure, we have
introduced a new computer network
system that’s completely separate from
Georgetown University in Qatar
(GU-Q), having previously worked
on GU-Q’s network. That was a fairly
big task. We are now linked to London
and we’re accessing all the services
that we need: professional services,
academic support and also student
support, within a UCL framework.
What we have done is bring UCL
here, through that virtual network.
We have sourced and populated
student residences off campus. At
UCL Qatar, we deal mainly with
postgraduate students, who have
different expectations and different
graduates
65
WE’rE hoping the students will seek
long-term employment in the region
and enjoy and benefit from not just
the learning experience, but from
living here, and form relationships
here and put down roots.
We would like that to be in Qatar;
there are a lot of job opportunities
here in museums and heritage
management, the areas we are
focusing on, but as long as it benefits
the broader Gulf region we’re happy.
Students give us feedback through
our personal tutoring system, and
our pastoral care system, and until
recently, we didn’t have a student
affairs department so they used to give
2 major publications
in the areas of
• Egyptian history
• Metallurgy
9 major journal papers
14
2013/14
needs. While there is world-class
accommodation on campus, many of
our students are married, and we have
sourced accommodation that allows
them the flexibility that they need.
For non-Arabic speaking students,
we have Arabic classes for all first year
undergraduates. The feedback we have
had has been excellent. We wanted to
create a group learning experience, so
all our students have an equal chance
to do it and would be motivated and
learn together, and that is already
paying dividends.
Attendance is high, as are the
standards, and the students are
enjoying it and going out socializing
in groups in which they’re speaking
Arabic. They are also learning
technical language which will help
them with employment opportunities
in the region.
2014/15
17 chapters in books
“We are very open with our students
and I tell them that we are developing
and will look very different in three
to four years than we do now”
feedback straight to me.
We have about 70 students, so
we are not so big that I don’t know
many of them, and they haven’t
had a chance to get to know me. We
have expanded the student support
team so there are formal channels
for feedback, and there’s a support
network, but we also have drop in
sessions and we keep an open door
policy. We are also introducing a wide
range of student wellbeing initiatives.
It is a living community and we are
trying to respond to their needs as best
we can. We are very open with our
students and I tell them that we are
developing and will look very different
in three to four years than we do now,
after two years. Our students are very
supportive.
The title I have is business
and operations focused, but my
background in Kazakhstan was
student facing, so I’m used to dealing
with students directly. The product
line is the courses and the students are
the outcome of that product line. They
become the best ambassadors we can
get, and the best practitioners we can
get out in the field.
That builds our reputation and
strengthens the business. My view
overall is to make sure the students
are not just happy, but productive
and they are doing themselves justice,
and we allow them to do themselves
justice. Any impediment to student
performance would be hurting the
business. It’s a simple mechanism.
WHEN you are in the growing phase,
like we are here, you need to build
a reputation; you need the students
to be on board. Not a riyal spent on
advertising and marketing is worth
a student going out and speaking
well about you.
In future, we need to increase the
capacity of our infrastructure to
accommodate student growth, not just
in terms of post-graduate numbers
but research students. Our research
student base is triple what it was
planned to be, and we are attracting
support from outside the Gulf region
for the research we’re doing.
We have been here for two years
and have developed a very strong
research profile. Our academics
are publishing and editing books,
which is really important in building
reputation, and adds to the quality
at a postgraduate level because if
our academics are active in research,
it is informing the currency of the
lectures and exposing students to
fresh research, which gives them a
market edge when they go to seek
employment.
The museum and heritage sector
will be a massive part of the economy
here. Look at the museums being built
and designed, and the library which
is next door to us, and look at the
number of people who are going to be
employed by them.
We are doing what we are doing
to supply them with best practice
and new graduates who can use new
techniques in an applied way.
Our first cohort of graduates,
from our one-year MA in Museum
and Gallery Practice finished in
November, many with distinctions
and excellent performances, and our
first cohort from the two-year MSc
in Conservation are completing their
dissertations and final projects now.
We will do detailed surveys now that
we can ask students who have been
through the entire experience and can
see the whole picture. This gives us the
chance to identify the first destinations
where these students will begin
working – in which field, location, and
with which employers. We intend to
follow up to see how they are getting
on so we know that what they are
studying is fit for purpose in terms of
the working environment.
Our courses attract much interest
from Qatari students and we also work
with Qatari organisations, such as
Qatar Museums Authority, to develop
their existing employees. These
employees make up more than 80
percent of our student body.
3/18/14 5:46 PM
8
Student Spotlight
Ebrahim Al Muhannadi,
Project: Building a
Dune Buggy
“The projects
are important,
because they
engage the
students by
allowing them
to work on
something they
have chosen
themselves”
“I love cars,
and would like
to build a real
one for myself
in the future. I
bought a go-kart kit as a starting
point and had the body welded.
The most challenging aspect was
the transmission, and the kart
itself was a bit fragile during the
testing. We had to replace a few
pieces, but I am very pleased with
how it has turned out.”
Qatar Academy students
present personal projects
Afrah Shibu,
Project: Making a
Violin
Qatar Academy students showcase a variety of projects
“I have been
playing violin
for almost eight
years, so this was
a very personal
goal to me. It’s a beautiful violin,
maple on the front, spruce on the
back, and the shoulder rests and
the accessories are rosewood.
“I intend to pursue a career in
medicine, but playing the violin is
a hobby that I hope to enjoy for
the rest of my life.”
News iN Brief
Qa sidra
sTudenTs
enjoy
learning
evenT
n School students at
Qatar Academy Sidra
enjoyed an eventful and
successful Language,
Arts and Humanities
Night at the school’s gym
on 19 February.
Students learned
through fun activities
taking place at 30
exciting stations,
including a ‘Riddles
Booth’ an ‘Are You
Smarter Than A Fifth
Grader?’ competition.
The theme of the event
was ‘Come Travel
Through our World’,
and students received a
stamp after completing
each station, and a prize
upon completing six
stations.
TALENT Grade 10s showcase their achievements at event
Qatar academy students
present personal projects
MOrE than 100 Grade 10 students
at Qatar Academy (QA) gathered
to present their personal projects to
fellow students, teachers, and parents
at the academy on 19 February.
