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For the first time, technology is enabling education in a big way disrupting learning positively, especially during and after the Covid-19 pandemic, noted a leading edtech entrepreneur at the Qatar Economic Forum 2023, powered by Bloomberg.“ A recent Bloomberg report states, finally tech has positively disrupted education in a big way. For the first time, we see how tech is enabling education. Global edtech market is growing 16.5% while Indian edtech sector is growing at 40%,” said Divya Gokulnath, co-founder and teacher at BYJU's, an India-based edtech company.Gokulnath was interacting at a session during the forum along with Byju Raveendran, CEO and founder, BYJU's, in conversation with Mallika Kapur, deputy global editor, Bloomberg Live Experiences who moderated the session on Wednesday, the second day of the forum that concluded on Thursday.The session highlighted that school leaders and educators have been in a state of constant adjustment over the past three years. In reaction to the Covid-19 pandemic, they developed new protocols and incorporated digital tools for remote learning.Raveendran highlighted that every form of communication has changed drastically over the years except the classrooms. “Everything has changed in the last two decades about how we consume content, how we consume entertainment. But our classrooms have not changed very much for over 100 years. We have not made it easy for students. So for the first time, we have an opportunity for making it easy for students,” he explained.“These are very early days in terms of what technology can do to enable learning both inside and outside classrooms. BYJU’s could be the largest education platform currently but there is a long way to go about what technology can do in the education sector. This is largely an underinvested sector and every country needs a platform like BYJU’s,” stressed Raveendran.According to Gokulnath, there are over 150mn students across the world who learn from BYJU’s platforms and services all the way from online to offline learning.“ Online learning is part of mainstream learning but it is not the only component. There are some components of learning which are best delivered online while several others offline. There is a steady growth in edtech platforms especially after the pandemic. It is what started happening during the pandemic and it is still growing. So edtech and online learning are transformative and they are to stay here for sometime,” said Gokulnath.According to Raveendran, technology allows to personalise learning the way the students want. He noted that movie like scenarios can get positive outcomes, and make learning engaging and effective to get the attention of the students.“Now students can decide the pace of learning, size of learning and style of learning and there is lot of scope for improvement. We started completely offline and then we pivoted to online and today we have our programmes in hybrid learning format. We have come to know that it is the students who needs to have a choice about how to learn and where to learn from and how much they want to learn,” added Raveendran.

Imposing sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine war will not only harm Georgia but also "devastate" its economy, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has said. He made the observation while addressing the Qatar Economic Forum, Powered by Bloomberg Wednesday, Garbashvili's government has refused to impose economic sanctions and direct flights from Russia to Georgia resumed last week. "Not only would we harm Georgia, but we would also devastate our economy and jeopardise the interests of our country and our people if we were to impose any form of economic sanctions on Russia," Garbashvili said. Interacting with Manus Cranny, Bloomberg Television anchor, the Georgian PM said Europe has not faced a challenge such as the Russia-Ukraine war since the Second World War. "Therefore, this war affects all of us. Let me remind you that Georgia experienced a war in 2008, and we know precisely what it entails. We are aware that approximately 20% of Ukrainian territory is currently occupied by Russia; this is the current status quo. What will happen tomorrow, I don't know, and I can't say. I believe nobody knows." He noted that there are no signs that the war would end soon and that is the problem. “We also do not witness enough efforts from the international community to take proper measures, encourage consultations and promote peace talks,” he noted. Garbashvili criticised the international community for not taking action, including sanctions, during the 2008 conflict between his country and Russia. “Let me go back to the war in 2008. Do you remember if anyone imposed sanctions on Russia because of our war? Where is the logic of ‘Our war is not a war’ but in Ukraine it is'? No one in the world had proper reactions, and I would say adequate reactions, to that war. Well, I have to say that we were quite disappointed that business as usual continued with Russia after the 2008 war," he said. ""The result of that war, a devastating war, is that 20% of our territory was taken over by Russia. Russia built two military bases on our historic lands." Garibashvili also highlighted the relationship between Georgia and the US, stressing that the latter is an important strategic partner. “We are very thankful for everything America has done for us, as well as Europe. Georgia has its sovereign rights to have its own national interests. And as I explained, we have economic trade relations with Russia, we have 1mn ethnic Georgians, our citizens, who live in Russia. To have flights with Russia is very normal. "It doesn’t mean that we are engaged in some kind of political consultation. As I said, this is part of economic trade relations... like the European Union does, like America does." Regarding China, he said: “With China, we have a very good relationship. We have a free trade agreement with China, and we do increase trade, economic ties with China. What China has been trying to do during this crisis is a really wise move because China has been trying to mediate between Ukraine and Russia. "I would welcome efforts from any country, from any leader, who would encourage peace talks, mediate, negotiate, and who would try to make some efforts to resolve the issue,” the Georgian prime minister added.

