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Doha Modern Indian School (DMIS) recently conducted its 17th Taleb Scholarship and Special Award ceremony virtually. Eleven students were given the Taleb Scholarship amount for their academic excellence and consistency in their respective grades. The chief guest for the virtual award ceremony was Sachin Dinkar, first secretary (Culture and Education), embassy of India. He addressed the virtual community and congratulated the winners and awardees for their accomplishments and urged the youngsters to imbibe the solemnity of India's Constitution and be the powerful bearers of Indian culture and tradition. The function was further graced by the presence of Jayshanker Pillai, the director of Schools, who expressed his high regard for all the winners of the day. The virtual ceremony was also attended by other distinguished invitees of Taleb Group, parents, staff and well-wishers. The ceremony had a special mention for Hamdan Abdul Vahab of Grade XII as the Best All Rounder of the Year (2020-21) and Vaishak Manoj Menon of Grade XII as the winner of the Taleb Award for the most Socially Empowered Youth of the Year (2020-21). The welcome address was delivered by the principal of DMIS, Padmini Venkatesh, and the winners were announced by academic co-ordinator Elizabeth Dominic. The function concluded with the vote of thanks by assistant principal Ursula Sabu.    

A group of Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q) faculty members examined the notion of the Global South and its contemporary implications on scholarly research, journalistic practices, teaching and the world at large at an event hosted by the Institute for Advanced Study in the Global South (#IAS_NUQ). In introducing the event, Marwan M Kraidy, dean and founder of the institute, noted that the institute’s mission is “to forge multidisciplinary and multimodal approaches to knowledge on the Global South by harnessing traditions from the liberal arts, media, communication and journalism,” and that this event with NU-Q faculty is “an open invitation to engage, deliberate, and collaborate about what the Global South means”. The first event in the institute’s Critical Conversations series was moderated by Krishna Sharma, president of the Northwestern Qatar student body. The panel featured Professors Banu Akdenizli, James Hodapp and Marcela Pizarro. In her comments, Akdenizli challenged the neoliberal understanding of the Global South and made a case to examine the notion beyond the binary divisions of South and North. Instead, she offered to look at the Global South as an “imagined transnational community, which is about challenging dominant voices of the world, especially in politics, and trying to formulate some alternatives to the existing status quo”. Akdenizli also stressed the need to examine the Global South as as notion at the national and regional levels. “Inequality is not just between countries,” said Akdenizli, calling for scholars to examine inequalities between and within communities and arguing for a new understanding of the Global South centered on communities’ issues and struggles. Hodapp, whose research focuses on African, world and postcolonial literature, examined the history of the Global South as a notion and experience and its relevance to communities across the world. “The notion of the Global South has a genealogy, and there are many ways to construct that genealogy,” noted Hodapp. “One of the most important ways to construct that is its relation to notions such as post-nationalism, cosmopolitanism, and related concepts like Afropolitanism.” For academics and scholars researching cultural, economic and political inequalities beyond state-centric forms, Hodapp said this unconfined thinking about the Global South “enacts South-South comparison as lateral solidarities, as a conceptual framework to address places and people negatively impacted by capitalist globalisation, both in the past, such as colonialism, and present”. Drawing from her Chilean family’s experience with displacement and her career as an international journalist, Pizarro explained how the Global South informs her work in the university and the newsroom. “It's a useful compass,” said Pizarro, “it keeps me on my feet in the classroom, in the newsroom, on the picket line and the edit, at the protest, and on this academic panel.” Critical Conversations is a series of events under the auspices of the newly-launched Institute for Advanced Study in the Global South. Through a variety of similar events and programmes, the institute aims to amplify faculty and students’ scholarship and media-making and to produce and promote evidence-based storytelling focused on the media history, culture and societies of the Global South.

DPS-Modern Indian School's Publication Club has conducted the first ever blogging workshop via Zoom. ‘Blogging 101: The Ultimate Guide to Writing Online’, was for the students of Grades VI to X and part of the workshop series called ‘Educate’. After a brief introduction, the workshop defined blogging in the contemporary world and its purpose, the first steps to take in a blogging journey, and provided marketing strategies to promote and advertise a blog. The event ended with a competitive quiz. At the end, the attendees also received a planning sheet and content calendar as motivation to give a head start to their creative skills. The session was facilitated by Azhar Jaleel Muhammed (10-C), Anika Sahana (10-B) and Daiwik Dhar (9-D). There are plans to host more such workshops on a monthly basis to help aspiring writers access and enjoy the best of blogging. Smita Garg, publication club in-charge oversaw the workshop attended by about 30 students.