The projects, which are the
culmination of the students’ fiveyear Middle Year Program (MYP),
demonstrated a wide range of
creative and artistic talents.
Angelika Küster, MYP Coordinator, QA, explained: “The
projects are important, because they
engage the students by allowing
them to work on something they
have chosen themselves. They also
help the students to practice and
hone their research skills, which is
a good indicator of how they will
perform in the Diploma Program.”
Küster said that QA encourages
the students to choose a
challenging, but achievable goal.
“We dissuade them from aiming for
world peace; we want them to do
things that are manageable. Some of
the projects are amazing.
“One student raised QR14,400
to have a well built in Somalia, and
that project has been completed.
Some projects are less ambitious,
but are very suitable for those
students. There is a huge variety,”
she said.
Two QA Grade 10 students
introduced the afternoon’s activities
to the assembled crowd. Hannah
Akhtar said: “To start the year, we
were all given the task to set out a
realistic yet challenging goal, which
we could achieve by following
certain procedures and steps. With
“We have a wide variety of unique
and innovative projects intended
to demonstrate the skills we have
acquired throughout our MYP year”
the help of our advisors, we were
able to see things more clearly and
start getting the work done.
“We had to make a distinct goal
statement to briefly describe what
our personal project was going to
be about, what we were trying to
achieve, and how we were going to
accomplish that.”
She added: “We have chosen
a wide variety of projects, from
fashion to fitness, writing to
woodwork, drawing to songwriting.
We have a wide variety of unique
and innovative projects intended
to demonstrate the skills we have
acquired throughout our MYP
year. We have learned skills that
will benefit us in our future lives as
adults.”
Aaser Sadek took the opportunity
to thank the teachers. He said:
“Our teachers have planted the
seeds and we have the responsibility
to nurture the seed to fruition.
This significant learning and
development has commenced the
lifelong journey of aspirations and
milestones.”
Saleh Al Khulaifi ,
Project:
Preserving
Family
Literature
“I researched
eight members of
my family who were
all poets. I wrote an introduction
and a biography for each person,
and included some of the books
that they have written, and their
poems. The earliest entry goes
back to the late 1800s.”
Reem Al Khori, Project:
Landscape
Photography
“My goal was
to advance my
photography
skills, focusing
on landscape
photography.
My area of interaction was
human ingenuity to show people
why we create and the process of
creating and the consequences
on society. I’ve tried to show
in an artistic, creative way how
beautiful Doha is. I used the
arches at the Museum of Islamic
Art to guide the viewer’s eye
through the photo, like a path.”
3/18/14 5:46 PM
Students
HBKU workshops
to tackle change
iMPACT Students take part in Social Innovation Bootcamp
Students view presentations at HBKU’s Social Innovation Bootcamp
By Dana Abu Nahl, a Communication
junior at Northwestern University in Qatar
STUDENTS were taught to inquire,
innovate and make an impact at
Hamad bin Khalifa University’s
(HBKU’s) Social Innovation Bootcamp, which was held at Qatar Foundation (QF) Community and Recreation Center over four days from
2-5 March.
The participants created a short
video covering the first three days of
the bootcamp and presented it on
the final day, showing their learning
experience.
Groups of students were asked to
create a statement relating to a specific social issue they would like to
address.
The students collaborated with
faculty, and professionals from
various disciplines to create proposals, and come up with concepts for
policies, services, or products which
could provide a solution to these social concerns, and which could become a reality in the future.
Workshops focused on the themes
of setting expectations, ensuring the
system is transparent and equitable
for all, and how to manage money,
and the students were encouraged to
experience new things and move out
of their comfort zones.
On the final day, students held
presentations covering everything
they experienced and learned in the
workshop.
They gathered insight and research that can lead to making systemic changes or interventions in
social issues in Qatar.
Eman Thowfeek, International
Politics sophomore, Georgetown
University in Qatar, said: “It was
an eye-opening experience, because
working with people from different
disciplines around Education City
on a heated issue shed light on the
wide range of possible solutions we
could potentially implement.”
Rama Gheerawo, Deputy Director, Helen Hamlyn Centre for
Design, Royal College of Art, who
hosted the final workshop, said the
collaboration between students and
professionals benefitted both parties.
“The workshop allows them to
work with students to show and
educate students on making changes in the world, as well as how to
benefit themselves and others with
social issues.”
The workshop will be held again
from 11-16 May.
School students enjoy literacy events
rEaDINg Qatar Academy (QA) Al
Wakra held a Reading Week involving staff, students, and parents from
2-6 March.
The school stopped for daily 10
minute reading sessions in which all
staff and students read at the same
time. Students created artworks
from their favorite books, and held
presentations on their favorite parts
of the book.
Each
classroom
door
was
decorated on the theme of the
students’ favorite books, and parents
were invited to come to school
QA Al Wakra students listen eagerly to stories during Reading Week
to read for their child’s class.
Bedriyah Itani, Principal, QA Al
Wakra, said: “Celebrating Reading
Week at QA Al Wakra is not only to
promote reading but to instill the joy
of reading in all our students.”
9
caMPus life
Bayan Khaled
Passion for fashion
put into practice
FIrST impressions count, especially in business situations, as
students from Qatar Foundation, now attending interviews
and embarking on careers after
graduating from university, are
discovering.
That’s why, even for people
who don’t have a passion for
fashion, it is essential to take
pride in how you look.
This important lesson
was shared with students at
Carnegie Mellon University
in Qatar (CMU-Q) at our
annual ‘Business Fashion
Show’, in which speeches,
games, and skits were used
to explain the importance of
wearing appropriate attire for
work and interviews.
The event was interactive,
with audience members learning through participation in
activities in which 15 models
displayed different types of
formal wear to illustrate how
each style would be received
at a work interview.
Attendees were allowed to
offer their opinions and cast
their votes on the most appropriate professional dress.
The event provided valuable
information for both men and
women, such as appropriate
colors, cuts, heels, and materials. Information relevant to
students from all majors.
Particularly for freshmen,
this information is very useful
and prompts us to think about
ensuring we display our employability at all levels.
Dressing in professional
attire influences the interviewer’s first impression of you.
People dressed formally tend
to gain more respect and are
taken more seriously during
the interview.