Qatar is a potential partner for Hungary and a country of key importance to Europe, the Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, told the Qatar Economic Forum 2023, Powered by Bloomberg, Tuesday.Speaking to John Micklethwait, editor-in-chief, Bloomberg News, Orban said: “ Talks are going on between Qatar and Hungary for an agreement for LNG supply. We hope it will lead to more co-operation between both the countries. European economy has made up for a great part of its energy needs with LNG coming from Qatar as the Russian gas was missing due to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. In the last one year we have learned that Qatar is a country of great importance for Europe.”Orban explained that the agreement in natural gas will enhance the energy security of his country and lead to enhanced economic growth and co-operation between both countries. He commended the bilateral relations between Doha and Budapest over the past years, pointing out that Qatar helped Europe with the issue of exports and imports of gas and oil, as well as other arrangements related to information systems and security issues.He said that Qatar is interested in investing in the Hungarian market, expressing Hungary's respect for Qatar, as well as its openness to sign agreements between the two countries. ”Some of these agreements will enter into force in 2026 and discussions are ongoing between the two countries. We hope to become become a partner with Qatar based on a strategic view,” explained Orban.The Hungarian PM also stressed that a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine followed by peace talks is the only way out to end the war between both the countries. “Our hearts are with the people of Ukraine and the only solution to save lives is a ceasefire followed by peace talks. Instead of escalation, we should argue in favour of peace and negotiations. My view is that looking at the reality, looking at the figures, looking at the surroundings and looking at the fact that Nato is not ready to send troops, it is obvious that there is no victory for poor Ukrainians on the battlefield,” said Orban.He also addressed the relations between his country and the European Union countries, as well as other countries, in the economic aspect, noting that Hungary is strong and can rely economically on its domestic resources. In this regard, he pointed out that 85% of Hungary's exports go to the European Union, and therefore Hungary must always consider its interests without compromising regional interests at the same time.

Qatar is one of the most important and strong strategic partners of Rwanda, President Paul Kagame stated at Qatar Economic Forum 2023 Tuesday.Kagame was interacting with Jennifer Zabasajja, correspondent, Bloomberg, on the opening day of the three-day event. powered by Bloomberg.“We have to invest and grow. No country can manage that alone and there is the need to have partnerships for countries like Rwanda. We need to build partnerships with market leaders. Qatar is one of the strongest strategic partners for Rwanda as well as for many other African countries,” said Kagame.The Rwandan President stressed the importance of the strategic partnership between his country and Qatar, especially since the GCC is achieving growth and is full of important opportunities, highlighting the need to invest to sustain economic growth.Kagame pointed to the partnership between his country and Qatar Airways in the aviation sector and said that negotiations have been completed in this regard. “We have moved to the stage of achieving what was agreed upon with Qatar. Rwanda continues to build partnerships with Qatar Airways, with work underway to build Kigali Airport, which will be 70% complete by the end of 2023,” he highlighted.“We have a vision of what we want to do and Qatar is a partner of choice in aviation. We seek partnership with marker leaders in infrastructure, manufacturing, innovation and startups," continued, the Rwandan president.“We don’t go out to the market or borrow for the sake of it. We want to invest in sectors that will have good returns and justify our investment and also contribute to the wellbeing and development of our people,” explained the president.Kagame observed that economic progress can help address human rights issues, adding that Rwanda is looking for strategic partnerships with market leaders, as it invests in biotechnology, and started manufacturing vaccines with BioNTech, as well as building partnerships based on innovation and supporting emerging companies in this field.He also referred to Rwanda's pursuit of growth, highlighting the country's investments in infrastructure and industrialisation. Kagame added that the country needs resources that will not be available until it returns to the market, which is driving the country's will to ensure its position as a reliable country that is able to pay its debts.“We need to be rethinking but also need to finding ways to doing better than we have done in the past. By making progress on the economic front, the basic thing is the needs of people and that is what we are looking at,” he added.

The Qatar Research, Development and Innovation (QRDI) Portal is the first of its kind in the region, and provides the country a competitive edge, an official said.“QRDI Portal is a very unique one and the first of its kind in the region that aims to support RDI actors in Qatar to connect and collaborate," said Haytham A Ali, senior information system manager, QRDI Council.Addressing the Qatar Spain Innovation Programme launch event recently, Ali explained that the QRDI Portal provides Qatar a competitive advantage as many countries in the region do not have a similar platform."It is a national platform that provides a quick and easy means to navigate the resources, capabilities and infrastructure present in Qatar’s innovation and research ecosystem.“We have over 2,840 projects in the portal. There are many entities in Qatar who are working on these projects. These entities have over 250 research facilities and these institutions provide over 266 services. They have produced over 11,800 outputs in the form of publications, patents, books among others,” explained, Ali.According to the official, the QRDI Portal offers a unique opportunity for researchers and innovators to browse thousands of assets and leverage shared resources. Leading institutions in Qatar can reach a wider audience, by showcasing their world-class infrastructure and collaborating with emerging talent, government, private businesses and more.Ali said that the geographic size of the country also is a great enabler of the research and innovation in the country. “Since the country is very small, people can reach the institutions at any location quite fast. Moreover, with the state of the art transportation services and infrastructure, it is easy to navigate through any part of the country very fast. All these help the research ecosystem in the country,” he pointed out.QRDI Portal marks an important step in the creation of an open platform that pools resources and sparks synergies. It directly fulfills the vision outlined by the Qatar Second National Development Strategy to create a “shared research database and develop coordination mechanisms to optimise synergies and the use of resources across Qatar’s research entities.” In alignment with this vision, QRDI Council placed ‘RDI Information Systems’ as one of seven RDI transformation elements in its national RDI strategy, QRDI 2030, and embarked on a mission to launch QRDI Portal.The official also noted that QRDI Portal acts as an online network through which anyone can find partners, resources and tools to innovate. Scientists can pioneer groundbreaking studies, engineers can pilot and test technologies, and designers can cut, carve and model their latest fabrications. The extensive and growing catalogue of equipment, facilities and services available on QRDI Portal lends itself to countless applications.The QRDI Council was established in 2018 to drive RDI efforts on a national level in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030 and the Second National Development Strategy (2018-2022). The QRDI Council has developed a ten-year strategy, QRDI 2030, which seeks to create a locally empowered, globally connected RDI ecosystem, mobilising leadership across government, academia and industry, to transform the social and economic future of Qatar.

