Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) welcomes another academic year and a new group of students across its range of multidisciplinary programmes, all eager to innovate in their respective fields.
Representing interests from across the academic spectrum, they will immerse themselves in the university’s integrated, cutting-edge teaching and research environment, designed to support top-tier students and at the same time enable researchers to achieve the impact they aim for in their disciplines.
For Abdulrahman al-Muftah, a Qatari designer joining the College of Humanities and Social Sciences’ PhD in Humanities and Social Sciences programme, the fields of art and design are already changing the landscape of Qatar physically, economically, and socially. Studying at HBKU offers him the chance to stay engaged with this unique ecosystem and conduct research on these communities within the country.
“Ultimately, design isn't for the designer; it's for the people. A great designer detaches themselves from the aesthetic and fulfills it with social empowerment. As a local, witnessing the development of this young industry has fueled my desire to delve deep into its past and future,” said al-Muftah.
An incoming student to the Master of Arts in Contemporary Islamic Studies programme, Sadia Shameem, is particularly attracted to the College of Islamic Studies’ interdisciplinary approach, which combines dialogue on contemporary debates grounded in a foundation of Islamic tradition of knowledge and science.
“I'm hopeful that my education at HBKU will expose me to an intellectually stimulating culture so I may continue my higher education as a Muslim researcher which is the need of the hour across the Muslim world. By need of the hour, I firmly believe in the need for Muslims to reclaim and rewrite their own narrative that has long been dominated by western discourse,” said Shameem.
Hend Sultan al-Jaber, a Qatari biomedical researcher joining the PhD in Biological and Biomedical Sciences programme at HBKU’s College of Health and Life Sciences (CHLS), saw an opportunity to advance her career by learning from the university’s dynamic community of academics and scientists.
Al-Jaber cultivated an impressive career in research, traversing various domains in biomedicine, encompassing endeavors in epidemiology, genomics, and pharmaceuticals. However, it was within HBKU's CHLS that she found an unparalleled opportunity to chart a groundbreaking journey for herself, surrounded by kindred spirits of researchers, all driven by the shared passion for exploration and innovation.
HBKU may be a relatively young institution, but its prowess in education and research, particularly in the realm of biomedicine, has been consistently demonstrated. Al-Jaber emphasised that the opportunity to engage with a community of visionary students and accomplished alumni at HBKU offers a promising catalyst to propel her career forward.
Al-Jaber's decision to join HBKU's CHLS was influenced not only by its cutting-edge facilities, such as state-of-the-art laboratories and a dedicated research library, but also by the university's commitment to nurturing the academic and scientific growth of its students.
Abdulrahman al-Muftah
Sadia Shameem