Ninety-one New Faculty and 10 Visiting Professors at Qatar University

Doha, September 07 (QNA) - Ninety-one (91) new faculty and 10 visiting professors at Qatar University (QU) College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) were provided information on programs and services at the College at the orientation exercises held last Thursday. It was also an opportunity for them to raise questions and concerns on wide-ranging topics such as QU policies and life in Qatar. In her address, CAS Dean Dr Eiman Mustafawi said: "I am pleased to welcome you to CAS, to QU, and to Qatar. This large group of new faculty will accommodate the growing number of new students at the College this academic year. CAS aspires to providing its students with the foundation of a liberal arts education, quality academic research, and educational programs to contribute to QU's mission and vision which are directly linked to Qatar National Vision 2030 and the development strategies. Your knowledge, experience and expertise will bring added value to the teaching and learning environment of QU in general and the College in particular". She called on them to take advantage of the opportunities at QU for professional development, and to be attentive to maintaining quality academic standards while providing the necessary support to students. She added: "I encourage you to become acquainted with the campus, its facilities, services and resources, and with community life in Qatar to smooth your transition. I wish you all a very productive and successful tenure at CAS and at QU". Dr Mustafawi highlighted CAS' 17 undergraduate and 6 graduate programs, faculty achievements, accreditation success, and new research centers. "In establishing a PhD and 5 five Masters, CAS looked to providing programs on topics relevant to the needs of the labor market, the aspirations of the society, and in line with the country's stated ambitions towards a knowledge-based economy", she said. She noted that the College's accreditation achievement for six graduate and undergraduate programs from well-recognized accrediting agencies. "The Biomedical Sciences Program has the distinction of being the first international program to be accredited outside the US by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) and the Environmental Sciences Program is the first Arab program to achieve accreditation from the Committee of Heads of Environmental Sciences (CHES-IES)", she said. On faculty achievements, Dr Mustafawi pointed to the State Awards for Sciences, Arts, and Literature accorded Dr Mariam Al-Maadeed and Dr Noora Al Kuwari in the last academic year. In addition, CAS faculty contributed to more than 263 publications and participated in 338 conferences, she said. She summed up other achievements during AY 2013/2014 which included the establishment of 3 research centers of excellence -- Gulf Studies Center, Sustainable Development Center, and Humanities and Social Sciences Center - as well as the launch of the first Arabic-language encyclopedia on Japan, and the signing of eight agreements for academic and research collaboration and student and faculty exchanges. (QNA)