QU’s Al-Qabas Program prepares students for a successful university experience

The Foundation Program (FP) under the Deanship of General Studies at Qatar University (QU) welcomed 43 high school female Qatari students from 7 Qatari schools to the Al-Qabas Program to prepare them for university life through different sessions and activities. The Al-Qabas Program is a first of its kind student outreach initiative in QU.

The Al-Qabas Program aims to develop not only students’ math and English skills, but also different study skills such as, test taking, and language acquisition skills. Around 25 faculty members and staff members from the Departments of English and Math participated in organizing, preparing and delivering sessions, mainly targeting students with interest in STEM or health-related majors. The program also arranged visits to QU Colleges of Medicine, Pharmacy, Engineering, and Education. Students were also introduced to the different student support services offered at QU, such as the Library, Sports Activities, and Career Development Center. On the final day of Al-Qabas Program, a showcase of student posters was held where students practiced their presentation skills by presenting their posters and sharing their experiences in Al-Qabas with FP faculty and special needs students.

Director of the FP at QU Dr. Hezam Al-Awah commented saying, “Qatar University’s FP helps to develop students learning skills in order to succeed in the various academic programs offered by the university. With this in mind, we launched Al-Qabas Program to attract high school students who want to enroll in QU’s scientific and medical programs, to help them with academic skills in mathematics and English, inform them about university life and show them the services available to students.” He also, thanked the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, the participating schools and parents for their efforts in making the program a success.

Student survey indicated high satisfaction rate among the attendees. Students advised that Al-Qabas was fun, interesting and beneficial. Raghad Adel Al Sultan from Rawda bint Mohammed Secondary School for Girls said that she benefited from attending a lecture in the Department of Biology with university students and learned a lot about the vital processes and realized how important the English language is to accommodate lectures in this specialty. Fatima Mohammed Saddiki from Al Wakra Independent Secondary School for Girls said that she learned the difference between the doctor and pharmacist professions when she visited the College of Medicine and College of Pharmacy. She added, “There is a difference between studying at the secondary level and studying at the university level, which I now have to prepare for and conduct a placement test before applying to the university.”

Future plans for Al-Qabas include extending the program to more than one week, targeting more schools, and offering an opportunity to male students. By encouraging students to apply to STEM and health-related education and preparing them for success in university life, the FP hopes to contribute towards the achievement of Qatar National Vision 2030.