Dr. Khaled Al-Ali, acting Assistant Undersecretary for Higher Education Affairs at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, revealed a new draft law for higher education, indicating that the project is in its final stages and will be issued soon after the completion of its legislative session.
Dr. Al-Ali said in an exclusive interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA) that the draft law includes everything related to higher education policies, the governance and licensing of higher education institutions and their oversight, programs and statistics, so that the Ministry of Education and Higher Education assumes the responsibility of general supervision and serves as a general umbrella for educational institutions. Higher education while preserving the independence of universities through their boards of directors, in which there is usually a representative of the ministry.
He referred to the significant expansion witnessed by the state in the establishment of higher education institutions, which have now reached 34 governmental, semi-governmental, private, and security and military educational institutions, with more than 40,000 students.
He emphasized the ministry’s keenness on the continuous evaluation of these universities according to a governance system that ensures the maintenance of standards of quality and excellence. He said "From this standpoint, Law No. (31) of 2020 was issued to establish the National Committee for Education Quality and Academic Accreditation, which is a separate committee from the licensing body in the Ministry. It governs and reviews the work of universities after a period of their opening and operation to ensure the quality of their educational programs.".
He pointed out that the experience of the Corona pandemic "COVID-19" It proved the extent of close communication between the ministry and the universities in terms of coordination regarding the study pattern, the application of safety measures, and everything related to that during the pandemic.
In the context of his speech, he noted that the ceiling of the admission requirements for any educational institution wishing to open a branch in Qatar has been raised, to be among the best 300 universities in the world, according to the international assessment of universities, which includes 3 international classifications: "Times World University Rankings (THE), QS Ranking, and Shanghai Jiu Tong Ranking".
He stated that any university that meets the criteria that make it among the best 300 universities in the three aforementioned rankings has the right to apply to open a branch in Qatar. "And often with a partner or a Qatari investor, provided that the same programs applied in the mother university are applied, and the same certificates are granted and on the same conditions when accepting students.".
He pointed out that one of the distinguished Malaysian research universities has requested to open a branch in Doha, and the ministry is currently reviewing and fulfilling all the requirements for its establishment..and it is expected that its doors will open next October..adding that "There were several requests from more than one university from different countries, but there is one university that was able to complete the necessary procedures and requirements to start studying in the next academic year.".
He said that a supervisory body has been established to ensure the quality of education in licensed higher education institutions, which is currently represented in the National Committee for Education Quality and Accreditation, which includes a number of experts and specialists. "This was one of the challenges that faced higher education in the past, but praise be to God, with the issuance of the law establishing the committee, work began towards the quality of education and ensuring the quality of its outputs in the higher education sector.".
He also referred to the challenge represented by some Qatari students going to study at universities without prior approvals from the Ministry "This causes them a lot of trouble after graduation, especially if the universities are weak or because the university degree does not meet the standards followed in the country".
He stressed that the Ministry of Education and Higher Education continues to raise students’ awareness of the need to obtain prior approvals to study at private expense in universities outside the country.
He also pointed to another challenge represented in collecting data on universities and students in higher education institutions. In his interview with QNA, Dr. Al-Ali revealed that the scholarship policy applied in the ministry allocates 75 percent of scholarship students to universities within the State of Qatar and 25 percent to external scholarships, referring to about 3,000 Qatari scholarship students studying in different universities. " inside and outside Qatar"75 percent of them are female.
Dr. Al-Ali stated that most scholarship students are in the program "ambitious" Which covers the needs of the Ministry’s schools for teachers, followed by the study of other important disciplines, foremost of which are engineering, medicine and computer.
He stated that the list of the Emiri delegation includes 30 universities currently in which more than 40 Qatari students are studying, pointing out that most of these universities are in the United States, in addition to Britain, Canada, Australia, Japan and universities in Qatar, adding that any student obtains admission to these universities. Universities have the right to apply for an Amiri scholarship".
He stressed that there has been no fundamental change in the applied scholarship policy, indicating that the specializations directed by the Civil Service and Governmental Development Bureau to Qatari scholarship students are concentrated in 3 main areas: education, engineering and its branches, computer engineering and its branches, medicine and its branches, as well as other specializations such as veterinary medicine and agriculture. And other specializations that also fall within the framework of missions inside and outside Qatar.
He noted that "Local universities, which have become among the ranks of international universities, attract the largest percentage of scholarship students"He cited Qatar University, which ranked 208 according to the QS ranking for the year 2023, in addition to the distinguished levels of Education City universities and Doha University of Science and Technology.
The person in charge of the duties of the Assistant Undersecretary for Higher Education Affairs at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education stated that studying abroad requires an average of 85 percent, while studying at home requires an average of 80 percent in the secondary certificate.
He stated that applying for the scholarship is done through the Ministry’s portal, pointing out that the admission portal will be opened during the month of May, while the majors will be announced during the current month.
He revealed the ministry’s intention to increase the percentage of Qatari students scholarships to countries such as China, Korea, Japan, France and other countries that are characterized by the strength and quality of their universities, in order to diversify the environments and universities to which Qatari students go to enrich the Qatari society with graduates with diverse experiences, expertise and skills in line with the country’s orientation and openness to the world. .
He also stressed the importance of diversity in the educational environments to which Qatari students are sent "Where they acquire new languages ​​and learn about different cultures, and this is important for the State of Qatar in light of its openness to various countries of the world".
added that "This diversity in the selection of countries and universities in the scholarship system coincides with the expansion of the State of Qatar’s relations with various countries of the world. He said that "The State of Qatar builds strong relations with many countries of the world, so there is an urgent need for graduates from these countries to keep pace with and consolidate the bonds of these relations".
