Summary
This story highlights the achievements of the CMU-Q community at the 19th edition of the Qatar Education Excellence Awards. It focuses on two alumnae, Dr. Sara Al-Asmakh and Dr. Hessa Al-Thani, who received the Platinum Award for their doctoral studies, as well as three first-year students recognized for their high school achievements. The awards underscore CMU-Q’s role in fostering talent aligned with the Qatar National Vision 2030.
DOHA, QATAR – The Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q) community is celebrating members of the community who were honored at the 19th edition of the Qatar Education Excellence Award ceremony. Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the annual awards recognize a distinguished group of Qatar’s most talented students and scholars for their commitment to academic rigour and leadership. CMU-Q is a Qatar Foundation partner university.
This year, the awards presented to CMU-Q students and alumni highlight the university’s full-circle excellence. The recipients include members of the first-year class who were exceptional students in high school, as well as graduates who went on to pursue advanced postgraduate journeys.
Leading the CMU-Q honors were two alumnae who received the Platinum Education Excellence Award—the nation’s highest academic distinction—for their doctoral studies.
Dr. Sara Al-Asmakh is a Business Administration graduate from the Class of 2009 who currently serves as Chief Audit Executive for the Qatar Free Zones Authority. She recently completed her PhD in accounting from Brunel University London, and is now pursuing a parallel career track as an academic lecturer and researcher.
Dr. Hessa Al-Thani is a Business Administration graduate from the Class of 2016 who also completed a double minor in mathematical sciences and ethics. She recently completed a PhD in industrial and operations engineering at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, focusing on exact and approximate algorithms.
The ceremony also highlighted the exceptional caliber of the university’s newest cohort. Three members of the CMU-Q first-year class were honored for stellar performance during their high school careers: Ali Al Ajji (Information Systems), Khalifa Al-Kubaisi (Computer Science), and Amna Al-Mannai (Business Administration).
Launched in 2006, the Qatar Education Excellence Award is the highest academic honor in the state. It aims to foster a culture of creativity and excellence in Qatari society, aligned with the Human Development pillar of the Qatar National Vision 2030. This year, 108 winners were selected from a competitive pool of 371 applicants across various categories.
