UCL Qatar welcomes first batch of students
The University College London Qatar (UCL Qatar) has welcomed its first intake of 32 students from 13 nationalities at its new Doha campus.
The students are enrolled across three Master’s programmes - MA Archaeology of the Arab and Islamic World, MA Museum and Gallery Practice and MSc Conservation Studies.
The students come from Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Syria, the United States, Britain, Germany, Greece, Italy, Serbia, China, Pakistan and Panama.
Nearly 30% are from Qatar.
UCL Qatar is a partnership between University College London, Qatar Foundation and the Qatar Museums Authority (QMA).
Among the students are six members of staff from the QMA. The courses are the first of their kind in Qatar, as UCL hopes to create a new generation of students who are interested in cultural heritage studies.
The students are following a four-day induction programme before academic sessions commence on September 2. As part of their course, the students will undertake work placements at museums, archaeological sites and cultural heritage organisations in Qatar and the region, exposing them to the practical aspects of working within the cultural heritage sector.
Professor Thilo Rehren, Director of UCL Qatar, said that “the first batch of 32 students is well above the target we had set ourselves and testament to the hard work of our staff and faculty over the last year.
“The wide diversity of students ensures that they all receive an international education on a par with what UCL is offering in London.
“The international students will get to know Qatar and Qatari culture in great detail, and create long-lasting ties and friendships for the future.
“Qatar’s vision for the country to be a centre of excellence in higher education and in cultural heritage has already inspired a whole generation of young people.
“UCL Qatar is proud to contribute to the implementation of this vision, and helping to shape a new generation of museum professionals, conservators and archaeologists in the Gulf, and beyond.”
Brett Kershaw, UCL Qatar’s marketing officer, said the students will benefit from outstanding facilities and an exceptional team of academic staff who are leaders in their fields.
“Our colleagues at UCL Qatar extend our warm thanks to Qatar Foundation, Qatar Museums Authority and our colleagues at UCL in London for unfailing support, encouragement and guidance along the way in order to reach and achieve our shared vision,” Kershaw said.
Ghaida al-Sawalha, a student on the MA Museum and Gallery Practice degree programme who has relocated to Qatar from Jordan for her studies said: “As a museum professional, this course will be perfect preparation for me in terms of further developing all of the skills and attributes required to successfully run a new museum.”
Erik Demarche, an MSc Conservation Studies student who has come from Denver, Colorado, said: “I was drawn to study in Qatar due to its emergence as a cultural heritage centre at the cutting edge of
learning and education.
“UCL Qatar’s MSc Conservation Studies programme offers the opportunity to specialise in a range of different materials. I’ll gain practical skills through local and regional work placements, and my studies will have a specific
emphasis on this region.”
UCL Qatar aims to consolidate Qatar’s position as the leading centre of excellence in the region for higher education, and more broadly to expose a new generation of students and future leaders to the cultural heritage sector.
In addition to its degree courses, UCL Qatar is engaging the local population via its outreach programme, which includes taster sessions with school children, and public lectures covering a wide range of topics focused on archaeology, conservation and museology.
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