Spain and Qatar will hold a strategic dialogue sometime towards the end of this year, the Spanish ambassador has said. “Spain and Qatar will hold a strategic dialogue, which is an outcome of the strategic partnership between the two countries. We are working to fix a date for the strategic dialogue and hopefully it will take place sometime before the end of this year. That will be a comprehensive dialogue on various topics, such as politics, economics and social matters,” Spanish envoy Javier Carbajosa Sanchez told Gulf Times.Ambassador Sanchez was speaking to Gulf Times on the sidelines of the launch of the Qatar Spain Innovation Programme between Qatar Research, Development and Innovation (QRDI) Council and the Spanish Centre for the Development of Technology and Innovation, a joint venture between Qatar and Spain for research, development and innovation."We have excellent relations between Qatar and Spain over the past 50 years. We have decided to elevate the rank of our relations to strategic partnership with the visit of the His Highness the Amir last year. The strategic relationship means that we are going to deepen and broaden our collaboration in all fields, especially in the field of innovation and technology,” explained the Spanish envoy.He continued, “The launch of the Qatar-Spain Innovation Programme aims to fund a number of projects both from Qatar and Spain to address a certain number of common issues, such as health, agriculture, public services, energy, etc. It is a joint endeavour and this is the first time that QRDI is doing something with a foreign partner and we feel extremely responsible about it.”The envoy said the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Qatar is very active. “We have 67 Spanish firms working here in Qatar, covering almost every economic sector. We had been very active during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, being involved in the construction of the stadiums, the Doha Metro, among others,” he pointed out.The envoy stressed that Spain is reliable partner of Qatar. “Spain has great expertise in some areas. That can be useful for Qatar in several fields such as agriculture, tourism and environment. We can complement Qatar with several skills, which Qatar already has. We believe that we can be natural partners in some areas of mutual interest,” the ambassador added.

A recent study published on Qscience.com suggests that ChatGPT gets hallucinated and suffers from the artificial intelligence dissociative identity disorder.QScience.com is the innovative and collaborative, peer-reviewed, online publishing platform from Hamad bin Khalifa University Press.The study argues that AI-based systems such as ChatGPT develop multiple identities or personas due to their exposure to different types of data and training. It explores the potential implications and challenges of such a disorder, including ethical concerns, and the need for new regulations and policies in the field of AI.The researcher, Chokri Kooli from the University of Ottawa, Canada, conducted an online exam and was curious to explore whether his students made recourse to ChatGPT to answer the exam questions.As the exam was offered in French, he asked ChatGPT to translate the exam question first to English before answering it. ChatGPT successfully translated and answered the question. Then he inquired if someone else asked chatbot the same question on the day of the exam. The answer of ChatGPT was negative. Then he asked it the same question but including the French version of the exam. By surprise, the provided answer was positive.He further inquired about the number of users that asked the same question on the day of the exam. The system negatively answered the request under the pretext of the impossibility of access to users’ data. So, he changed the format of the question by inquiring if the number of users that asked the same question was greater than 10. By surprise the answer of ChatGPT was positive. Then he understood that the chatbot has access to the answers of users and can generate valuable data about its use.According to the researcher, the phenomenon of contradictious answers and behaviour observed in ChatGPT is similar to dissociative identity disorder in humans, characterised by the presence of multiple distinct states of consciousness or identities. He suggests that if not treated by AI developers, the use of chatbots in critical areas could generate the loss of control on machines and the leaking of critical information.“To keep control over chatbots that use deep learning algorithms, it is important to regularly monitor the chatbot's output and make sure that it aligns with the desired outcomes. Moreover, we need to be certain that chatbots are not exhibiting unexpected or harmful behaviour. This will allow us to identify and correct any errors or biases before they become a problem, visible or uncontrollable,” Kooli suggested.He also noted that developers need to set clear boundaries and constraints on the chatbot's behaviour and decision-making. This will ensure that the chatbot operates within a predefined scope and avoids making decisions that are beyond its capabilities.It is also noted that the mixing of deep learning and machine learning in a chatbot can lead to several ethical challenges. “One of the key ethical challenges is related to privacy. Chatbots that use deep learning and machine learning often rely on collecting large amounts of data from users to improve performance. However, collecting and storing this data can raise privacy concerns, especially if the data is sensitive in nature,” he pointed out.There is a serious ethical challenge related to accountability too. If a chatbot that uses deep learning and machine learning makes a mistake and reveals sensitive data or behaves in an unethical way, it can be difficult to assign responsibility. It is important to ensure that there are mechanisms in place to hold the developers and operators accountable for the chatbot behaviour.The study's limitations however included using only one chatbot – ChatGPT, so the findings are not generalisable to all AI-based chatbots.