Shahan Mohamed from Class II-L of MES Indian School won the title of ‘Maximum logos identified by a kid in one minute’ in a contest conducted by the India Book of Records.    By virtue of his awe-inspiring memory, Shahan identified a "record" 104 logos of e-commerce, vehicles, social media, food brands, football clubs and other brands in one minute, and thus earned a place in the India Book of Records. The contest was conducted online and the skills of the contestants were acknowledged based on the verification done by the Editorial Board of India Book of Records.  He also achieved the title of ‘Grand Master’ in the Asia Book of Records in the upcoming edition of the same.  Shahan accomplished the feat at the age of six years, 10 months and 30 days, as confirmed on December 9, 2021, by the India Book of Records.  Hailing from the southern Indian state of Kerala, Shahan started showing signs of interest in memorising and identifying different things at an early age. His parents spotted his exceptional interest and motivated him to enhance his special aptitude. Besides representing the school in various interschool quiz competitions, he has also excelled in academics. The school management and the principal felicitated Shahan for his achievement.  “It is indeed a proud moment for MES Indian School, as the child has exuded confidence and won the amazing title in style,” said the school principal, Hameeda Kadar, congratulating the winner for his achievement.

Dana Ashraf, a XI grader of MES Indian School has had the distinction of getting her short story, ‘The Sequined Kidnapping’ featured in the book ‘Imprints of Life’ released by Katara Publishing House at the Doha International Book Fair 2022. Her work was selected from an on-the-spot writing contest, participated by hundred students from schools across Qatar. Dana Ashraf was one of the top winners, and among the privileged four who got selected for a photo session, a statement from the school said.  

With an objective to motivate students to face exams and provide guidance in the selection of their career path, the Department of Guidance and Counselling of MES Indian School organised 'Success Mantra,' an online session for the students of Classes 9 and 11. Principal Hameeda Kadar, also a counsellor of the Central Board of Secondary Education, in her inaugural address, emphasised the importance of exploring further options, understanding the competitive world, and building a dream career. Student counsellors Jisha A G and Fathima Samar briefed students on how to tackle exam stress and provided tips to enhance their confidence level. Career selection, planning, common entrance tests, requirements for applying to different colleges, and the necessity of registering in the CBSE career portal etc, were taken up for discussion during the session. School officials, class teachers, parents, and students attended the event.    

Toastmasters International Division G of District 116, Qatar conducted its eighth TLI training session online recently, on how to establish a free website for the clubs in TI domain and familiarised the club leaders on the usage of EasySpeak app to prepare the meeting agendas. In the first session on EasySpeak, tech expert Kit Barritt from London demonstrated on how to use the tool and offered user-friendly suggestions to reap the maximum benefit from it. In the second segment on Free Toasthost, web developer and designer Kumaran demonstrated on how to create a website for the clubs in TI domain.    

MES Indian School conducted an intra-school online Spelling Bee Contest recently. The chief guest, principal Hameeda Kadar complimented the participants for their high degree of enthusiasm in providing the accurate spelling for the words asked. There were three rounds - visual, option and audio. The first and the second positions were secured by Qasim (VI) and Rehaan Mohamed (VI), respectively. The final round for the third position ended with a tie with three students heading for a tie-breaker - the rapid-fire round in which all three contestants scored the same points. Reyhan Salim (V), Mohamed Muaaz (VI), Janice (VI) shared the third position. The programme was co-ordinated by Fiona D’Cruz, and Teena Baisel under the guidance of boys' section headmaster Jas M A, girls' section headmistress Souda Jaleel, and Department of English co-ordinators D A S Rex and Rameesh Fatima. Students were trained by the teachers of the Department of English, namely Mary Sini, Neethu P and Rizwa Fatima. Byju Varghese, Department of English was the spell master. School officials, teachers and students attended the event.    

Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), part of Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), recently conducted its first School Internship Programme for grade 12 and 13 students from Doha British School (DBS) and the American School of Doha (ASD). The programme enabled aspiring scientists to learn more about the innovative work QBRI does and offered hands-on research experience. The programme was part of the institute’s capacity-building initiatives to attract the next generation to the research field. Seven students joined the programme for two weeks and were able to gain valuable insights into topics such as stem cells, diabetes, and neurological disorders. The initiative was supervised by researchers from two QBRI research centers - the Neurological Disorder Research Center and the Diabetes Research Center. Students were taught about stem cells, pancreatic β cell differentiation, biochemical assays, protein expression, protein purification, anatomy of the brain, cell culture, molecular genetics, and neuroinflammatory. In addition to hands-on research experiences at QBRI’s advanced laboratories, Dr. Nishant Vaikath, research associate, gave the students a session titled “Tools for Efficient Scientific Literature Search - Basics”. Lina Hassna, programmes and partnerships senior manager at QBRI, said: “This programme is one of our key capacity-building initiatives for youth in Qatar. We aim to help students attain hands-on experience while working closely with a group of experienced scientists”. Mariam al-Haggan, a student at DBS, said: “This was a valuable and amazing learning experience for me. I was mentored by two scientists from QBRI, who explained the equipment we worked with, and provided hands-on training while learning about stem cell differentiation and working with proteins.” Home to three research centers – the Translational Cancer and Immunity Center, the Diabetes Research Center, and the Neurological Disorders Research Center – QBRI aligns with the Qatar National Research Strategy and Qatar National vision 2030, aiming to the development of human capital. Through its ongoing outreach initiatives, the institute seeks to promote innovative research among the wider community and nurture a passion for seeking out novel solutions to prevalent diseases in Qatar and the region.    

A storytelling session was conducted at DPS Modern Indian School for the Preparatory Class on the Zoom platform. The tiny tots participated enthusiastically by narrating their favourite stories while emphasising a specific moral value with captivating props, voice modulation and impressive expression.    

With an objective to motivate students to face exams and provide guidance in the selection of their career path, the Department of Guidance and Counselling of MES Indian School organised 'Success Mantra,' an online session for the students of Classes 9 and 11. Principal Hameeda Kadar, also a counsellor of the Central Board of Secondary Education, in her inaugural address, emphasised the importance of exploring further options, understanding the competitive world, and building a dream career. Student counsellors Jisha A G and Fathima Samar briefed students on how to tackle exam stress and provided tips to enhance their confidence level. Career selection, planning, common entrance tests, requirements for applying to different colleges, and the necessity of registering in the CBSE career portal etc, were taken up for discussion during the session. School officials, class teachers, parents, and students attended the event.

MES Indian School celebrated World Hindi Day with an objective to enhance the level of students’ confidence and ability to express fluently in the national language. Various competitions such as recitation for the students of Grades 5 & 6 and elocution contest for Grades 7 & 8 were conducted on the Zoom platform. Principal Hameeda Kadar, in her inaugural address, urged students to use Hindi effectively and pointed out the significance and the popularity of the language. Noman Salim (6-B), Darshan Vilas (6-C) and Ayaan Suraj (5-D) won the first, second and third positions, respectively, in recitation in the boys’ category. Safa Shaikh (5-H), Reena Sophia (6-H) and Aanya Shrivastav (6-O) secured the first, second and third positions, respectively, in recitation in the girls’ category. Mohd Sabir Hussain (7-E), Aarif Mohd (7-A) and Syed Dawar (8-E) won the first, second and third positions, respectively, in elocution in the boys’ category and Navika Gauba (7-Q) and Merin Elza (8-Q) secured the first and second positions, respectively, in elocution in the girls’ category. Raseen Roshan (5-E) and Aimee Ann Gigi (8-K) presented Hindi songs on the occasion. The event was conducted under the supervision of Renuka G and Rajendran S, co-ordinators of the Department of Hindi. Vedha Virender Redkar of Grade 7 welcomed the gathering and Mohamed Saif Raza of Grade 8 proposed the vote of thanks.    

Pak Shama School recently held a weeklong teacher orientation session. Principal Nabila Kaukab organised the event on student empowerment and student learning outcomes (SLOs). The first day of the session began with an overview of the value of teachers in society, emphasising that teachers serve a critical role in society, particularly in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, when students are unable to attend school on a regular basis. Classroom elements CPPL (Content, Process, Product and Learning) environment were introduced. The content involves the curriculum, the information learned, the standards and skills being taught. The process involves the activities through which students learn the content. Product is the outcome of students implementing different projects. Principal Kaukab discussed how the learning environment affects students' attention and focus, fosters meaningful learning experiences, supports greater levels of student achievement, and encourages students to develop higher-level critical thinking abilities. A brief conversation on SLOs was also done with the mentors, with emphasis on how to achieve long-term academic goals. On the second day, different physical and online teaching strategies were taught. In physical teaching strategies, information regarding visualisation, co-operative learning, inquiry-based instruction, differential, reciprocal teaching and classroom behaviour management were given. In online teaching strategies, Gamify Learning, use of graphics for pre-recorded lectures and flipped classroom strategies were discussed. On the third day, principal Kaukab introduced treatment and enrichment plan, and made it as the part of curriculum to achieve the mission of the school. She advised teachers to identify the strengths and weakness of students, and that syllabus is divided into different elements to improve learning skills. She informed the staff that the purpose of the enrichment plan is to provide extended learning opportunities and challenges to students, and to give opportunities to study the concept with greater depth. On the fourth day, guidelines on different assessment methods, such as formative assessment, summative assessment, peer assessment and authentic assessment were introduced so that mentors could easily determine students’ interest. The last day saw teachers' file management. Mentors were divided into different groups and subject-wise and their files were reviewed by head of wings Irum Attique, Shoaib Asghar, Azhar, Summrah Sinkandar, Akram and Maqsood under the observation of the principal.    

Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q),which graduated its first class in 2012, is celebrating its alumni to mark the 10-year anniversary. Since its founding in 2008 in partnership with the Qatar Foundation, NU-Q has graduated more than 500 alumni who work in media, journalism, government, business and higher education. “Northwestern opened its doors in Qatar with a mission to train the next generation of media and communication professionals in the region, and, after a decade of leading the way, our success is embodied in our alumni who are leading not only in media and communication but business, government and higher education,” said Marwan M Kraidy, dean and CEO of NU-Q. “I am so proud of our alumni for making a difference wherever they are, by contributing to the production of knowledge, and crafting the narratives of events, people, and brands.” An alumni-focused website was launched to document alumni achievements. Diversity of thought, critical perspective and unforgettable experiences are among the shared sentiments expressed by alumni reflecting on their NU-Q experience. With the majority of alumni employed, and close to one-third pursuing higher education, alumni also shared the effect that NU-Q had on their professional and personal lives. “The people I met at NU-Q made all the difference in my life. They pushed me, yes, they challenged me — but most importantly, they believed in me and made me believe in myself,” said Dana Atrach ’13, now an assistant professor at NU-Q. In keeping with the legacy, Atrach now pushes her students to achieve greatness, “I want them to believe that there’s nothing they can’t do. I want them to keep exploring until they find what makes them happy. I want them to break free from the pressures and expectations that are being thrown at them and to find their own voice and to go at their own pace,” she added. Reflecting on the impact NU-Q had on her personal and professional life, Zena Tahhan ’15 said, “NU-Q sharpened my research, creative and critical thinking skills. My professors pushed me to expand my horizon, deepen my analysis of complex social and political issues, and believe in myself — and they consistently supported me with the expertise, tools and resources to do so.” Now a Human Rights Researcher in Jerusalem, Tahhan added, “the foundation I obtained at Northwestern University in Qatar has been a reference point not just for my work but for my life.” In highlighting the important role alumni play as part of the NU-Q community, Alex Schultes, assistant dean for the student experience, said, “we strive to foster lifelong connections, exciting events, and rewarding networking opportunities for our graduates. Throughout this year, we look forward to reconnecting with alumni and expanding their career networks through new virtual initiatives like a renewed online alumni directory and a private LinkedIn alumni group.”

Pak Shamaa School's (PSS) sport department organised a cricket court outing for Grade 4 girls. The field trip, was part of the Qatar Cricket Association (QCA) arranged CRIIIO entry-level programme and the venue was the Asian Town Cricket Stadium. QCA members taught the students various types of cricket skills such as hand-eye co-ordination and batting technique, hand-eye co-ordination with throwing and catching, bowling technique (fast, swing and spin), fielding and wicket-keeping. The children were supervised by staff members Nazia Nazir and Rasha Ansari.

MES Indian School recently organised a Winter Recreation Day-Camp. The activities included a talent show, science and mathematics in daily life, fireless cooking as well as art and craft, The Colours of Science, crafty wonder, virtual tour, New Year card-making, Pictionary, one minute challenge, memory game, news reporting, clay modelling and Origami. On the occasion, children were shown stories and videos about the season emphasising the importance of caring, sharing and spreading goodness. The little ones of the KG Section made penguin puppets using hand-shaped cutouts and danced to the winter song with their puppets.

MES Indian School recently organised a Winter Recreation Day-Camp. The activities included a talent show, science and mathematics in daily life, fireless cooking as well as art and craft, The Colours of Science, crafty wonder, virtual tour, New Year card-making, Pictionary, one minute challenge, memory game, news reporting, clay modelling and Origami. On the occasion, children were shown stories and videos about the season emphasising the importance of caring, sharing and spreading goodness. The little ones of the KG Section made penguin puppets using hand-shaped cutouts and danced to the winter song with their puppets.

