Fahad Bahzad has deepened his connection, contribution to Qatar

As we recognize the Class of 2020, we are looking at just a few of our 86 graduating seniors. Today we highlight Fahad Bahzad, Qatar Campus Scholar and a Class of 2020 graduate in Business Administration.

Fahad Bahzad chose to do his undergraduate education at CMU-Q because of a strong sense of community: “CMU-Q gave me the opportunity to get an international, world-class education and still be close to my family.” During his four years in the Business Administration Program, he only deepened this commitment to community, discovering new ways to contribute to Qatar and the world around him.

As a CMU-Q student, Fahad looked around him for ways, big and small, that he could learn new perspectives. One experience that stands out to him was participating in the Language Bridges Program, where students teach service workers to speak English and develop basic computer literacy.

“It hit me hard because these people, they’re leaving all of their family behind just to come and make a living. And for me, it was an eye-opening experience. I am very thankful to have had the opportunity to support them even in a very small way.”

As he moved through the business administration curriculum, Fahad began to use his newly-acquired skills in leadership and problem-solving to help his classmates. As a sophomore, he joined the newly formed Carnegie Consulting Club, which was created to give practical experience to students interested in the field of management consulting.

At the end of that year he became a co-president, and he went on to help expand the club’s projects threefold. The club organized talks from industry experts, partnered with leading international companies for student-led consulting projects, and provided strategic support to local startups.

“For me, it was a great experience to grow it from a small club of just five people to something that has an influential, positive impact on the community,” said Fahad.

At the Internship Showcase event in 2019, Fahad Bahzad encouraged younger students to pursue internships.

Fahad’s senior honors thesis was in many ways the capstone of his undergraduate experience. For this research project, he applied his significant quantitative skills to a question that touches nearly every person in Qatar: maximizing social welfare for the Doha Metro system. Fahad concluded that business concepts, theories, and approaches can be used in public policy to improve the welfare of society.

After graduation, Fahad is looking at a number of possibilities. “CMU-Q has opened a lot of doors for me, in the public sector, in consulting, in financial services, and many more. I’ve also received great recommendations from my professors should I want to pursue graduate education.”

But even as he looks ahead, he is grateful for those who supported him through his undergraduate years.

“If I had to take away one thing, it would be the importance of people around you. I like to think of it as not my achievement, but everybody in my community—my family, my friends, my professors, and my classmates,” he says.