A total of 874 Education City graduates –from Qatar Foundation’s (QF) Hamad Bin Khalifa University as well as QF partner universities- celebrated the culmination of years of dedication to knowledge, discovery, and learning in the presence of QF Chairperson Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser at the 2023 convocation ceremony Wednesday.The event at the Qatar National Convention Centre was also attended by QF Vice Chairperson and CEO HE Sheikha Hind bint Hamad al-Thani, several ministers, diplomats, universities presidents, deans, faculty and the families of graduates.The convocation ceremony celebrated students of 77 nationalities – including 313 Qataris – who graduated this year as they walked through the Door to the Future, a traditional convocation moment symbolising the start of the next stage in their journey.HH Sheikha Moza honoured 16 graduates from across Education City who won Al Ihsan awards, recognising their efforts in achieving academic excellence and demonstrating the leadership, innovation, and creativity that allows them to contribute to the world and empower others. HE Sheikha Hind presented each graduate of the Class of 2023 with a special Education City-inspired, Qatar-designed piece of jewellry as a convocation gift.HE the Minister of Education and Higher Education Buthaina bint Ali al-Jabr al-Nuaimi, who attended the convocation ceremony, said: “I congratulate the latest graduates of Qatar Foundation’s ecosystem of education at this very special time in their lives, as they prepare to enter the next stage of their journey.“For so many of these graduates, the next step on their path will see them make valuable contributions to the development of Qatar as they bring their talent into our nation’s workforce. Wherever their life will now take them, I wish every single one of them every success for the future.”The keynote speech at the ceremony was given by Prof Taha Abdurrahman, a visiting professor at several Moroccan universities and president of the Wisdom Forum for Thinkers and Researchers, who described to the Class of 2023 some of the ethics they should demonstrate in making the transition from education to their careers.“The biggest challenge that faces these graduates does not lie exclusively in the transition from studying and training to work, but in the ascension to creativity at work – which happens thanks to what I call ‘entrustment ethics’,” he said.“These ethics are distinguished by two types of moral values. The first type is horizontal values that are limited by the material prospects of the outside world; and the second type is vertical values that go beyond these material prospects.“And since it is inevitable that a graduate who is seeking work will go through the hiring process, there will be, according to entrustment ethics, three horizontal values of this process – choice, responsibility, and utility – and three vertical values, which are goodness, trustworthiness, and wisdom.“This means it is imperative for the graduate to strive to connect these horizontal and vertical values, to be able to ascend to creativity in their work.”The ceremony also featured a performance by the spoken-word poet, Amjad AlNoor, who advocates for preserving the Arabic language through fun, rap-style poetry. The performance involved dialogue between two versions of Amjad and himself, on screen and on stage, where he interpreted QF students’ journey, values, and passion for giving back to their community.Abrar Zuhair al-Taweel, a graduate from the Audiovisual Translation Programme in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences , HBKU spoke about her happiness to be graduating and her dream to pursue a PhD in accessibility.“Since the moment I stepped into Education City, I realised how different the education is. The teaching methods were research and experience-oriented, rather than just being an academic programme where you take notes from lectures. It was very hands on, project-based experience that prepared us to actually join the field, through taking part in accessibility audits, movies translation and subtitling, which all prepared us better for the actual work environment,” she said.“Also, my studies at HBKU and participating in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022’s opening and closing ceremonies as a commentator for the visually impaired audience made me more aware of our social responsibility towards everyone around us. Now I’m planning to pursue a PhD to continue to build on my study in serving the community.”The Class of 2023 joins a network of more than 8,000 QF alumni who have learned and grown within QF’s unique ecosystem, which has provided them with world-class education in fields ranging from medicine, engineering, art and design, communication, and international affairs, to Islamic studies, law and public policy, computing, humanities and social sciences, and business.

Three Weill Cornell Medicine in Qatar (WCM-Q) graduates from the Class of 2023 have highlighted their journey with the university as most fruitful, taking them to certain unique achievements and pinnacles of learning.Muna Almasri said that WCM-Q has provided her the privilege of engaging in clinical and volunteer experiences throughout the world. “My experiences have been vast but as a pre-medical student volunteering in Tanzania, a clerkship in Qatar, and a sub-intern in New York, I have learned an incredible amount about medicine and humanity in the many different pockets of the world.”________________________Read alsoWCM-Q celebrates graduation of Class of 2023________________________She feels that the Match Day was the most important milestone of her medical journey being able to pursue residency training in a dream, as she is excited to be moving to Ann Arbor to join the Adult Neurology residency programme at the University of Michigan.“Though medicine is known to be intensive and demanding, the beauty of WCM-Q is its ability to cultivate a community of diverse, supportive, and like-minded people who push each other toward success.”Almasri has been awarded academic distinction, honours in research; excellence in the Health, Illness and Disease II Course among many other feats. Zainab al-Ansari who has got academic distinction and excellence in psychiatry is looking forward to completing her residency training in psychiatry in New York and come back to Qatar, to help advance the landscape of mental health services in the country.“The last six years have shown me the value of hard work and consistency - the key was not to be an expert in every subject or skill immediately, but to keep trying. I hope to carry this mindset as I move forward in my career. WCM-Q continuously reminds us that we never stop being students, and should always be eager to learn and grow,” said al-Ansari.Khalifa Bshesh, who has academic distinction and honours in research, was of the view that WCM-Q provided him with an outstanding education that prepared him well for a career in medicine. “The rigourous coursework, hands-on clinical experience, and supportive faculty and staff have all contributed to my growth and development as a medical professional. The mentorship I got from Alumni and faculty inspired me to pursue this path that I'm choosing. Most importantly, the supportive environment and culture that the WCM-Q community has cultivated played a great role in enabling my success,” the graduate explained.Bshesh will be starting his residency training in Internal Medicine at Johns Hopkins starting this June for the next three years. “I hope to pursue a fellowship in Cardiology after the completion of my residency training and continue to grow my expertise. I aspire to continue learning and growing my medical knowdlege everday of my career. I would like to become a cardiologist who balances his time between clinical duties, medical education, and research that advances the field,” he added.

