DOHA, QATAR – Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar held its fifth annual Professional Day on Wednesday, March 23, 2011. Professional Day is a career and networking fair that provides a unique opportunity for students to meet face-to-face with employers and explore job opportunities. The event brings together private and public companies looking to hire bright and talented students.
“We are enormously grateful to those companies who have been with us for a number of years and we are delighted to welcome 16 for the first time,” said G. Richard Tucker, Dean of Carnegie Mellon Qatar. “Many of these companies have international reach − something we pride ourselves on preparing our students for.”
Fifty organizations representing a broad range of industries set up stands, distributed informational brochures and spoke with students about their company, possible summer internships and job positions after graduation. The rigorous academic programs and wide range of extracurricular activities at Carnegie Mellon Qatar ensure the university’s graduates are well prepared for professional careers in many industries.
Naira Fawzi, Regional HR Manger GE Oil & Gas, expressed her enthusiasm to work with Carnegie Mellon students for both internships and permanent job placements. “GE Oil & Gas have participated in CMU’s Professional Day for five years. We have a special interest in Carnegie Mellon students as they are well equipped to enter the workforce. From past experience, we have noticed that the students are eager to learn as well as fully committed to add value to our company”.
Carnegie Mellon University recognizes the importance of bridging academic and business environments to create the conditions for a progressive, knowledge-based society. Ninety three percent of Carnegie Mellon Qatar’s graduates are either in the workforce or studying at prestigious graduate schools in the U.K. or the U.S. The majority of graduates are working in positions in Doha, with others taking positions in Dubai, Saudi Arabia, and the U.S. More than 80 percent of Carnegie Mellon Qatar students completed an internship before graduation, and some took on multiple internships.
With 16 new companies participating at Carnegie Mellon Qatar’s Professional Day 2011, this event proves to be a unique and rewarding opportunity.
"We are expecting to meet many high calibre individuals some of whom may ultimately join Williams in Qatar as interns or graduate employees," said Damien Scott, General Manager of Williams Technology Centre and a first-time participant.
This year, Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP) expanded its presence. In addition to TIEP, a nine-month technology, innovation and entrepreneurship program, students explored opportunities at the Qatar Robotic Surgery Centre and RASAD, a joint project of QSTP and Aspetar that is developing new wireless communication strategies.
Participating companies in Professional Day 2011 included: Al Fardan Group Holding, Al Jazeera Network, Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing, BNP Paribas, Brown Lloyd James, CSC, ConocoPhillips, Doha Bank, Doha Film Institute, Dohaland, DuneApps, Exxon Mobil, General Electric, Hewlett-Packard Middle East, ictQatar, iHorizons, International Chamber of Commerce, International Bank of Qatar, KPMG, MADA, Maersk Oil, Malomatia, Mashreq Bank, Masraf Al Rayyan, Michael Page, Meeza, Occidental, People Dynamics, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, QAPCO, Qatar Airways, Qatar Chemical Company, Qatar Development Bank, Qatar Foundation, Qatar Gas, Qatar Islamic Bank, Qatar Museum Authority/Madthaf, Qatar Olympic Committee, Qatar Petroleum, QU Wireless Innovation Center, Qatar Science & Technology Park, Q-Tel, RasGas, Shell, Sidra Medical Research Centre, Standard Chartered Bank, Tasweeq, United Development Company, Vodafone and Williams Technology Centre.
