DOHA, Qatar: Carnegie Mellon Qatar welcomed the first wave of accepted students for the fall 2016 semester. This marks the first year CMU-Q offered Early Decision, where select students were offered admission before the deadline of March 1.

Ilker Baybars, dean and CEO of Carnegie Mellon Qatar, held a welcome dinner for the students and their families. The keynote speaker was Abdulla Saleh Al Raisi, CEO of the Commercial Bank, whose son graduated from Carnegie Mellon Qatar in 2014.

During his welcome address, Al Raisi spoke of his familiarity with the journey: “I speak from personal experience when I say that Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar is one of the finest institutions in the region and world. I know about the journey in detail; how it will reshape your personalities and characters and enhance your talents and skills, as I witnessed with my son.”

Al Raisi added, “I personally look forward to discovering how the class of 2020 will go on to help shape the development of Qatar and the world. I wish you all the best as you begin your future at Carnegie Mellon.”

The application deadline for the fall 2016 academic year is March 1.