Looking the part also increases your confidence, which
is necessary in making a good
impression, and the participating students agreed that when
they were dressed profession-
ally they felt more self-assured
about their abilities.
Not dressing well for an
interview can cost you the
job when you’re competing against people with equal
qualifications.
“People dressed
formally tend
to gain more
respect and
are taken more
seriously during
the interview”
The importance of dress
code varies by industry but as
CMU-Q students, the majors
offered tend to require a more
professional image.
By attending these events
all the CMU-Q students have
become prepared for any job
interview, with precise tips on
how to maximize their chances
by the way they present themselves. Overall, the ‘Business
Fashion Show’ was a successful event in educating students
about the importance of dressing professionally in a fun and
innovative way.
Patrick McGinnis, Assisting Teaching Professor, Business Communication, made a
speech filled with humorous
anecdotes referring to actual
experiences.
The speech was followed
by a sketch that demonstrated
how professional interviews
would go if you were casually,
fashion-forward, and formally
dressed.
The interactive games
involved the whole audience
and the lighthearted approach
helped to effectively deliver
a valuable message, to all
who took part, on the impact of a holistic professional
approach.
Bayan Khaled is a Business Administration freshman at Carnegie
Mellon University in Qatar
3/18/14 5:46 PM
10
Focus
Bahnaz ali al Quradaghi
“Because
of these
hands-on
projects,
they’ve learned
first-hand all
about science
and how it
impacts Qatar”
Awsaj Academy holds
sustainability Fair
puBlicatioNs
review
on the Ground:
New Directions in
Middle East and
North African
Studies
n Northwestern University in
Qatar (NU-Q) has released a
new publication which casts
new light on Middle Eastern
Studies.
The book, On the Ground—
New Directions in Middle
East and North African
Studies, has been completed
in collaboration with
Northwestern University in
Evanston’s, Illinois Program in
Middle East and North African
(MENA) Studies.
The publication features
the work of 10 scholars, and
is introduced and edited by
Brian Edwards, Associate
Professor, English and
Comparative Literary Studies
and Director of the MENA
program, at Northwestern
University, Evanston.
The 10 perspectives in
the book represent working
papers that summarize
manuscripts in progress.
The works investigate issues
including the emotional
impact of the Arab uprisings,
youth-generated media, and
religious freedom in Syria.
The senior research officer, center for islamic economics and
finance, Qatar faculty of islamic studies (Qfis) talks about the
importance of kindness, justice, and faith
What does your role at QFIS
involve?
I actively contribute to achieving
our center’s mission through
various activities. Primarily, I
engage in conducting innovative
research, participating in local
and international conferences and
workshops in our field.
I help organize public lectures
on Islamic economics and finance
to familiarize the public with this
unique field of study, and we have
initiated a reading group involving
QFIS students to enrich their
learning experience.
I also connect with Islamic
financial institutions to organize
specialist workshops and training
for the industry.
What is your greatest
achievement?
It has been an honor to see some
of my original research papers
published in renowned academic
journals, and to be invited to
reputable conferences, locally
and internationally, to present
my research. I also write a weekly
column in Al Watan newspaper on
various issues within my field.
Who inspires you?
My father is a great source of
inspiration for me. As a prominent
an expression of gratitude to Allah.
He gave me the ability to do what
is right.
If you had the power to change
anything what would it be?
I would change the unjust systems
that feed, breed, and protect
corruption and replace them with
ones that are more sincere to people
to reduce human suffering.
What values do you most admire?
Kindness, and doing good for
others. I believe that being kind
and mindful of others reduces
selfishness and greed, which I see as
the main causes of injustice.
scholar of Islamic jurisprudence,
he has contributed substantially to
the research and practice of Islamic
economics and finance.
He has been generous in sharing
his knowledge with students and
young researchers of Islamic
finance and I have been one of the
beneficiaries.
He has taught me to work hard,
be confident, and always have hope.
What makes you smile?
When I make my children and my
husband smile, I feel good and
smile along. Also, when I am able
to help a person in need or ease
someone’s burden, in line with the
teachings of my faith, I feel satisfied
and can smile privately, I guess as
How do you contribute to Qatar
Foundation’s vision to build a
knowledge-based economy?
My role is closely linked to this
vision as my research and other
activities are a means of producing
new knowledge in my field, making
society more familiar with existing
knowledge, helping to train the
workforce in the industry, and
applying knowledge to solving
existing problems in society.
Awsaj Academy holds sustainability fair
event held to celebrate Qatar national environment day
aWSaJ Academy held its first Environmental Fair on 26 February to
celebrate Qatar National Environment
Day. The event provided a unique opportunity for the students to learn and
share knowledge about the natural
world and resource conservation.
Awsaj Academy students exhibited
their findings on environmental issues, including water desalination,
and sparked discussions on how to
become an eco-friendly community.
The primary school students focused on ecology; the middle school
students looked at water, and the
secondary school students discussed
electrical energy generation and
consumption, and its environmental
impact.
The students showcased interactive environmental projects to attendees.
Dr Ralph Pruitt, Director, Awsaj
from Qatar Foundation’s
(QF’s) Health, Safety,
Security & Environment
Directorate,
QF’s Qur’anic Botanic Garden, and Qatar
University.
ORYX GTL, a major
partner of Awsaj Academy
and a supporter of the academy’s
various initiatives and programs,
gave a keynote address, and encouraged student involvement in environmental issues by awarding prizes
to the top five winning projects.
Some of the students’ projects
about water conservation will be
displayed at a National Environment
Fair in April.
Awsaj Academy hopes this event
will become an annual community
event as part of Awsaj Academy’s
goal to become a Green School.
Environmental
review
Awsaj Academy students exhibit their environmental projects
Academy, said: “Because of these
hands-on projects, they’ve learned
first-hand all about science and how
it impacts Qatar, and how important
this issue is to Qatar.”
The event was attended by Dr Saif
Ali Al Hajari, Chairman, Friends of
the Environment Center (FEC),
which supported the event with a
distinctive booth.
The Islamic department of Awsaj
Academy also played an active role
in the event by promoting awareness
about the religious responsibility of
environmental protection. The department presented valuable information about the Islamic perspective
on natural resource conservation,
and the Islamic approach on environmental sustainable development.