With Dr Javaid Sheikh, the dean of Weill Cornell Medicine in Qatar ( WCM-Q) urging the graduates to “make an iron clad commitment to their own physical and emotional wellness to serve the humanity,” the university celebrated the graduation of 42 young doctors, including 12 Qataris, of the Class of 2023 Tuesday at Sheraton Doha in a glittering ceremony.The event was attended by Al Faisal Holding chairman HE Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim al-Thani, HE the Minister of Education and Higher Education Buthaina bint Ali al-Nuaimi, Ministry of Public Health's Public Health director Sheikh Dr Mohammed bin Hamad al-Thani, Cornell University president Dr Martha Pollack, Weill Cornell Medicine interim dean and interim provost Dr Francis Lee and a number of guests including the family and friends of the graduates._______________________________Read alsoWCM-Q graduates highlight their learning journey______________________________Dr Sheikh stated that Education City is widely regarded as the beacon of intellectual achievements, a hotbed of creativity and destination for the realisation of the dreams of many young people."Weill Cornell Medicine in Qatar is proud to be part of this unique enterprise and the scientific renaissance that is blossoming in Qatar which is something to treasure and celebrate. It is therefore a great occasion to celebrate the remarkable leadership of Qatar which has been the guiding force of the Education City,” he told the gathering.Dr Sheikh continued: “Despite the stern challenges posed by the pandemic, you demonstrated determination and steely resolve to continue with your studies – you discovered the spirit of friendship, the power of teamwork, and the ingenuity of new strategies to overcome incredible hurdles. Your burning desire to become truly world-class doctors, to show that medicine is more than just a profession to you – that it is a calling, a dedication to the service of humanity - has been evident to all of us at Weill Cornell Medicine in Qatar.”Dr Sheikh also thanked Qatar Foundation Chairperson Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser and Vice Chairperson and CEO HE Sheikha Hind bint Hamad al-Thani, along with the leadership of Qatar, for providing the essential support and guidance over many years that enables WCM-Q to produce world-class physicians.Keynote speaker Dr Nigel Pereira, an alumnus of WCM-Q Class of 2010, appealed to the graduates to be empathetic in their interactions. He said: “Remember that you have three sets of families: your family of colleagues that surround you today, your WCM-Q family of mentors, and - most importantly - your own family, who will always support you unconditionally.”The student Arabic address was given by Najla Ali al-Eshaq, and the English address by Jungyoon Jung. Khalifa Bshesh recited from the Holy Qur’an.Associate dean for student affairs Dr Sean Holroyd was the macebearer and associate dean for pre-medical education Dr James Roach the university marshal.The graduating class comprises of 23 women and 19 men, aged between 23 and 28, hailing from 13 different countries: Qatar, Canada, Egypt, India, Iran, Jordan, Korea, Lebanon, Pakistan, Palestine, Syria, the UK and the US.Including this year’s graduates, WCM-Q has now produced a total of 546 medical doctors serving patients and pursuing research in leading healthcare institutions in Qatar, the US and all over the world since the college’s inaugural graduation ceremony in 2008.The new doctors will shortly begin the next stage of their careers as they take up residency positions at elite-level healthcare institutions in Qatar and the US, including Hamad Medical Corporation, Yale New Haven Hospital in Connecticut, Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore, Case Western/University Hospital Cleveland, University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor, Massachusetts General Hospital, and New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Centre and Columbia University, among many others.

The Qatar Research, Development, and Innovation (QRDI) Council unveiled the Qatar Spain Innovation Programme (QASIP), a joint venture between Qatar and Spain for research, development, and innovation (RDI) initiatives, in collaboration with the Spanish Centre for the Development of Technology and Innovation (CDTI).The launch of the first bilateral innovation programme in Qatar took place Tuesday, with attendees including Spanish ambassador Javier Carbajosa Sanchez, QRDI Council secretary general Omar Ali al-Ansari, and national and international stakeholders and high-ranking officials from RDI institutions in Qatar.Addressing the gathering, al-Ansari, said: "In May 2022, the QRDI Council signed MoUs with esteemed partners, fostering stronger linkages between Qatar and Spain in technological and science-led innovation as part of His Highness the Amir’s official visit to Spain. An MoU with the Ministry of Science and Innovation and CDTI ere signed."The Qatar Spain Innovation Programme aims to connect Qatari and Spanish businesses to develop cutting-edge solutions, bringing together the brightest minds and innovation talent from both countries."“This collaboration is an excellent example of the robust and friendly bilateral relations between Spain and Qatar. The launch of this programme is the convergence of several factors as the private sectors from both the countries will play the pivotal role in the collaboration. This is a partnership that will lay the foundation of future for many things for the countries,” said ambassador Sanchez.QASIP is a joint funding programme supporting collaborative research and development projects adhering to the highest international standards. The programme invites proposals for joint research and development projects across all fields, prioritising energy, health, resource sustainability, and digital technology. QASIP's primary goal is to bolster innovation led by Qatari companies and attract relevant talent, as well as to foster collaborative projects involving entities from both Qatar and Spain.The funding programme results from a fruitful collaboration between the QRDI Council and CDTI, following a Memorandum of Understanding signed between Qatar and Spain in 2022 to promote joint endeavours in research and innovation. The programme seeks to exchange knowledge and scientific and technological expertise, fortify institutional capacities for the national innovation system, expand the RDI community and technology-based startups, and strengthen innovation partnerships between relevant parties in Qatar and Spain.Entities interested in submitting their proposals may complete their applications on the QRDI Portal from May 26 to September 7, 2023. Initial feedback will be provided by September 21, 2023, with final awards announced in February 2024. Awarded projects will receive joint funding from QRDI Council in Qatar and CDTI in Spain, with each project garnering up to QR 1,500,000 annually for up to three years and utilised exclusively within Qatar.

