DOHA, QATAR – The Assistant Minister for Services Affairs at Ministry of Foreign Affairs, HE Mr. Rashid bin Khalifa Al Khalifa and Dr. Ilker Baybars, Dean of Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMUQ), recently signed a Understanding (MoU) between the two organizations in the field of education, scientific research and community development. The signing ceremony was attended by the ambassador H.E. Hassan bin Ibrahim Al Mohannadi, Director of the Diplomatic Institute at Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Richard Mundy, Chief Operations Officer at CMUQ, and Mr. Fadhel Annan, Director of Government Initiatives at CMUQ.
During the signing ceremony, HE Mr. Rashid bin Khalifa Al Khalifa said MoU aims at improving and enhancing knowledge in the field of education, scientific research, executive education and community development, as well as sharing professional experiences, scientists and researchers in business administration, information systems and public policy. He added that the MoU will help the two organisations achieve their common goals. "The cooperation between the two parties will lead to effective integration between the government organisations and academia", said Rashid Al Khalifa.
HE Assistant Minister for Services Affairs said that that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, represented by the Diplomatic Institute, places greater emphasis on the development of skills and abilities of its staff and considers it as top priority in order to keep pace with the massive achievements made by the Qatari diplomacy at the international and regional levels. He added that the ministry seeks to share experiences with research and training institutions, which is a crucial part of achieving the Ministry’s message.
Dr. Baybars reaffirmed the university’s commitment to supporting Qatar’s National Vision 2030(QNV2030). "Carnegie Mellon’s business strategy is in line with the four pillars of QNV2030 and in particular with the targeted objectives of the social development pillar, which aims at the development of all the people of the State of Qatar to enable them to sustain a prosperous society", he said.
The academic curricula at Carnegie Mellon are designed to prepare young nationals to be able to compete in the global labor market, and keep pace with the growth and development taking place in Qatar. "Through our world-class education, training and outreach training programs we guide our students to manage challenges with reason and creativity", Dr. Baybars said.
Sources at CMUQ said more strategic initiatives will be launched in cooperation with the Diplomatic Institute at Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the near future.
