Qatar univesity marks anniversary with fanfare

Manama: Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar has celebrated its 10th anniversary with great fanfare, bringing together Qatar Foundation and members of the university and community.

The ceremony at the Carnegie Mellon Qatar campus included a performance from a lone bagpiper, reflecting the Scottish heritage of the university’s founder, philanthropist and steel magnate Andrew Carnegie.

Throughout the evening, videos and speeches featuring alumni and students transported the audience from Andrew Carnegie’s humble beginnings in Scotland to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where Carnegie Mellon University was established in 1900. The evening also reflected on the growth of Carnegie Mellon’s branch campus in Qatar and highlighted major landmarks throughout the last decade.

As part of the celebrations, Shaikha Mouza Bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, toured the exclusive exhibition ‘Travelling Through Arts and Times,’ showcasing the richness of Qatari and Islamic culture, heritage and civilisation through more than 160 rare artifacts from Shaikh Faisal Bin Qasim Al Thani’s private collection.

The university has been home to some of the well-known thinkers, including 19 Nobel Laureates and 11 Turing Award winners.

“Carnegie Mellon Qatar’s success as a global branch campus at the heart of Education City can be attributed to the institution’s ability to balance between maintaining the home campus’ high standards and ethos while meeting the needs of the local community,” Sa’ad Al Muhannadi, president of Qatar Foundation, said. “In line with Qatar National Vision 2030, Carnegie Mellon Qatar continues to be an integral part of Qatar Foundation and the country’s capacity building and development as a whole.”

Mark Kamlet, Carnegie Mellon provost and executive vice-president, highlighted key accomplishments in Qatar, including the growth of the student body from 41 to 400 students with a Qatari enrollment of almost 40 per cent.

“Time and time again, we hear how pleased employers are with their Carnegie Mellon hires,” Kamlet said. “They praise them for their hard work, their creativity, and their team-above-self approach. These are the hallmarks of a Carnegie Mellon education and that is what we have achieved on our Qatar campus.”

Almost 300 young men and women have graduated from the university’s branch campus and are now playing integral roles in the knowledge-creation community in Qatar and across the world. More than 100 alumni returned to campus for the 10-year celebration.