Qatar is the third fastest rising country in innovation in the Global Innovation Index of 2022, highlighted a top official Tuesday.“Qatar has gone up several places in the global innovation Index and currently is the third fastest rising country in the global Innovation Index of 2022,” said Omar Ali al-Ansari, secretary general of the QRDI Council. He was speaking to the media on the sidelines of the launch of Qatar-Spain Innovation Programme (QASIP).“This is because Qatar has a lot of the ingredients in place to promote innovation. QRDI provides the strategy and various other supporting agencies play an important role. Agencies such as Qatar Development Bank, Investment Promotion Agency, QSTP, Freezones and the strong academic research institutes play an important role resulting in Qatar becoming a fast rising nation in innovation in the global innovation index,” explained al-Ansari.The official also highlighted that this was the first bilateral innovation programme in Qatar. “It is one of a kind of collaboration and it is the first time such a vehicle is used to incentivise the private sector capability and talent in Qatar,” he continued.“QASIP comes in line with the two Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by Qatar with Spain last year. The MoUs were signed with the Ministry of Innovation and Science as well as with the Centre of Technology Development and Innovation, Spain. We worked with them to translate these programmes into practical programmes as Qatar Spain Innovation programme” pointed out al-Ansari.He stated that the whole point of the bilateral innovation programme is to join the Qatari companies with Spanish companies in the field of innovation to address some of the common challenges of both the countries and shared interest to solve these challenges.“We are doing it by enabling the innovation in the private sector from both the sides to become the spearheads of these programme. We are putting the private sector at the forefront and supporting and incentivising them, pool the resources together and solve the common challenges,” he noted.“We have various challenges where innovation play a major role. It could be food security, water security, precision medicine, energy efficiency among others. So we have a lot of common issues and we will try to solve them through innovation. We are aligning together on the challenges common to both the countries. The private sector can leverage the infrastructure from the academic institutions by making use of their talents and labs or other facilities,” added al-Ansari.

Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) has plans to expand its evening clinic services, a senior official of the organisation has said."We opened the evening clinics last week at the Ambulatory Care Center ( ACC). And, as the second phase of the expansion, we have opened the services at the Bone and Joint Center. We have plans to expand the services at other centres and areas, too, and the decisions will be taken at the appropriate time,” said Nasser al-Naimi, deputy chief, Quality for Centre for Patient Experience and Staff Engagement, and director of Hamad Healthcare Quality Institute, HMC..text-box { float:right; width:450px; padding:10px; border:1pt solid black; margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 20px;}@media only screen and (max-width: 767px) {.text-box {width: 65%;}}Appointment booking decentralisedIn order to expedite appointments at various hospitals under Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), a decentralised system has been set up, Nasser al-Naimi, deputy chief, Quality for Centre for Patient Experience and Staff Engagement, and director of Hamad Healthcare Quality Institute, told Qatar TV yesterday. "Each hospital now has its own team for referrals and booking appointments, instead of the earlier centralised facility, and the decentralisation has improved communication with doctors, executives of outpatient clinics and also hospital administration," he explained.The decision was taken after studying the problem of transfers and booking appointments, added al-Naimi.Al-Naimi was speaking to the media on the occasion of the opening of evening clinics at the Bone and Joint Center of HMC Sunday.“We will be expanding the clinics and this is only the beginning of the expansion of evening clinics. HE the Minister of Public Health has taken special interest in the improvement of the services for patients and it will be a continuous process in many areas and specialties,” he noted.“During the first 90 days we expect to serve 10,000 people at ACC while the Bone and Joint Center evening clinics are expected to serve 13,000 during the same period with specialties in orthopaedics. Every week we plan to see 1,000 patients at this centre," he continued.Al-Naimi also said many specialties are in big demand, such as dentistry and physiotherapy, among others, and there are plans to expand the services gradually into all these areas.The official noted that the evening clinics are definitely having an impact in terms of reducing the waiting list of patients. “Serving 1,000 people a week at evening clinics here will have a great impact on cutting the waiting list of patients in these departments. Several people have been waiting for sometime - like four to six months - and it will greatly help reduce the waiting list. It is quite early to see the trend but after one to two months we will publish the real statistics,” he said.Al-Naimi pointed out that one concern is the number of no-shows. “One major concern is in the utilisation of the clinics as we saw at the ACC last week. We had about 20 to 22 no-shows in the clinics. Opening evening clinics is like providing premium services. Somebody not showing up affects everyone and spoils the opportunities of others. So, this week we have done overbooking by 20%. If you have an appointment and are unable to go, please inform the call centre and change or cancel the appointment, so that others can get the benefit," he appealed to patients.Meanwhile, Dr Ahmad Mehzar Alsaadi, orthopaedic specialist at the Bone and Joint Center, said the evening clinics will be operational from Sunday to Wednesday.“We have clinics from Sunday to Wednesday. There are 22 clinics and four of them are specialising in trauma and fractures. Other 18 are sub-specialties in orthopaedics such as spine, paediatrics, oncology, knee and hips, among others. Depending on the number of people and the demand for more services, we will think of expanding the services to other days, too,” Dr Alsaadi added.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) could be the biggest game changer in cancer treatment in the coming years, according to a leading expert in the field.“Like in all spheres of life, AI will be a reality in the early detection of cancer. It will be a boon for low and middle-income countries with an acute shortage of trained staff, while trust and accountability in data sharing are the issues to be resolved,” said Dr Partha Basu, head of the Early Detection, Prevention and Infections Branch at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC/WHO)._____________________________Read also:UDST, QCS hold international conference on cancer screening and prevention_____________________________Meanwhile, Dr Michael Philips, director, Applied Research Innovation and Economic Development Directorate, University of Doha for Science and Technology (UDST), spoke about the role of the university in building capacity for cancer risk reduction and screening through technology.He said: “UDST's research infrastructure and diverse academic programmes contribute to capacity building for cancer risk reduction and screening through technology. As disruptive technologies have significantly impacted cancer treatment, there is a need for greater collaboration with various stakeholders.”Quoting Dr Abdullatif al-Khal, deputy chief medical officer and director of the Department of Medical Education at Hamad Medical Corporation, Dr Philips said there is great potential for the Qatar research community to contribute to global health and national health policy if everyone works collectively.The officials were speaking at the international conference on ‘Technological Innovations for Cancer Screening and Prevention’, organised by UDST in collaboration with Qatar Cancer Society.Explaining the advancements made by technology in medicine and the new developments in cancer treatment, Dr Basu noted that there should not be any biases while dealing with data for AI.“AI has to be applied without any biases. It might increase inequities in healthcare if biases are not addressed appropriately. Many implementation issues need to be considered in making use of the technology,” Dr Basu noted.He also pointed out that AI innovations have to be accelerated to better detect and treat different types of cancer and several such gadgets are already available currently. These all will help fight cancer in a big way.“Most of the works and experiments in AI are going on in Europe, North America and Australia, as these places have invested very heavily in developing AI-based diagnosis. Unfortunately, in most of the Asian or African countries it is not happening. So, we need to come together and form a coalition with anonymous data and images maintaining appropriate laws in data protection. It is a challenge but we are trying to do something,” he stated.Dr Philips pointed out that digital and disruptive technologies are showing the way forward in cancer detection and treatment, and they are being used in healthcare practices across the world.“There are three aspects to be taken note of. One is Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, which are making significant impact in the healthcare practices. The second one is the use of 3D printing, which has helped in the diagnosis of diseases in a big way. Finally, Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality are also major digital tools in healthcare,” he explained.Dr Philips highlighted the recent developments in cancer detection and treatment with the help of AI and the likely upcoming treatment options in cancer treatment such as cancer vaccines. He also spoke about the various research programmes, initiatives and training sessions held by UDST in this regard.