Awsaj Academy students were
joined by parents and representatives
3/18/14 5:46 PM
Behind the Scenes
11
QScience.com journals primed for world stage
Publishing Qatar’s research to make a global impact on science
WHEN QScience.com, the publishing
platform of Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation (BQF), was first launched on
13 December 2010, it signified the
realization of Qatar Foundation’s
(QF’s) ongoing commitment to bring
research from the region to the widest
possible audience.
Arend Küster, Acting Director,
BQF, explains how the publisher
highlights QF’s research to an international audience.
“We started QScience.com from
scratch; when I joined in 2010 we
didn’t have a journal or any procedures, so we needed to create all of
that from the beginning.
“First, we decided that we
had a great opportunity to
begin publishing journals
coming from QF. We
started to build a team
of seasoned publishing
professionals and local
talent.”
While some of the publications published through
QScience.com have been started by other organizations, such as
Hamad Medical Corporation’s Qatar Medical Journal; and the Journal
of Emergency Medicine, Trauma and
Acute Care, which were transferred to
QScience.com because it was a professional publisher, others have been
conceived and implemented entirely
within QF.
QScience.com was launched
alongside its first journal, Global
Cardiology Science & Practice, an
international peer-reviewed journal
dedicated to keeping cardiologists
abreast of advances in the influence
of basic science on clinical practice,
which was established by Professor
Sir Magdi Yacoub, one of the world’s
most renowned surgeons and cardiovascular researchers, who previously
established QF’s Qatar Cardiovascular Research Center (QCRC).
“The process of setting up Global
Cardiology Science & Practice began
when Professor Yacoub heard about
the announcement of what was then
called Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation
Journals,” he said.
Küster says he met Professor Ya-
Arend Küster, right, and Christopher
Leonard discuss BQF publications
coub in June 2010 to discuss whether
an international peer-reviewed journal would be feasible at that time, as it
would also support the Arab scientific
renaissance.
“The first thing we had to do was
develop the aims and scopes of the
journal and source high-quality international editorial.”
Global Cardiology Science & Practice, was announced at the launch
of QScience.com, and the first issue
was available in April 2011, enabling
QCRC to demonstrate QF’s thought
leadership in cardiology and treatment of heart diseases within the international research community.
Christopher Leonard, Editorial Director, QScience.com, adds: “Global
Cardiology Science & Practice is a pure
QF success story. Our ambition is for
it to become the most cited journal in
cardiology.”
QscieNce.com facts aNd
Thisfigures
was the
more thaN
70,000
uNiQue
dowNloads of
research articles
siNce the lauNch
of QscieNce.com
19
5
3
differeNt jourNals
curreNtly puBlished oN
QscieNce.com
issues of gloBal cardiology
scieNce & practice have BeeN
puBlished
QscieNce.com jourNals
have Now BeeN iNcluded
oN puBmed ceNtral
Küster says the process of submitting articles to appear in the journal
is rigorous but ensures that its high
standards are maintained.
“The process is simple: authors
submit articles for peer review
through our online submission system, and every article is rigorously
reviewed by international experts,”
he says.
“The articles have to match the aims
and scope of the journal and have to
be of sufficient quality. Our system is
open to everyone in the world, and we
are bound by ethical publishing standards as set out by COPE (Committee
on Publication Ethics) and WAME
(The Word Association of Medical
Editors). We are actively participating
and supporting internationally recognized publishing standards.”
As such, the process of creating an
internationally renowned scientific
publishing platform not only involves
the sourcing of world-class research,
and making it accessible online.
Much effort goes into establishing
and safeguarding the reputation of
the platform. An important milestone
to achieve in this regard is recognition from renowned international databases, such as PubMed Central, the
premier full-text database of medical
articles, curated by the United States
National Library of Medicine and the
National Institutes of Health.
Just over three years since its inception, three QScience.com journals - Global Cardiology Science &
Practice; Qatar Medical Journal; and
the Journal of Emergency Medicine,
“We are actively participating
and supporting internationally
recognized publishing standards”
Trauma and Acute Care - have now
been accepted into PubMed Central.
Küster says: “The inclusion of our
journals in PubMed Central feels like
our first students are graduating.”
Becoming a partner with PubMed
Central is not a simple process but
as Leonard explains, it is important
in the process of reinforcing Qatar’s
reputation for world-class research.
“PubMed Central is the primary
way in which researchers in the medical and biosciences field find out about
other papers, so if you’re researching a
new topic in biology, or medicine, or
nursing, the first place you head to is
PubMed Central,” he says.
“If your articles are indexed within
PubMed Central, then you stand a
much higher chance of that article
being found, read, and cited. It’s helpful for discovery and it means that all
articles published on the database will
have a much higher visibility among
the research community.
“The National Institutes of Health
mandates that the materials are accessible online and they look for certain
standards in the research, in things
such as whether the journal is published regularly and is consistent in its
standards.”
Firstly, the organization audits
QScience.com’s own processes.
“The next step is the technical
evaluation, where the standard of data
within the journal is assessed. That
takes another couple of months and
then finally, if your journal has met
the criteria, you receive the go-ahead
to upload,” says Küster.
QScience.com also has to demonstrate its commitment to publishing a
quality journal before it can be listed
with PubMed Central.
Leonard explains: “We’re now aiming to have more journals included in
PubMed Central, though there is a
volume threshold of about 20 articles,
so we’ll need to publish about 20 articles for each before there is sufficient
content for PubMed Central to make
an editorial decision.
“Once that has happened, PubMed
Central will know that the journal has
a publisher who can be trusted to upload into their system.”
However, while the short-term recognition of the inclusion of Global
Cardiology Science & Practice; Qatar
Medical Journal; and the Journal of
Emergency Medicine,Trauma and Acute
Care to PubMed will bolster QScience.com, the long-term benefits are
to QF and Qatar itself.
“Having QScience.com journals
included on PubMed Central can
now act as a beacon to help attract
some of the very best researchers to
Qatar.”
3/18/14 5:46 PM
12
Community
Business card
l Shiba
Samia Hassan A
Heritage and traditions
shared at NU-Q exhibition
Qatari culture shared with Qf community at falconry exhibition
ordinator
Senior Project Co
rary
Lib
l
na
Qatar Natio
What does your role at
Qatar National Library (QNL)
involve?
