QF vision empowers professional
In The Peninsula, February 6, 2017
By Fazeena Saleem
More than twenty years after the formation of Qatar Foundation, Nofe Al Suwaidi is living proof of the quality of education provided by the entities under QF, including her alma mater, Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q).
Al Suwaidi, who graduated from Qatar Academy, began her studies at CMU-Q in the Business Administration Program in 2007 when the campus, and Education City, was undergoing considerable growth. When Al Suwaidi began her studies, the CMU-Q building was still under construction and she and her classmates attended classes in their temporary accommodations at LAS. Over the next four years, CMU-Q moved into the new building and enrollment nearly doubled. Education City likewise grew around them, changing the landscape of education in Qatar.
During her speech at her graduation ceremony in 2011, Al Suwaidi commented on the tremendous change she had seen in Qatar: “In my lifetime, Qatar and the women who guide her have undergone long-awaited changes. Women have emerged as leaders and role models. Her Highness Sheikha Moza championed Education City. Without her vision, we would not be here this evening.”
After graduation, Al Suwaidi worked at Qatar Foundation, then moved to Msheireb Properties as a compliance and business process improvement analyst in the corporate planning department. “Entering the working world, I realized that being a CMU-Q graduate has given me a competitive advantage over others; we have a reputation for being a different caliber of graduates. Our education has armed us with the tools necessary to conquer any challenge that comes our way,” Al Suwaidi says.
When Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) announced it would be offering a Juris Doctor (JD) program through a strategic partnership with Northwestern University School of Law, Al Suwaidi seized the opportunity.
“Pursuing a law degree is something I have always had at the back of my mind. I’m enjoying the courses immensely, and being a student again has made me realize just how much I benefitted from my time at CMU-Q. CMU-Q taught me how to be a problem solver, while the law degree is teaching me how to look at problems from every perspective possible,” Al Suwaidi says.
The JD is the first-of-its-kind graduate law degree in the MENA region. Al Suwaidi will be part of the first cohort of graduates, and also serves as president of the Law Society at HBKU. “There’s a lot of things that I learned at CMU-Q that I am still using now. CMU-Q has embedded within me a sense of obligation towards myself and towards my community to improve the world around me in whatever means I can,” she explains.
When she reflects on her education in Education City, Al Suwaidi expresses her gratitude towards Qatar Foundation for the opportunities afforded to her: “At Qatar Foundation, we are constantly exposed to opportunities that others would only dream of. Attending Qatar Foundation institutions, at all levels, has had a profound impact on my career trajectory. The support and guidance I received throughout my academic journey at Qatar Foundation gave me the right footing and a clear vision to successfully pursue my ambitions.”