Students attending an orientation event
Doha: Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), a member of Qatar Foundation (QF), has welcomed more than 200 new students for the 2016-17 academic year, bringing the total number of students at the university to over 450.
More than 90 percent of the students are undertaking advanced study at master’s and doctoral level, and there is a heavy emphasis on research across the university.
The number of Qatari students accounts for around 70 percent of students enrolled in recently added programmes such as Master of Science in Cybersecurity and Juris Doctor graduate law degree.
Addressed the new students at an orientation event at the start of the new academic year, Maryam Hamad Al Mannai, Vice-President, Students Affairs, HBKU, said: “You are joining a university that is proud to be pushing the boundaries of research education in Qatar.
“I know that today marks an important milestone for each one of you. The start of the new academic year is also an important milestone for the university. HBKU is growing and thriving. Together with our existing students, you represent the hopes and aspirations of a university that is committed to building educational capacity in Qatar at the highest level.”
Dedicated to delivering novel, high-quality academic programmes to meet the needs of Qatar and the region, HBKU introduced three new graduate degrees this year. Two new master’s programmes — Master of Science in Cybersecurity and Master of Science in Data Science and Engineering, are the first of their kind in the Gulf and offer students the opportunity to conduct research alongside HBKU’s world-renowned faculty members and researchers. HBKU also initiated a PhD programme in Computer Science and Engineering this Fall, complementing its existing doctorate-level offerings in sustainable energy, sustainable environment, and biological and biomedical sciences.
Students have enrolled in a range of programmes across HBKU’s College of Science and Engineering, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Law and Public Policy, and Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies. This year’s new students come from notable companies, including Qatar Petroleum, Ernst & Young, Ashghal, Deloitte, Vodafone, Sidra Medical and Research Center, Kahramaa, and Qatar Central Bank.
