Hamad bin Khalifa University Welcomes the First Admitted Class for the Executive Master in Energy and Resources

DOHA, Qatar, February 1, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

Hamad bin Khalifa University (HBKU) held a luncheon on January 19^th welcoming the first admitted class for its Executive Master in Energy and Resources. The program is offered in partnership with Georgetown University, Texas A&M University, and HEC Paris.

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The event, held at the HBKU Student Center, was attended by His Excellency Sheikh Abdulla bin Ali Al-Thani, Ph.D., President of Hamad bin Khalifa University, the deans of several HBKU partner universities, high profile executives from leading organizations, and honored guests.

Specially designed to create an in-depth understanding of the role of energy and resources in modern life, HBKU's Executive Master in Energy and Resources will integrate the disciplines of geopolitics, public policy, technology, finance, management and strategy, and will prepare participants to conduct strategic analysis, reach effective decisions and manage their operations with a global understanding of E&R issues.

The newly appointed Dean of HBKU's College of Science, Engineering, and Technology, Dr. Mounir Hamdi, spoke at the event. A world-renowned researcher and a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Dr. Hamdi was Chair Professor and Head of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) before joining HBKU. He has received awards and grants for his initiatives to improve teaching methodologies, delivery and technologies. He has consulted for companies and government organizations in the USA, Europe and Asia, and has served on the editorial boards of several prestigious academic journals.

Dr. Antoine Hyafil, the Academic Coordinator for the Executive Master in Energy and Resources, gave a small introduction about the program.  Addressing the students, Dr. Hyafil said, "The HBKU Executive Master in Energy and Resources implements Qatar National Vision of building a knowledge economy, through interdisciplinary learning on issues which are relevant to Qatar and the region. We are happy to see that the twenty-nine admitted students, twenty one men and eight women, come from a wide variety of backgrounds from oil and gas to engineering, finance, transportation and real estate. This diversity will certainly add value to the class discussions. The admitted students must be congratulated for being pioneers in a program which will be enriched by their contribution and by the contribution of their corporate sponsors."

Among the students admitted to the program is Yousef Al-Jaber, Head of CSR and Institutional Affairs, Total E&P Qatar. Commenting on the program, Yousef said, "This program fits exactly with my career development. I studied Chemical Engineering at Texas A&M University at Qatar and the Corporate Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar. I am interested in this program because it focuses not only on oil and gas, but on all aspects of the energy industry. This program will help give me a better understanding of how the energy market is developing, which will help me in my career."

Abeer Al-Dosari, Head of Administration and Shared Services, Facilities Management Directorate at Qatar foundation, said, "I am honored and pleased to have been accepted to this unique and first of its kind master program. When I heard about this program, I was so interested to apply and luckily I was accepted. This type of program will have a great benefit to our society as it goes along with Qatar's vision, with Qatar Foundation as one of its pillars, to cultivate research and education. This program complements my background having worked previously in the oil and gas industry as an accountant for Qatar Petroleum. HBKU has captured the different components of my experience, including administration, accounting, and the technical side of the oil and gas industry. It is a very unique curriculum and I cannot wait for the program to start!"

The students will go through five modules over a period of sixteen months. Classes will begin on January 25, 2014.

About HBKU:

Hamad bin Khalifa University (HBKU), a member of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, is an emerging research university building upon unique collaborations with local and international partners. Located in Education City, HBKU seeks to provide unparalleled opportunities for scholarship, teaching, discovery, and learning for all of its faculty and students through an array of interdisciplinary graduate programs.

HBKU's partners are Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar, Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, Texas A&M University at Qatar, Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar, Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar, Northwestern University in Qatar, HEC Paris in Qatar, and University College London Qatar.

SOURCE Hamad bin Khalifa University (HBKU)