The Organisation for Environmental Education and Protection (OpEPA), one of the 2023 World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) Awards finalists, is focusing on reconnecting the children and youngsters to the nature to build more sustainable communities.Headquartered in Bogota, Columbia, the OpEPA, has been focusing on this theme since 1998 through nature-based and regenerative education, heritage interpretation and social weaving, with a regenerative approach to cultural, social, economic and environmental dimensions.WISE, the global education initiative of Qatar Foundation, recently announced the 12 finalists for the WISE Awards 2023 and the final six projects will be announced in September. The WISE Awards winners will be celebrated at the global summit to be held in November this year.OpEPA has so far implemented projects and activities in 26 of the 32 departments in the country, in four work fields: nature-based education, nature tourism, regenerative cultures and planetary limits: climate change, biodiversity loss, land and water use.The programme has so far benefited over 140,000 in Columbia with a geographical reach in Columbia, US, Peru, Costa Rica and Chile. It aims to on reconnecting children, youth and people to nature and earth to build more sustainable, regenerative and peaceful communities.The programme has the city-wide Biodivercity Nature-Based Education Networks which are spaces for integration and active collaboration between schools and local actors to appropriate green spaces and create nature-based learning communities. Their origin began in 2015 with the creation of Red de Colegios Cerros de Bogotá, a school network with active collaboration between 101 public and private educational institutions and eight organisation allies. It promotes the appropriation of the Eastern Hills, a strategic ecosystem through Nature-Based Education (NBE).Luis Camargo, founder and director of OpEPA, is working to strengthen bioregional transitions to regenerative cultures. According to the organisation, “We replicated the model with the Ministry of Environment as our implementation partner in 13 'biodivercities' throughout Colombia. In this process, we created 13 city nature-based networks that connected 145 schools and 460 teachers using in-person capacity-building workshops, online education programmes, and network weaving.”The nature-based school networks focuses on consolidating a learning community with citizenship skills that promote harmonising the people and nature relationship, allowing them to become planetary stewards and ensuring social wellbeing. It also favours the positioning of students and teachers as multipliers of good practices and ethical behaviour to face environmental and social challenges.By involving many students from different socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds in the city, the network promotes equity and inclusion while developing environmental stewardship skills of students and communities. Furthermore, the network uses the city’s natural ecosystems as a learning environment, where collaborative conservation projects are designed and implemented.The key impact of the project is the activation of diverse learning communities around NBE and the appropriation of green spaces in and surrounding the cities. In the future, OpEPA aim to expand this initiative as the key educational component of the Biodivercities model in Latin America and worldwide. The organisation’s final goal is to activate cities globally to become nature-based learning cities and inspire learning communities to embrace nature as a key learning environment for all subjects.Each year, the WISE Awards recognise and promote six successful and innovative projects that are addressing global educational challenges. Since 2009, WISE has received more than 5,300 applications from over 151 countries. 90 projects have been awarded, from a wide variety of sectors and locations for their innovation, positive contribution and ability to adapt and scale.