My role is to build a network
with the different ministries
and institutions in Qatar to
raise awareness about libraries
in Qatar.
I work with the director to
build this network. I visit some
of the ministries while some
ministries hear about us and
contact us themselves; it works
both ways.
How are your studies
benefiting you
in your role?
I am studying for a Diploma
in Academic Research and
Methods at UCL Qatar. One
of the most important factors
that I feel will really benefit me
in my role is how I am learning
to think critically, engage
with the community, and find
evidence to prove the purpose
behind my goals.
Being at UCL Qatar
improves my character and
the way I deal with issues and
people. I plan to continue
studying Library and
Information Studies.
What motivates you?
I previously worked with the
Board Management Office
in Qatar Foundation (QF)
and I have been part of this
particular project from the
beginning, when the idea for
a national library was first
suggested.
I fell in love with this project
and feel that a lot of people
have been waiting for it for a
long time. I knew I wanted to
continue to be involved with
this project.
What challenges you
in your role?
The real challenges I face
are building a new library
network, raising awareness
about QNL’s role, and
changing how people think of
libraries.
It’s not easy to tell people
about the role of libraries.
People think only of classic
libraries – that they are only
for reading and storing books.
But this library project is
completely different.
We work with ministries
and educational institutions to
help provide them with what
they need as students, faculty,
and ministries, because we
have a national license; which
means giving database access
to everyone in Qatar. People
need to make good use of
what is on offer.
What does being part
of QF mean to you?
The freedom that QF gives
us to innovate is unique; it
motivates more than in most
other organizations.
I am studying at UCL
Qatar, with QF’s support.
Without this support I
wouldn’t improve, so the way
they develop their human
resources is very special.
My new knowledge and
professionalism will help me
deal with the library users.
What I learn is not only for
me but is given back to the
community.
Everything I am learning
while studying I will be able to
give back to QF and will give
back to new generations. I am
really proud of QF for offering
these opportunities.
DID YOU KNOW?
QF community members learn about falconry
By Dana Abu Nahl, a Communication
junior at Northwestern University in Qatar
THE Qatar Foundation (QF) community was given the opportunity to
experience Qatari culture at a falconry
exhibition organized by Northwestern
University in Qatar (NU-Q).
The Class of 2017 representatives
were given the responsibility of organizing and finding sponsorship for
the event.
Two professional falconers,
Salim Sultan Al Humeidi and Laura
Wrede, were invited to present their
trained falcons in front of many students, staff, and faculty from Education City. Al Humeidi said he learned
about falconry from his father, as it
was a tradition within the family that
was practiced daily.
His abundance of experience has
made him an advanced falconer, and
as a result, he has become one of the
judges at the Qatar Falcon Festival.
Al Humeidi is continuing the family tradition and has begun teaching
his son, who was in attendance, the
Katie Hyon,
Student Affairs Specialist,
Northwestern university in Qatar
“It was great, because I haven’t seen
real falconry out in the desert yet,
and it made me want to see that even
more. I also had the opportunity to
hold the bird, so
that was pretty
exciting.”
“The exhibition was a way to show
an important part of our heritage
that has been passed on through
many generations”
art of falconry. He has also taught
Wrede, who has now become an experienced falconer. Wrede has been
a hunter since childhood but learned
about falconry with Al Humeidi over
the last two years.
She discussed with visitors at the
event the importance of appreciating
falconry as both a sport and cultural
tradition.
The event took place on the Green
Spine and attracted many people.
Staff and faculty also brought their
children along to watch the falcons.
Students from all the different universities came and showed interest in
the exhibition.
The Green Spine was cornered off
so spectators could watch from a safe
distance. The falcons were tethered
on a rope and chicken meat was used
Jawaher El Khatib,
Pre-med student,
Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar
“I really enjoyed this exhibition.
Although I was born in Qatar, I have
never really been exposed to this side
of it, so it’s great to see universities
showing
us parts
of Qatar’s
culture.”
to entice them to dive and whirl. The
family friendly atmosphere made it a
fun yet culturally educational event.
Yara Darwish, journalism senior at
NU-Q, said that as a Qatari, she was
excited to share a piece of her culture and heritage with the Education
City community, despite personally
finding hunting difficult to watch.
“Education City comprises of
such a diverse group of people, and
it’s a shame that most of them are
unaware of local customs and traditions. The exhibition was a way to
show an important part of our heritage that has been passed on through
many generations. I really hope more
events happen that share aspects of
our culture because it is something
we, as Qataris, should be really proud
to show,” she said.
Thuraya Lutfi,
international Economics Junior,
georgetown university in Qatar
“I have always been fascinated with
falconry as a sport, but because it is a
male-dominated activity, I have never
actually had the chance to see it, so this
was a great experience for me.”
Qatar National library (QNl) is a non-profit
organization under the umbrella of Qatar Foundation.
It is currently offering free online access to a vast
collection of online resources ahead of its official
opening, scheduled in 2015.
3/18/14 5:46 PM
Sports
13
“This is a very
big event and
most sports
clubs in Qatar
are interested
in hosting and
facilitating
events such as
this”
Asian Indoor Rowing
Championship at HBKU
Student Center
sports iN Brief
Students,
staff, and
families
enjoy
sports day
n Qatar Academy Sidra
(QA Sidra) participated in
a school sports day at Dahl
Al Hamam Family Park.
The event, organized
by the school’s Physical
Education Department,
was open to all students,
teachers, and their
families.
The day included mini
running races as well
as friendly football and
basketball matches.
Each activity was
designed to help teach
participants about the
value of fitness, teamwork,
and sportsmanship, and to
continue the momentum
garnered at this year’s
Qatar National Sport Day.
asian Indoor rowing Championship at HBKU Student Center
Hamad bin Khalifa University (HBKU) Student
Center was the location for Qatar Sailing and
Rowing Federation’s (QSRF’s) Asian Indoor Rowing
Championship 2014 from March 6-7, which was
attended by His Excellency Sheikh Saoud bin
Abdulrahman Al Thani, Secretary General and CEo,
Qatar olympic Committee. In the Gulf region for the
first time, rowers from more than 20 nations took
part. Three rowers, Nasser Ghanem Al Abdullah,
Bader Al Madni, and Ahmad Abdullah Al Hilal,
represented Qatar in the championship. Athletes
used the equipment available in HBKU Student
Center to compete at a professional level and set the
bar higher for prospective student athletes.