Karthika Mahesh, Varsha S Menon, Krishnendhu Venugopal, Krishna Ashok and Sanjay Shaji of MES Indian School won prizes among the top 10 slots in the 13th edition of the Faber Castell Spectra International 2021, conducted online by the Indian Community Relief Fund (ICRF), Bahrain recently. Karthika Mahesh (Class XI) won the first prize in Category 4, Varsha S Menon (Class IX) bagged second prize in Category-3, Krishnendhu Venugopal and Krishna Ashok secured sixth and fifth positions, respectively, in Category 3, and Sanjay Shaji won the fifth place in Category-4. Winners will be receiving individual trophies and certificates. The prize-winning artworks in each group will appear in the ICRF’s wall/desktop calendars 2022. Principal Hameeda Kadar has congratulated the winners. The Department of Fine Arts teachers Varsha Synesh, Renitha R R, Sudhir Udhgirkarand and Suresh L H were the trainers.

Bangladesh MHM School & College has achieved outstanding results in the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) Examination held in November 2021, by the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Dhaka. A total of 76 students appeared for the board examination and the school secured 97.37% pass with 22 candidates securing GPA-5 and a total of 32 students securing GPA-4 and above. Jahin Tasnim, Samia Rahmatullah, Zahra Zarrin, Aisha, Tasfia, Marya Abdul Bari, Joynab Moni, Fariha Tamanna Shaz, Aisha Seddiqa, Saima Akter, Maisha Zaman, Naeema Sulaiman Chowdhury, Abdullah, Taseen bin Asad, Fuad Kabir, Tasnim Hasan Sakib, Mohamed Ali Wahir, Wasif Mahmud Talukder, Hamidul Islam, Tahseen Noor Nafee, Inteser Mahmud and Tahsina Afrin Nadia were the toppers, securing GPA-5. The director of the school, Lt Cdr Mohamed Anwar Khurshid (Retd), MBA, lauded the achievers. He thanked all the students, teachers and guardians for their combined efforts. Ambassador and school chairman Mohamed Jashim Uddin congratulated the students and their parents.

* Among 500 projects submitted by 37 countries at ITEX, six of the QU-YSC scientific research and projects, submitted by high school and university students, won eight prizes in the exhibition Students from the Qatar University Young Scientists Centre (QU-YSC) succeeded again in the fields of research and innovation, by winning several awards at the International Invention, Innovation and Technology Exhibition 2021 (ITEX) in Malaysia. The exhibition was organised by the International Federation of Inventors Associations and the Institute of Engineering and Technology with the support by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation. The exhibition embraces applicable scientific and research ideas and provides a global platform to present, discuss and develop them, thus attracting young people to the science and technology industry. Among 500 projects submitted by 37 countries, six of the QU-YSC scientific research and projects, submitted by high school and university students, won eight prizes in the exhibition. ITEX 2021 is an annual event that brings together the best innovations from around the world, and is the leading exhibition for displaying new inventions, technologies and products, and aims to secure investment, manufacturing and marketing opportunities. It also aims to enable young inventors and entrepreneurs to move from scientific discovery to commercial application, in which students and inventors participate in a scientific environment and exchange ideas and scientific discussions. Jibril al-Mutairi, a student at QU’s College of Engineering, won the silver medal for a research titled “The Effect of UV/Ozone Treatment on Water-Resisting Surfaces and Moisture Sensing Properties of Composite PVDF-BaTiO3 Films.” Student Rashid Al-Asam, of the same college, also won a silver medal for a research titled “Developing Al-SiO2 Lightweight Nano Vehicles for Automotive Applications - Qatar Electric Cars 2022.” High school student, Baina al-Marri won the gold medal and the top third award for a project titled “Electrospun Nano-Fibre Scaffold for Tissue Engineering.” The same prizes were won by students Salwa al-Kuwari and Fajr al-Shamri for a project titled “Nanopolymer composite for energy harvesting applications.” Students Ali al-Maadeed and Abdulaziz al-Mohannadi, also won the gold medal for a project titled “Highly Water Resistant Membrane Based on PVDF/ZnO Composite Electrostatic Nanofibres for Wastewater and Oil Spill Treatment.” Another gold medal was awarded to Maryam al-Obaidly and Hend al-Dosari, for a research titled “Coating from composite nanomaterials to protect iron from corrosion.” QU-YSC director Prof Noora al-Thani expressed her pride and happiness at the students' great achievement at the international level, which raises the status of the state and University as a leader in the fields of education, research and innovation. She stressed the Centre's continued interest in sponsoring and supporting students and integrating them into the research environment that motivates them to innovate, and provide opportunities to participate in international research conferences and exhibitions that increase students' skills and integrate them into the research community.