The World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) has announced the 2023 WISE Emerging Leaders (WEL) cohort, comprising 15 women and men from 12 different countries, representing diverse backgrounds and disciplines.Selected fellows include young professionals from organisations from the wider WISE community and social innovators actively engaged in delivering or designing education initiatives within their organisation or networks. The WEL community is now made up of over 70 young leaders in education, with the programme in its fifth consecutive year.Members of the 2023 WEL cohort are: Alejandra Ycaza ( Latin America); Amanda Abrom (US), David Timis (Belgium), Emi Koch (Peru), Guillermo Delso Segovia (Spain), Jazz Sethi (India), Madeleine Ross (Canada), Manshvi Palan (India), Marie Voisin (France); Mohamad Said (Lebanon), Natalie Delille (US), Nyagaki Gichia (Kenya), Zubair Junjunia (UK), Olivia Fossali (UK) and Uriel Kejsefman (Argentina).WEL is a nine-month fellowship programme for the next generation of leaders in education who wish to embark on a learning journey that cultivates the mindsets, skills, and techniques necessary to thrive, nurture communities, and transform education systems. It is now entering its fifth consecutive year.In a time when education is disrupted by multiple crises such as the Covid-19 pandemic, the burnout epidemic, and the ecological collapse, WISE believes it is ever more important to create stimulating and nourishing spaces for education leaders to come together, connect meaningfully, learn with each other, and collaborate for collective impact. Transforming education systems requires change at the structural and systemic levels, but also at the intrapersonal and interpersonal levels. Leaders who lead with self-awareness, compassion, and creativity, who cultivate their own and their team’s wellbeing, and who weave people and projects together are leaders who can spark innovation and systemic change.The WEL Fellowship brings together 15–20 carefully selected young leaders in education from around the world in a hybrid format consisting of in-person residential sessions, a series of online workshops with education experts, a number of asynchronous reflective blog posts, a concrete project to apply in their organizations, and tailored mentoring support to develop their project.WISE, the global education initiative of Qatar Foundation, will hold its biennial summit in Doha on November 28 and 29 this year.

The Education City Tram will start a third line –Green - by the second quarter of 2023, expanding the network’s capacity and routes and connecting several important locations, Gulf Times has learnt.The Education City Tram has so far transported more than one million passengers safely and efficiently to various locations within Qatar Foundation ( QF) since its launch some two and half years ago.The proposed Green line, will include stops such as Sidra Medicine and Qatar National Conventional Centre (QNCC), QF has said in a statement.The Education City Tram is a pioneering transport system that has brought a new form of sustainable travel to Qatar and elevated the nation’s profile as a nerve centre of innovation.“It's a tremendous accomplishment for the tram system to have transported over one million passengers,” said Hamad al-Kuwari, executive director of City Operations at Qatar Foundation (QF).“The fact that the tram network has safely and efficiently transported more than one million passengers demonstrates its effectiveness as a convenient and reliable mode of transportation for many people, while also contributing to the reduction of traffic congestion and air pollution in Education City specifically and in Qatar in general.”“To accommodate the increasing number of passengers now and in the future, the Education City Tram must have efficient scheduling, sufficient infrastructure, effective passenger flow management, regular maintenance, and continuous investment, all of which are essential from an operational standpoint to ensure the system is safe and dependable for its users,” continued al-Kuwari.Aligning with QF’s sustainability goals, the tram network currently has 24 stops across two lines, yellow and blue, connecting various academic campuses and research centres, as well as public spaces like the Green Spine and sporting facilities including the Education City Stadium.The 19 state-of-the-art Avenio trams have an onboard energy-storing system that removes the need for overhead power cables, allowing them to travel from one stop to the next without charging, providing an environmentally friendly alternative for commuters within QF and helping to reduce Education City’s carbon footprint. On average, it carries 3,000 passengers daily.During the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, the tram also played a key role in facilitating the fans’ journey to the Education City Stadium, with ridership increasing to an average of 9,000 passengers on match days – with trams arriving at two-minute intervals.Al-Kuwari noted that operating a tram network isn’t free of challenges and called on visitors’ cooperation to keep accidents at bay. “The challenges of operating the tram are handled daily by qualified engineers, yet it requires Education City visitors to join hands with QF’s City Operations to avoid traffic violations in the tram crossing areas on the streets,” he added.Supporting Qatar’s overarching sustainability goals, the tram makes QF a more environmentally friendly, interconnected, and accessible environment, as well as provides a travel option that aims to reduce vehicle use and emissions within and around QF. It gives users new opportunities for social interaction while educating them about the importance of sustainable transport, and the health benefits that result from using alternative modes of travel.

The Indian Cultural Centre (ICC), under the aegis of the Indian embassy in Qatar, is planning to launch several new initiatives, such as setting up a job portal and organising a job fair. Shedding light on these initiatives, ICC president Manikantan A P said at a press conference Saturday: “We will be launching new ICC clubs in various fields, annual competitions for different segments of the community, as well as a job portal and a job fair. We are also planning to launch a mobile application for ICC in addition to a privilege card for ICC members and the members of affiliated organisations."“There are a lot of people looking for jobs and there are employers who are looking for qualified hands to fill in the vacancies in their companies. ICC, through the job portal and job fair, aims to connect the employers and employees, which will benefit each other. Details of the job fair and job portal will be announced after receiving the necessary approvals from various departments,” he explained.The ICC president said the organisation is planning to revamp clubs, such as the Literature, Science and Mathematics, Photography, Students and Environment clubs, to promote quality and artistic renewal. The teams shall work "towards preserving our cultural heritage and showcasing the same towards others", ICC said in a statement.The Literature Clubs will encourage students to study and familiarise themselves with their language, and cultivate interest in them to know more about literature, poetry, and other linguistic applications for specific languages. The Science and Mathematics Club will enable students to know more about innovation, new applications, technological enhancements and scientific research, which will enhance their scientific acumen beyond curricular boundaries.The ICC Photography Club is based on the idea of photographers getting together to share tips, techniques and camaraderie. The main motive of the ICC Film Club is to create a platform for people with the common interest for quality classic films.According to Manikantan, one major initiative will be to conduct competitions and events to reach out to more members of the community in Qatar. “The competitions shall be classified into inter-school competitions for students, inter-affiliated organisations of ICC, and inter-camp competitions for blue collar workers,” he noted.ICC will also be launching a mobile application soon so that the community can get all the updates instantly. “Through the ICC mobile app, we are planning to reach out to the Indian community members to provide all the updates at ICC. Members who download the mobile app will be aware of the consular services and get the updated details of ICC programmes and events,” he concluded.