AFG College with the University of Aberdeen were delighted to welcome to their Doha campus, The Secretary of State for Education of the United Kingdom, The Right Honourable Mr Nadhim Zahawi, who accompanied Her Majesty's Ambassador to Qatar, Mr Jonathan Wilks CMG.
The visit earlier this month of the Secretary of State and the Ambassador coincided with Mr Zahawi’s official visit to Qatar. During their visit to the campus the minister and the ambassadorial delegation toured the campus premises and met with students, professional services staff and faculty.
Following the tour, the delegation met with the senior management teams of the College and the University. Discussions focused on the partnership’s collaborative strategic plans which include the building of a new purpose-built campus which will encompass new schools offering STEM subjects.
The University and College also intend to widen the student profile by recruiting students from across the Gulf region. They are mindful too of the key role that Qatar plays in the region in terms of new infrastructure projects and they recognise that Qatar has the potential to be a major hub for education and culture, given its commitment at the highest level of government to encourage greater access to quality education providers in the state.
Qatar is a natural choice for students intending to study at university as it offers a safe environment coupled with excellent communication and information technology infrastructure.
UK Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said: “I really enjoyed my tour of the University of Aberdeen campus in Doha. This is a really exciting time for international collaboration and it was great to hear from the faculty and student representatives about the studying opportunities this presents – not just now, but in the future too. I wish all students and staff the very best and look forward to hearing about how the education partnership continues to develop.”
AFG College Principal, Brian Buckley said: “It was a pleasure to welcome the Secretary of State and Her Majesty’s Ambassador to our campus and discuss our plans for the future. As the largest independent provider of quality British education in Qatar, I am always keen to showcase what we have achieved over the past five years. This includes graduating several hundred alumni who are now working in private sector organisations, the government sector or with charity providers helping to fulfil the Qatar National Vision 2030.”