He also noted that "Scholarship is important, and it is a basic pillar in higher education and serves development plans, and there will remain a group of students who obtain scholarships abroad to achieve the ambitious development goals of the state and enrich the labor market with expertise from diverse backgrounds".
The Acting Assistant Undersecretary for Higher Education Affairs at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education indicated in his interview with QNA that the ministry is currently building a database for all higher education students inside and outside Qatar, adding that "We currently have a database of students on scholarships through the Ministry, and we are working to list all scholarships through other agencies and institutions in the country and students at private expense.".
Regarding the equivalence of certificates, he mentioned that there are two systems, one of them "Certificate equation" Which means making sure that the certificate meets the standards followed in the State of Qatar, allowing its owner to complete his studies or work, while the other system is called attesting the certificate to work only for non-Qataris.
Dr. Al-Ali explained that the certification of certificates means studying the certificate and making sure that it is issued by a distinguished and accredited university, free of forgery, and submitting it to the employer that has the final decision to approve the holder of the certificate to work for it. He added that this procedure is followed with regard to employment in the private sector, especially in the private sector. Simple jobs that may not require higher skills.
And he continued "In such cases, non-Qataris are allowed to work in these institutions only, and they are not allowed to complete their studies in the country because their certificates are not accredited, while many agencies that need specialists in important fields such as engineering and medicine apply strict standards and tests for applicants after the certificate is approved and before they are allowed to work.".
He stressed that the tuition fees in private universities differ from one university to another, but there is a concern that the fees do not exceed the fees of the mother university.. He said "Most of the fees applied in universities in the country are equal to the parent university or less"He pointed out at the same time that some universities offer scholarships to Qatari and non-Qatari students according to their rates, and others after the student passes one or two years with distinction at the university.
He said that the state offers a lot of incentives to private universities, including addressing the concerned authorities to allocate a piece of land for them in the future after graduating the first batch of students to build a permanent headquarters for them. He also stressed that the ministry is working closely with these universities to solve all the problems and obstacles they face. Some universities have started the process of building their permanent headquarters.
He stated that the complaints submitted to the Ministry by some private university students are referred again to the universities for resolution, and each university has its own mechanisms to deal with these complaints through committees formed for this purpose. He indicated that this is the pattern followed in various universities of the world.
He pointed out the ministry’s keenness to adopt deliberate policies with regard to higher education based on Gulf, Arab and international data, experiences and expertise. He said. "The Ministry is keen to adopt carefully studied policies, and we try to get acquainted with what is in force in the Gulf, the Arab world, and the world, and then we present what is appropriate for the State of Qatar and what is in line with its reality and responds to its aspirations and plans in higher education.".
He pointed out that there are Gulf mechanisms through which experiences and expertise are exchanged, including the Gulf Network for Education Quality, which is concerned with studying the quality of higher education in the Gulf countries, and discussing the experiences of GCC universities. The network also presented seminars in several areas, including challenges related to ensuring student assessment tools in e-learning, And the extent of the impact of the Corona pandemic on the work of the authorities concerned with academic accreditation, higher education curricula in the fields of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and international classifications of higher education institutions.
He added that there is great and close cooperation with the countries of the Cooperation Council in the field of higher education, where all issues related to it are reviewed, consulted about it, and benefited from each other’s experiences, in accordance with the privacy of each country and its laws that regulate the educational process.
He stressed that the upcoming strategy of the State of Qatar focuses on creating new jobs for the country’s future. He said that we are expected to witness important shifts in the labor market and in the jobs required for the next few decades.
He pointed out that the current focus is on technological disciplines such as computer science, software, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity, indicating that the last two disciplines are important for the future, especially artificial intelligence, which is expected to be required in various sectors.
He noted the remarkable demand of students for these technological specializations at the present time, whether through scholarships or in public and private universities within the country, which are interested in offering such specializations.
He stressed that the Ministry of Education and Higher Education is aware of the magnitude of the challenges in the quality of jobs required in the future and is working hard to create a generation that is aware of this challenge and absorbs the future needs of the labor market.
He explained that the Civil Service and Government Development Bureau annually determines the nature of specializations required in the country, and in light of this, scholarships are sent and students are directed in scholarship programs and others, which enhances plans to link graduates to the labor market.
He stressed the Ministry’s keenness to ensure that the scholarship programs are carefully and accurately studied and respond to the actual needs of the state "Scholarships are not given to majors in which we have become satiated, and the Ministry encourages students to study in other disciplines in literature or art and others, according to controls and conditions that contribute to controlling the numbers of scholarship recipients for these disciplines.".
He pointed out that the ministry is currently working in cooperation with the Civil Service and Government Development Bureau to launch academic advising programs for students in government schools from the ninth grade in order to know their inclinations and scientific orientation so that they are directed to the specialty that fulfills their capabilities and talent.
added "We seek to have counseling and evaluation programs and programs through which you can discover the talents of students in certain disciplines so that they can be directed to the right direction for their study.".
Dr. Al-Ali called on the students to be serious and diligent in seeking knowledge. He also urged the scholarship students to be the best ambassadors for their country and homeland and to reflect in their behavior the morals and values ​​of the Qatari people in terms of commitment, tolerance and respect for others.
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