UDST welcomes first group of students from Gaza

A group of eight students from Palestine, whose education got disrupted due to the ongoing crisis in Gaza, were welcomed at the University of Doha for Science and Technology (UDST) Wednesday at a ceremony.They were received by UDST president Dr Salem al-Naemi, Education Above All (EAA) Foundation CEO Fahad al-Sulaiti and the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs' General Directorate of Endowments director general Dr Sheikh Khaled al-Thani.In collaboration with EAA through its Al Fakhoora Programme, and with the support from the General Directorate of Endowments, UDST is providing these students with an opportunity to continue their education in Qatar’s leading applied university."We have already enroled them to different programmes and as a university we extend our support to them and welcome them to our programmes," Dr al-Naemi told Gulf Times."We want to make sure that they get the education that they have missed. We hope that they will graduate from here in flying colours and go back to Palestine to rebuild their country,” he said.Dr al-Naemi explained : " We are open to accepting more students from Palestine as some of the universities in Gaza have been destroyed totally. If the students from Palestine are coming, we will be able to admit them in more numbers in the Fall semester. We are working with EAA and those students interested in following a technical programme that we offer, we will be glad to admit them. We are providing them all the support such as academic support, cognitive support as well as academic support while EAA takes care of the financial support for the students to complete their studies.”‏‏Talal Alhathal, executive director of Al-Fakhoora programme noted: ‏"It is our honour to partner with the University of Doha for Science and Technology in providing educational opportunities for Palestinian students affected by the crisis in Gaza. We firmly believe in the power of education to transform lives, and through this collaboration, we are committed to enabling these young men and women to continue their academic journeys, equipping them with the tools and knowledge necessary to build a better future for themselves and their communities."Sheikh Dr Khalid, affirmed that the scholarship programme is in collaboration and partnership with EAA and partner universities. "The initiative aims to support students who have discontinued their studies and to overcome obstacles for them to complete their educational journey in Qatar through the partner universities. This will significantly impact their future lives when they return to their countries and contribute to building their community through their academic achievements,” he added.‏The newly admitted students will have the opportunity to join UDST's wide range of programmes, spanning engineering, IT, business, and health sciences.