Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q) welcomed Sheikh Hamad Abdulla Jassim Al-Thani, Chief Executive Officer of Vodafone Qatar, to share his insights on telecommunications and its impact on human development in the digital era. The event was the latest installment of the CMU-Q Dean’s Lecture Series, a forum for business and government leaders to share their perspectives with the university community. 

At the event, Michael Trick, dean of CMU-Q, recognized the important role that industry partnerships play in higher education: “Vodafone has been a strategic partner of CMU-Q for more than 10 years. The Vodafone partnership has enriched the student experience at CMU-Q, and I would like to thank Sheikh Hamad for Vodafone’s continued dedication to higher education in Qatar.”

In his address, Al-Thani outlined the ubiquitous role of telecommunications in our daily lives. “In our highly connected world, telecommunications have embedded themselves into every fabric of our lives to the extent that their presence has become unnoticed,” he said.

He went on to outline how the fastest improvements in global human development have been driven by telecom companies. Innovations like fiber connection, broadband, and wireless are enabling people to connect, create and contribute to society more effectively than ever before.  

“The massive increase in data can be taken as an indication of how interconnected our world has become,” he said. “It fuels innovation, drives economic growth, and transforms societies.”

The Dean’s Lecture Series at CMU-Q continues to foster dialogue, inspire progress, and ignite curiosity throughout the spring semester. 

Students at CMU-Q are pursuing undergraduate degree programs in biological sciences, business administration, computer science, and information systems.