UDST to offer master's and bachelor’s degrees

*Qatar's first national applied university to be developed as a world-class institution

 

 

 

Qatar’s first National Applied University, The University of Doha for Science and Technology (UDST), will be developed as a world-class institution, offering Applied Master's and Bachelor’s degree programmes in addition to diplomas, it was announced on Monday. His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani issued Amiri Decision No. 13 of 2022 on February 27, establishing The University of Doha for Science and Technology.UDST, the second national university in the country, was previously known as College of the North Atlantic - Qatar. The announcement of the new university was made yesterday during a press conference by HE Dr Mohamed bin Saleh al-Sada, chairman of the UDST Board of Trustees and Former Minister of Energy and Industry, in the presence of Dr Salem Al-Naemi, UDST president. The new logo of the university was also unveiled at the event. Making the announcement, HE Dr al-Sada said: “This is a big milestone for the country. The university’s name was chosen by His Highness the Amir as the leadership decided to turn the institute into a university. Science and technology will become a core differentiator in attracting students and partners to the university while it will offer many programmes in various fields. It will offer Applied Master's and Bachelor’s degree programmes in addition to diplomas. Through its programmes the university aims to achieve human, social and economic development in the country.” Dr Al-Naemi noted that it was a natural progression for the institute and currently there are over 5,300 students at the university. “UDST aims to meet the local needs and further develop its positioning as a world-class university. We have carefully planned our educational approach and our core objectives to benefit our students and the wider community. We will offer workplace training for students to gain a deeper experience in their field of study.”He also said the university will continue with English as the medium of instruction as per the industry needs. “We have a world-class infrastructure for an applied university and we have aligned all our programmes with the evolving technology. We are offering all our programmes with the highest level of proficiency and all the programmes are internationally accredited. This gives the students an extra advantage,” the university president added. UDST offers over 50 programmes with Applied Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree programmes in addition to diplomas. The programmes fall under four main streams: Engineering Technology and Industrial Trades, Business Management, Computing and Information Technology and Health Sciences. Four programmes are completely new in Qatar: Bachelor of Applied Business Administration in Banking and Financial Technology, Bachelor of Applied Science in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, Bachelor of Applied Science in Respiratory Therapy, and Bachelor of Applied Science in Medical Radiography.HE Dr al-Sada noted that the new programmes are compatible with changes in the labour market and include unique and diverse specialisations, referring to the applied approach of the university, which works to secure an educational environment based on training and simulating workplaces, so that students are fully prepared to engage in the labour market upon their graduation.The university gives research high priority through its Applied Research and Innovation Centre that supports research and innovation by strengthening technical and vocational learning, policy and practice. It is currently developing a five-year research strategy to meet the country's needs. The strategy is aligned with the national research priority areas such as sustainability, food security among others. Further, UDST has a pre-incubation hub launched in partnership with Qatar Development Bank, that assists all entrepreneurial students, alumni to tap into the innovation ecosystem, and a library that provides thousands of online and offline resources and incorporates group study rooms and study carrels. The campus offers students a vibrant environment and gives them the chance to join clubs, sports teams and participate in many activities in addition to leadership development opportunities and student employment programme. There are male and female facilities that include: fitness rooms, swimming pools, sport and wellness courts and centres, cafeterias and student lounges.UDST will continue to offer 2-year and 3-year diplomas in addition to the new programmes, all framed within a student-centred approach.