Trained professionals from the Asian Federation
also used this opportunity to educate students about
rowing and its significance.
Students were taught how to use the available
equipment at HBKU Student Center properly, as well
as how much training is required to reach athletic
standards.
Majid Al Ali, Sports and Recreation Coordinator,
HBKU Student Center, said: “This is a very big event
and most sports clubs in Qatar are interested in
hosting and facilitating events such as this. It is also
a new sport in our area so this event provides a good
experience for the HBKU community.”
PrIvIlEgE PrOgraM
Qf members are entitled to discounts and special rates at a variety of outlets and amenities upon showing their Qf id.
ONgOiNg OFFERS
Titanium
Bambinos
Fauchon Paris
Tivoli Furniture
Rabshah Furniture
Gulf Flowers Furniture
Top Furnitures
Youth Furnitures
Grand Heritage Doha Hotel & Spa
Lone Star Jewelry
Al Sulaimen Jewellers WLL
Qatar optics
Flying Carpet
ozone
Al Malaki Men’s Requirement
Al Jaber opticians
Yateem optician
Milano Sports
20-30%
15%
10%
30%
35%
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15%
15-30%
45-55%
25%
15%
10-15%
25%
25-30%
10-50%
20%
Six Senses Spa (special price list on Qf portal)
Jaula Spa & Club
(40% for membership)
Coucher Du Soleil
(25% for all spa and hair services)
Qatar Airways (up to 12 % for sectors
outside gcc, up to 5% for sectors inside
the gcc, subject to conditions)
AXA (home, travel, and vehicle insurance) 10%
Lollipops
20%
Mosafer
15%
Samsonite
15%
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)
Qatar International Beauty
Academy-Tajmeel
20%
Nasser Bin Khaled & Sons Co
(10% on labor charges and 30% on spare parts)
Relax Spa
5-10%
Ezmiralda Beauty Center
25%
Piano Beauty Lounge
20%
LiFETiME OFFER
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VALiD TO JuNE Al Jazeera Perfumes
Rose Salon
25%
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15%
VALiD TO SEPTEMBER
her avenue salon & spa
25%
more details about offers and discounts,
including a number of savings on hotel
rates, can be found on the Qf portal or by
emailing [email protected]
3/18/14 5:46 PM
14
Time Off
“I have found
a few useful
techniques; one
was how to think
of the argument
from the other
perspective so
that I could win
over the other
teams”
QatarDebate holds
workshop series
Qur’aNic BotaNic
gardeN
Botanical terms
arabic name: Hasak
english name: spiny rounded
fruits
Term definition
Hasak is a general term given
to rounded spiny fruits of
the terrestrial desert annual
herbs. these kinds of thorny
fruits attach to the hairs of
livestock, human feet, sandals,
or soles.
Ahsak Al-Zar’ means it
grows its spines. most of the
plants which have these kinds
of spiny fruits are creeping
plants; they extend their
branches along the ground.
The botanical term in the
Holy Qur’an and Hadith
Narrated abu sa’id al-Khudri,
the prophet muhammad
(peace Be upon him), said:
“then the bridge would
be set up over the hell and
intercession would be allowed
and they will say: ‘o god, keep
safe, keep safe’. it was asked:
messenger of allah, what is this
bridge? he said: ‘the void in
which one is likely to slip. there
would be hooks, tongs, spits
like the thorn that is found in
Najd and is known as sa’adan.
the believers would then pass
over within the twinkling of an
eye, like lightning, like wind,
like a bird, like the finest horses
and camels’,”
sahih muslim, The Book of
Faith.
Ahmed El Gharib
assistant researcher
To find out more about
the Qur’anic Botanic Garden,
QatarDebate holds workshop series
students hone public speaking, critical thinking, and argumentation skills
QaTarDEBaTE is holding
a six-week Open Debate
Workshop Series for
university students until
16 April.
The workshops are
open to any speaker hoping
to learn more about debating
and to develop their skills. It includes
public speaking skills, critical thinking and argumentation skills, and a
certificate will be provided to people
who finish the course.
An orientation session was held on
27 February, with Logandran Balavijendran, an expert debater from
Malaysia.
Balavijendran said the orientation
session was held for intermediate
to advanced debaters looking to be
more competitive in tournaments.
“Some of the participants have
been debating for a while in international tournaments and want to compete at the highest level of debating,”
he said.
The session included exercises and
focused on developing the depth of
the speakers’ argumentation. He also
said debaters needed to ensure they
don’t miss the opportunity to make
an important point when reacting to
something the other side has said.
“One of the things debaters struggle with is how far do I need to go?
Tried &
Tested
Logandran Balavijendran delivers a workshop at QatarDebate
How many dots do I need to join
until I have drawn a logical conclusion?”
One participant in the session, Ali
Al Sowaidi, said that he found it useful, and wished it had gone on longer
than three hours.
“The advanced debate training
session was very helpful, especially
for the young debaters that were with
me. I have found a few useful techniques; one was how to think of the
argument from the other perspective
so that I could win over the other
teams, and also on how to redirect
the debate towards my side of the table for the team to win.
“I am thinking of taking critical
thinking and some refresher courses
later on.”
Another debater, Safa Mahgoub,
agreed that she would also have preferred it to last longer. “I found the
session useful, but due to lack of time
it was very general and didn’t add
much to my knowledge.
“The most useful thing I found
was how measuring improvement
is necessary to be a better debater
and, if my schedule wasn’t so tight,
I would attend the whole series of
training sessions,” she said.
QatarDebate is also holding an
eight-week series of workshops for
school students, Grade 9 and above,
until 29 April.
Protect your joints to ease rheumatic pain
Prevent the symptoms of arthritis through proven strategies
rHEUMaTIC diseases are inflammations that affect the joints and
surrounding tissues, as well as the
immune system. Genetic and environmental factors, as well as lifestyle, can
increase the risk of the disease.
There are two kinds of rheumatic
diseases. The first is inflammatory
arthritis, which causes pain, swelling,
warmth, and redness of joints. The
second is non-inflammatory arthritis, which also causes pain but with
less swelling. Non-inflammatory arthritis requires a consultation with
your doctor.
