HE Dr Mohamed bin Saleh al-Sada with other dignitaries.
“Qatar was well equipped for the blockade and our emergency plans have proven to be invaluable. Thanks to our preparedness, Qatar has managed to weather the storm and continues to gain positive recognition around the world,” HE the Minister said.
He made the observations at an event held to celebrate the inaugural cohort of students in Georgetown’s International Executive Master’s in Emergency & Disaster Management. Present on the occasion were several government officials, ambassadors, industry experts, students and guests.
HE Dr Mohamed bin Saleh al-Sada speaking at the event.
HE Dr al-Sada, who was the keynote speaker at the event, emphasised the need to work on improving safety practices and create a culture of excellence to ensure stability in the face of challenges and disasters. He also highlighted the importance of the programme as the first Georgetown professional degree programme tailored for the Middle East regional context.
This group of students comprises the first cohort to successfully complete the university’s one-year executive master’s degree in Emergency & Disaster Management with a focus on the Middle East.
Addressing the graduates, HE Dr al-Sada praised the students for taking the initiative leading the first cohort in Emergency and Disaster Management. “Your class should take pride in encouraging three times as many students as your group to join the next cohort, and we are very proud of you for initiating this journey of Georgetown University.”
Eleven students showcased what they have learned in the programme and their diverse areas of interest in a gallery walk exhibition featuring their final thesis projects. Their work highlighted the dire need for qualified personnel to take part in the preparedness, mitigation and response process for national and regional emergencies, GU-Q said in a press statement.
The incoming cohort of students, numbering 30, had the opportunity to network with students in the outgoing cohort, and to prepare for their upcoming academic experience. Kelly Otter, dean of Georgetown University’s School of Continuing Studies, said: “This was a tremendous opportunity to embrace and evaluate the needs of emergency and disaster management professionals in the region. We seek to engage and understand the emerging and evolving challenges of the day – and to provide an education that rises to the occasion. After seeing your exceptional capstone presentations, I am confident that we’ve been successful.”
“These students come from varying backgrounds and have combined their professional experience with coursework and hands-on learning to produce their final projects, which we have seen exhibited here,” said Ahmad Dallal, dean of Georgetown University in Qatar.
He added, “We are proud to play our part in building Qatar’s knowledge economy and supporting the country’s development and vision for the emergency and disaster management profession.”
In an increasingly complex world vulnerable to natural and man-made disasters, the graduates of this executive master’s degree programme look forward to a rewarding career in emergency and disaster management and to making the Middle East region a safer place, the statement adds.