In what has been a banner year for the Campus Exchange program at CMU-Q, two students from Pittsburgh are wrapping up a rewarding and enriching semester in Doha. CMU-Q hosted a total of six campus exchange students this year, including three in the spring semester and one who completed an internship in May and June.

While at CMU-Q, Nicole Matamala studied programming, which is a renewed passion of hers. She has now changed her major to computational biology so she can continue exploring computer science.

“At the Pittsburgh campus, some classes have 200 students in a lecture hall. Here, the classes are so small it feels like private tutoring. I got so much out of my time here,” said Matamala.

Abdusamed Sherif, an information systems junior, has enjoyed the diversity at CMU-Q. Active in several clubs, he started the Young African Leaders Association at CMU-Q to connect with other African students and share African culture with others.

“At CMU-Q, I had the opportunity to be immersed in a new culture while also interacting with different types of people from a large international crowd. I was really welcomed by the CMU-Q community,” said Sherif.

The Campus Exchange program is an opportunity for students in both Pittsburgh and Qatar to explore CMU from a different perspective.