Some rheumatic diseases, like
osteoarthritis, are the result of wear
and tear to the joints. Other rheumatic diseases, such as rheumatoid
arthritis, happen when the immune
system becomes hyperactive.
The immune system attacks the
linings of joints, causing joint pain,
swelling, and destruction. Almost
any joint can be affected by rheumatic disease.
There are more than 100 rheumatic diseases.
Maintaining a healthy weight and
avoiding injuries to joints will reduce
the risk of rheumatic diseases.
Joint protection is a proven strategy to help manage rheumatoid arthritis pain and perform daily activities more easily. Arthritic joints can’t
tolerate as much stress as healthy
joints can, so pushing, pulling, or
twisting motions can be painful.
Think about ways you can avoid unnecessarily stressing your joints.
Save your smaller, weaker joints
for the specific jobs that only they
can accomplish. Throughout the day,
try to use larger joints. For example,
carry objects with your palm open,
distributing the weight equally over
your forearm. Slide objects along a
counter or workbench rather than
lifting them. Use your thigh muscles
to rise from a chair instead of pushing off with your hands.
3/18/14 5:47 PM
What’s On
15
Insight into activities
conducted at QF
from Qatar fouNdatioN
Daily, 3pm, on 93.7FM and 91.7FM
FROM Qatar Foundation is broadcast on
QF Radio throughout the day.
The program features members of the
Qatar Foundation (QF) community who
discuss their various roles. Here are some
of the highlights from some recent conversations on the Arabic show.
Mohammed Al Hussaini, Finance
Manager, Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies (QFIS), said: “Finance management
consists of cash controlling and supervising existing receipts. My job also consists
of administrative supervision of daily activities, to make sure all transactions run
smoothly. Problem solving is also one of
my job responsibilities, both within our
department and among other departments in QFIS and other departments
around QF.”
Ahmed El Gharib, Research Assistant,
Qur’anic Botanic Garden, said: “We have
begun the campaign to collect plants
from the Arabian Peninsula. The goal of
collecting plants is to preserve them and
use them in the future for research or ag-
riculture.We further conduct germination
experiments and biometric studies, which
are specifically concerned with the study
of seeds. To summarize the process, we
are involved with an external conservation
program, where we aim to protect plants
outside their natural habitats.”
Saeed Al Shawi, Senior ComputerAided Facilities Management Engineer,
Business Support – Facilities Management Directorate, said: “Our goals include
providing the highest quality of service.
Our general services involve building
maintenance and transportation.
“Our department is in charge of delivering the product or service to the client.
Most of our work is now operated and
organized through a computer system,
which helps minimize potential complications that may occur through delayed
paperwork.”
QF Radio is broadcast in Arabic on
93.7FM and in English on 91.7FM, or
listen online at www.qfradio.com
Spiritual Hour
Daily
06.00
Sunday to Thursday
07.00
Tuesday
18.00
Daily
15.00
Daily
Throughout the day
Start your day with spiritual reflection
rise
Breakfast show with the latest news
Innovations
Science, technology, and the environment
From Qatar Foundation
Highlights from the greater QF community
Factoids
Short reports on diverse topics
Follow QF radio on
facebook and twitter
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 93.7FM or online
via www.qfradio.com
UPCoMING
CoNCERTS
QaTar PhilharMonic orchesTra
QPO presents Michalis Economou
QaTar Philharmonic Orchestra
(QPO)
presents two performances
Michalis Economou leading the Qatar Philharmonic orchestra
alongside several prominent artists
and musicians. The performances
will take place in Katara Cultural
Village’s Opera House.
MICHALIS ECoNoMoU
CoNDUCTS MAHLER
opera House, Building 16
Katara Cultural Village
Saturday, 22 March at 7.30pm
Michalis Economou, a significant
figure of the Greek musical
scene, and winner of 11 national
and international competitions,
including the ALEA III
International Composition
Competition and the Dimitris
Mitropoulos International
Composition Competition, will
be conducting a symphony
composed by the great Gustav
Mahler.
Maestro Economou teaches
orchestral conducting in
Athens and has trained at least
50 young conductors since
2003. In May 2004 he became
Chairman and Artistic Director,
Music Department, National
Technical University of Athens,
a position that he holds to
this day. Mahler composed
the symphony between late
1899 and 1900. It is the fourth
symphony and is in the key of
G major.
TANGo NUEVo
PRoJECT’S ‘TILL DAWN’
opera House, Building 16
Katara Cultural Village
Wednesday, 26 March at 7.30pm
Several prominent musicians
will perform in this concert,
including singer Mia Buchigani,
violinist Patrizia Portz, and
cellist Christoph Schmitz.
The performance will include
the tango compositions Café
Banlieue, Barbara Bossa,
and E by Peter Ludwig. The
performance will feature
compositions by other artists,
including Oblivion by Ástor
Piazzolla and Lonely Woman
by Tango Lorca.
For further schedule information,
including how to book tickets, visit
www.qatarphilharmonicorchestra.org
3/18/14 5:47 PM
16
Listings
conference-2014 for information.
evenTs
ongoIng
Lines in the Sand
Until 14 April
The Gallery,
Virginia Commonwealth
University in Qatar
‘Lines in the Sand’, is an
interactive project linking
Qatar’s past and present. The
collaborative project involving
Virginia Commonwealth
University in Qatar, the
University of Wales and Qatar
Museums Authority unearths
Qatar’s rich and complex
history through interactive
media designed to create new
and alternate frameworks
through which we may view,
use and engage with the past.
The exhibition is curated by
Caitlin Doherty.
Basketball Social
MARch 2014
Water Resource
Management Challenges
and Water Security
25 March, 4-7pm
Qatar Science &
Technology Park will hold
an environment-themed
TECHtalk focusing
on ‘Water Resource
Management Challenges and
Water Security’
which will provide an insight
into the factors
that influence supply,
demand and management
of water. The discussion,
featuring guest
speaker, Abdulsattar Al
Rasheed, Chief Executive
Officer, Ras Abu
Fontas, Qatar Electricity and
Water Company, will address
the work applied in Qatar to
address water scarcity.
