Georgetown professor reveals inside look into Qatar's Education City

World's first multiversity in practice

WASHINGTON, Sept. 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Christine Schiwietz, author of "America's Higher Education Goes Global" spoke at the National Press Club about her new book on the phenomenon of U.S. higher education expanding overseas.

Discussing how Georgetown and five other U.S. universities brought top notch degree granting programs to Qatar, Dr. Schiwietz provided context.

Through a partnership with Qatar Foundation, Georgetown University and other U.S. universities form the academic foundation for Education City's Multiversity. Other participating U.S. universities include: Cornell University, Northwestern University, Virginia Commonwealth University, Texas A&M University, and Carnegie Mellon University.

As a result of this initiative, Qatar is now home to more U.S. college campuses anywhere outside of North America.

The creation of Education City is the vision of HH Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser, whose goal is to bring top universities in the world to Qatar to support a knowledge based economy not entirely dependent on hydrocarbons. Qatar has ambitious plans for its future and is hosting the FIFA World Cup in Qatar in November. According to former U.S. Ambassador to Qatar, Patrick Theros, "Dr. Christine Schiwietz' groundbreaking book on what I believe to be the most important development in American higher education in the twenty-first century could not have come at a more opportune time."

"At 2500 acres, Education City is roughly three times the size of the principality of Monaco. This provides many benefits to students," according to Dr. Schiwietz.

"Students studying in Qatar intertwine world class faculties across disciplines into a collaborative blend while at the same time getting a prestigious American education," she said. Studying at a branch campus is much different than a typical study abroad program. "It's the difference between watching a movie trailer versus the entire movie," remarked Dr. Schiwietz.

"America's Higher Education Goes Global: An inside look at the Georgetown branch campus experience in Qatar" (ISBN 9781544529660, pages 141) is now available on Amazon.

CHRISTINE J. SCHIWIETZ, PhD, is an assistant dean at Georgetown University's branch campus in Qatar. An expert in sociology, global development, and international higher education, Christine has spoken at the UN Women's Guild and has been quoted on NPR and in outlets like the New York Times, Harvard Political Review, and the Gulf Times. She is a member of the board of governors for Qatar's American Chamber of Commerce, the chair of the Georgetown Women's Alliance in Qatar, and the former president of the District of Columbia Sociological Society.

SOURCE American Caldwell/IRM