The Office of Graduate Studies within the Research and Graduate Studies Sector at Qatar University (QU) held an orientation meeting for newly admitted graduate students for the Fall 2023 semester. The event was attended by over 520 freshers accepted into various graduate programmes
Dr Ahmad al-Own, the dean of Graduate Studies at QU, provided an overview of the Office of Graduate Studies and the services it offers to students. He also highlighted the challenges often faced by graduate students during the transition from the undergraduate phase. Dr al-Own underlined the significance of effective time management and emphasised the need to avoid last-minute pressure by distributing tasks evenly throughout the semester.
The event also featured guest speakers, each showcasing their academic journeys. Latifa al-Mansuori, a graduate of the Executive Master's programme in Leadership, and Dr Mohi El-Din Jamal El-Din, a PhD holder in architecture and recipient of the Outstanding Graduate Research Award, shared their experiences and strategies for surmounting academic challenges.
Assistant dean for student affairs, Prof Ghada al-Kuwari, provided a detailed explanation of important policies for graduate students and critical deadlines to consider for the Fall 2023 semester. Dr al-Kuwari elaborated on the intricacies of the add/drop period, final withdrawal processes, and the procedure for deferring admissions.
Dr Mary Newsome, assistant dean for student support, showcased the diverse services available at the Graduate Student Learning Centre. From academic writing workshops to the comprehensive "Tad" training camp for thesis and dissertation authorship, the centre offers invaluable support.
Dr Newsome emphasised the significance of collective workshops and personalised support sessions in fostering a collaborative learning environment. The QU Library highlighted its electronic resources that bolster research endeavours. Abdalhakim Bshawi, demonstrated the library's extensive collection of research papers and theses, available as valuable references for the students' academic quests. The library's advanced search capabilities, in both Arabic and English, were lauded for facilitating effective research exploration.
Dr Mariam al-Maadeed, vice president for research and graduate studies, concluded the event with a motivating address. She emphasised the power of graduate studies to nurture research-driven passions and foster innovative solutions to societal challenges.
Some of the participants at the orientation event.