Visit qstp.org.qa/home/
Learn to play the violin with international
instructors on Saturdays at the Ain AlQot Theater
techtalks-registration to
register.
Project Management
for Engineers
25-26 March
Continuing Education
Services at Texas A&M
University at Qatar
is offering a course
to point out the distinct
differences between
general management and
management of technical
functions.
Contact continuingeducation@
qatar.tamu.edu to enroll or for
additional information.
APRIL 2014
Empowering Families: A
Pathway to Development
16-17 April
Doha International Family
Institute (DIFI), will hold
‘Empowering Families: A
Pathway to Development’ as
part of the commemoration
of the 20th anniversary of
the International Year of the
Family, 2014.
The conference will
constitute a global platform
for discussion and debate
where policymakers,
non-governmental
organizations, experts,
academics and other relevant
stakeholders from all around
the world will share their
views and experiences
regarding the centrality of the
family and its role in society.
Visit difi.org.qa/doha-
Every Thursday, 6-8pm
Shoot a few hoops in a
friendly atmosphere at
the Education City
Clubhouse multi-purpose
court.
All skill levels welcome.
Meet at the Clubhouse
reception. No prior
registration is required.
Call 4454 0829 or email
[email protected]
for more information.
Piano and Violin Lessons
Every Saturday
Take the opportunity
to learn to play the piano
or the violin with instructors
from overseas at the Ain
AlQot Theater of the
Community and Recreation
Center.
For registration, or more
information please contact
4454 0824 or email
[email protected]
n all activities below are for Qf members and students only.
recreaTion
cenTer
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
HEALTHCARE
the medical center
sun–thurs: 7am–4pm and sat: 8am–
noon. tel: 4454 1342
Nutrition Services
sat, 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 nutritionclinic@
qf.org.qa
Have your event listed. Send
us an email: [email protected]
SPoRT AND FITNESS
Swimming
public swimming (olympic pool – early
laps only): sun–thurs: 5.30–8am
school 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 sat
public swimming, 8am–9.45pm.
Children’s swimming courses QR250.
Call 4454 0801 for details.
Jacuzzi, spa and sauna
fai club (women) and al wahaa (men)
run sat–thurs, 1–9.45pm. closed fri
Faculty and staff soccer
pitch 1, 6–8pm, sun
Volleyball
green 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
Badminton
wooden floor gym, 6–9pm, wed
green floor gym, 10am–1pm, fri
Squash
squash court, 5–7pm, thurs
ladies only: squash court, 4–5pm, sat
Water polo
olympic pool, 4–6pm, fri
Circuit training
mon and thurs, 4–4.45pm. free
Fitness evaluation
a new program to help members
develop a suitable exercise regime.
Contact any Community Recreation
Center fitness instructor for details.
Sun–Thurs, 5.30–10pm
Children’s football
for youngsters aged 6 to 17.
tues, 2.30–3.30pm and 3.30–4.30pm
Classes cost QR400 per week.
Call or email Community and
Recreation Center for details.
Zumba
tues and wed 4.30–5.30pm, activity
room. sessions cost Qr30 per class
or Qr250 for 10 sessions. Call or
email Community and Recreation
Center to reserve your place
Ladies’ aerobics
wed, 4.30–5.30pm, sat 10.30–
11.30am. free.
educaTion
ciTy
cluBhouse
SPoRT AND FITNESS
Jacuzzi, spa and sauna
male and female spas open from
1–10pm every day except tuesday.
Circuit training
wed, 5–6pm, sat, 8.30–9.15am. free.
Tennis lessons
Individual 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’ aerobics
tues, 9–10am and tues, thurs, and
sun: 5–6pm. free.
Contact Education City Clubhouse.
DINING
Lebaina Restaurant
sun-wed: 6am–9.45pm
thurs–sat: 6am–10.45pm
Breakfast served daily 6–11am
The Grill
sun-wed: 4.30–9.45pm
thurs-sat: 4.30–10.45pm
Meseika Snack Bar
sun-wed: 6–9.45pm
thurs–sat: 6–10.45pm
CLUBHoUSE MoVIES
tuesdays (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 SERVICES
sun–wed: 8am–10pm
thurs–sat: 8am–11pm
aWsaj
recreaTion
cenTer
oPENING HoURS
7am-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 ACTIVITIES
Kids’ activities
football with richard, 4-5pm, sun
football with adrian, 4.30-5.30pm,
wed
football with adrian, 4-6pm, tues
and thurs
futsal with flavio, 9-10am, fri
Basketball class
4-7pm and 9am-3pm, tues, fri, and sat
Kids’ taekwondo
2-4pm, tues and thurs
Kids’ boxercise
3-4pm, wed
Swimming
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 FITNESS
Insanity workout
4-4.45pm, mon, wed and sat
Circuit training
5-5.45pm, sun and tues
Adult learn to swim 1
6-7pm, wed
Breathing technique
5-6pm, wed
Ladies learn to swim 2
9-10am, sat
Ladies’ aqua fitness class
5-5.45pm, tues
Adult taekwondo class
5-6pm, mon and wed
SoCIAL ACTIVITIES
Badminton social
5-7pm, 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
sTudenT
cenTer
oPENING HoURS
sat-wed: 7am-10pm; thurs: 7ammidnight; fri: 1pm-midnight.
HEALTHCARE
Primary Health Care Center
sun–thurs: 7.30am–8.30pm
sat: 12-8pm
SHoPPING
iSpot
sat-thurs: 10am-6pm
Sidra
sat-wed: 7am-10pm. thurs: 7am-12am.
friday: 1pm-12am
Tribe Bookstore
sat–thurs: 8am–9pm
Xerox
sat-thurs: 9am-7pm
Kulud Pharmacy
sat-thurs: 10am-8pm
DINING
Continental Co
sat-thurs: Breakfast 7-10.30am. lunch
11am-3pm/dinner 5-8pm. friday:
lunch 1-3pm/dinner 5-8pm
Papa John’s
sat-thur: 10am-10pm.
friday: 1-10pm
Gloria Jean’s Coffees
sun-wed: 8am-10pm. thurs: 8am11pm. friday: 3-11pm
lulu eXPress
SHoPPING
LuLu Express
daily: 7am–11.30pm
Tel: 4480 0448
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
3/18/14 5:47 PM

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