Written by Wajeeha Malik
Starting this fall, Hamad bin Khalifa University (HBKU) introduced several new colleges under its Education, Science and Community Development program.
These include the HBKU Law School, the College of Science, Engineering and Technology (CSE), and the College of Public Health, all of which are located in Education City. Most of these programs are the first of their kind in Qatar.
Dr. Muammer Koç, Professor and Coordinator of Graduate Programs at the CSE, said that as of today CSE offers PhD and MS degree programs on Sustainable Energy, Sustainable Environment and Biological and Biomedical Sciences, as well as a BS program in Computer Engineering. There are plans to offer programs such as Engineering and Technology Management, Safety and Process Engineering and Computational Sciences in the coming years.
These programs will allow students to study what they are interested in without having to travel to other countries for higher education, Koç added.
“Students from Qatar, GCC and all over the world can have access to an innovative and coherent research and teaching environment provided by very diverse, internationally-recognized faculty members right here in Doha without worrying about living in another country, moving, travel, adaptation, et cetera,” he said.
Currently, CSE has 60 students in the PhD and Masters programs, and 20 students in its BS program. The student body includes nationals, expats and international students. The first semester began on August 23 in the LAS Building in Education City.
The HBKU Law School also launched its three-year Juris Doctor (JD) program earlier this year for students studying in this region.
“The three-year JD program is designed to be especially relevant for students in Qatar,” said Professor Clinton W. Francis, Founding Dean of the law school, “It includes a practical and theoretical study of how the legal system here works.”
The JD program is a collaboration between Northwestern University’s Law School and Qatar Foundation. Northwestern University School of Law will act in an advisory role, but the degree awarded will be from HBKU. The school is located in the Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies building.
According to Dean Francis, the JD program curriculum includes corporate law, banking, commercial law, intellectual property and intellectual capital management. The program has been designed to “meet the needs of government organizations and businesses in Qatar and the region,” according to the program’s website.
The JD program is open to individuals who already hold an undergraduate degree in any major. The faculty will include experts from the MENA region as well as faculty members from Northwestern.
