The University of Aberdeen marked the official opening of its Qatar campus at a ceremony that took place in Doha on Monday (October 24).
The event was co-hosted by University Principal Sir Ian Diamond and Her Excellency Dr Sheikha Aisha Al Thani, Founder and Chairperson of the Al Faleh Group, the University’s partners in the project.
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah Bin Nasser Al Thani was among those who attended the ceremony, as well as senior figures from the University, the Qatari Ministry of Education and Higher Education, and the UK Ambassador to Qatar.
The University of Aberdeen is the first UK University to have a dedicated campus in the Gulf State offering mainstream degrees. 120 students have enrolled to study business degrees, the majority of whom are female.
The campus is a personal project of Dr Sheikha Aisha, who is behind an initiative to strengthen the education sector in Qatar and provide more higher education opportunities for Qatari nationals.
Commenting at the ceremony, she said: “We are proud to partner with the University of Aberdeen and be in a position to offer Qatari Nationals and the wider community the opportunity to study for a prestigious UK degree in the State of Qatar.
“Moving forward, we plan to extend our degree offerings, to include subject disciplines, such as engineering, law and medicine at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
“The partnership between AFG College and the University of Aberdeen is a great achievement as it portrays the State of Qatar’s openness for the further development of higher education provision and the educational enrichment of our youth.”
Professor Sir Ian Diamond added: “This partnership is our first overseas campus, and a true milestone for the University. We look forward to working with staff and students from Qatar, the wider Gulf region and from around the world, bringing our world class education to the region.”