Manama: An international student affairs conference will be held for the first time in Qatar this week.
The Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA) and the College Student Educators International (ACPA) Gulf Conference 2012 will be hosted by Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF) on February 1 and will discuss "Sustainable Strategies for Student Success," organisers said.
Other issues on the agenda relate to health education, strategies to reduce student drop-out rates, career services, and productive work experience programmes. Dr. Susan R. Komives, Professor and Program Director of Student Affairs at the University of Maryland, will give the keynote address. A symposium entitled "Enhancing Student Learning around the Globe" will feature a panel of educational leaders from Qatar and the United States.
"We are excited to host the 2012 NASPA - ACPA Gulf Conference in Qatar after five consecutive years in the United Arab Emirates," said Jamil Karam, the conference planning committee chair and head of Student Life at QF. "The conference is a forum for professionals working in student affairs in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region to meet, share expertise, and respond to common challenges. Through this inspirational professional development opportunity, we also hope to promote a student affairs career among nationals."
The conference is dedicated to building human capital through active dialogue and interactive workshops. "Qatar Foundation is supporting the emergence of professional student affairs work by hosting this conference, providing expertise to Qatar and other Gulf region colleagues," said Dr. Dennis Roberts, Vice President for Faculty and Student Services at QF.
