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MONDAY 15 MAY 2017 CAMPUS | 4 FOOD | 9 BOLLYWOOD | 11 MESMES wwins table tennis Sesame fried Tried hard to be a & badminton rice with spring jerk on ‘Baywatch’’ medals vegetables & egg set: Priyanka Email: [email protected] OUTREACH INITIATIVES CMU-Q conducts an activity involving around 40 students as part of its outreach initiatives which highlight new academic and career paths for youth. P | 2-3 02 COVER STORY MONDAY 15 MAY 2017 Highlighting new academic and career paths The Peninsula carefully crafted workshops, out- group of ambitious high reach workshops school students gath- let young people ers on a Saturday in the experience life as bright and airy majlis a stock trader, a area at Carnegie Mel- computer pro- Alon University in Qatar (CMU-Q). grammer, an They are divided into two groups entrepreneur, an as buyers and sellers and got into a information sys- makeshift trading floor. The buzz tems analyst, or a in the air grows as the students gain laboratory confidence. scientist. The activity involved around 40 Outreach students as part of CMU-Q’s out- workshops offer reach initiatives which highlight a glimpse into new academic and career paths for the four fields at youth. Nazli Bhatia, visiting assist- CMU-Q as bio- ant teaching professor of logical sciences, organisational behaviour, says, business admin- “The students were so enthusiastic, istration, the ones who finished first turned computer sci- to their friends to help them. It was ence and information systems. solve business problems; and Mind- basics of programming as they cre- a great learning experience.” “As the STEM fields of science, craft, an introduction to computing ate virtual worlds and animations. The Qatar Foundation’s partner technology, engineering and math- and programming. In 2008, H H Sheikha Moza bint campuses in Education City have a ematics infuse nearly every industry, “Each of the workshops is Nasser expressed an interest in unique mandate to prepare the next including business, the choice can designed to bring living examples bringing the software to Qatar, so generation for an economy that is be daunting. CMU-Q’s outreach to different STEM careers, so when CMU-Q submitted a proposal to actively under construction. With workshops give high schoolers a lit- students decide what they want to localise Alice for a Middle East audi- many sectors of the knowledge- tle taste of what is possible,” says study in university, they have an ence. Qatar National Research based economy still developing, John O’Brien, associate dean of idea of what is out there for them,” Fund’s National Priorities Research how can young people understand CMU-Q. says Damian Dourado, director of Program (NPRP) funded the project the types of careers that they can Workshops include Tajer, the pre-college programs at CMU-Q. in 2012. pursue? stock exchange simulation; Young In the 2016-17 academic year, Entrepreneurs; Biotechnology Essential skills Alice was used in 12 government The wide opportunity Explorers, which gets students into The Winter Institute is held each and international schools in Qatar. CMU-Q takes a novel approach the lab to solve problems; Ibtikar, year at the end of January: an invi- CMU-Q provides training work- to the problem. Through a suite of where students use tech tools to tation-only programme for Qatari shops for teachers, as well as high school students ongoing school support. In the where over the course spring, CMU-Q holds a program- of a week, they explore ming competition to showcase the the field of computer skills the Alice students have science, learn basic acquired. computational skills, Saquib Razak, an associate and see how computer teaching professor of computer sci- scientists can shape the ence and the lead principle future of Qatar. investigator of the Alice Middle East Computing is such project, said, “Each year we are an essential skill, delighted to see such a brilliant CMU-Q has adapted effort from the students. We are the Alice interactive amazed by what they can do, educational software including a number of projects that for a Middle East audi- we didn’t think were possible with ence. The original Alice Alice.” software was devel- The Ministry of Education and oped at the Pittsburgh Higher Education is planning to roll campus of Carnegie out Alice ME in all Qatar schools Mellon, and guides stu- that offer courses in ICT in the 2017- dents through the 18 academic year. MONDAY 15 MAY 2017 COVER STORY 03 Outreach workshops offer a glimpse into the four fields at CMU-Q as biological sciences, business administration, computer science and information systems. Easing the transition For Ilker Baybars, dean and CEO of CMU-Q, the outreach work- shops lay the groundwork as for a successful transition to university. “Our goal is to get students excited about these areas of study, to inspire them to pursue fields that will ultimately drive the future of Qatar,” he said. “We put significant resources into our outreach efforts: our fac- studies and launch their careers in life while strengthening their col- good, challenging university pro- ulty, staff and students continually a knowledge-based economy,” he lege applications. gram,” says Dourado. tweak and tailor the experience so added. To ease the transition, “The students learn what will be The outreach workshops are young people will be enlightened CMU-Q offers a capstone outreach expected of them at the university working. Nearly one quarter of and inspired. It is worth it: the more workshop called the Summer Col- level. They take classes, improve CMU-Q students in last year’s we can show them now, the lege Preview Program (SCPP). Held test-taking skills, and do a project incoming class completed SCPP; stronger and more directed the over three weeks, secondary stu- in their specific area of interest. some students did the program young people of Qatar will be as dents entering their last two years Each year I see students leave SCPP twice to learn about a second field they begin their post-secondary of school can experience university energised to study and get into a of study. 04 CAMPUS MONDAY 15 MAY 2017 Rajagiri Public School conducts parliament election ajagiri Public School Principal. The fight was so tight that Doha conducted elec- in one class it was a tie and a re- tions for the school lectin was ordered. The elected parliament. Each class candidates were formally convened had three candidates in the principal’s chamber and were Rand all students cast their vote on briefed about the second round of the election day at a election booth election. Lamis Quisar was elected with a booth officer. They took their the School Leader and Arya Perb- turn in the queue before the booth hakar was elected the Deputy and cast their votes with all the for- Leader. malities. They carried home the The class teachers were the indelible mark on their index fin- booth officers. The academic ger with pride. administrator and the coordinators The counting was done in each were the returning officer and the class soon after the voting and the supervisors. The principal was the winners were declared by the election commissioner. MES wins table tennis & badminton medals able tennis teams of MES it to the CBSE national tournament Fathimath Samra (Under 17 Girls). With this win, the Under 17 Indian School won the CBSE for the 15th consecutive time. Kunheedu AP and Shahana Kader, badminton boys’ team of MES TQatar cluster table tennis Following players comprised teachers of the physical education Indian School has qualified to take tournament in the Under 14 and the winning teams under various department of the school trained part in the CBSE national badmin- 17 boys and Under 17 girls category categories: the teams. ton tournament to be held in India hosted by Birla Public School on Kashif Minhaj, Manish Ravi in November. May 10. Varrier, Antony Paul Brite and Badminton Championship The players who represented All the winners have qualified Mohamed Sahl Sameer (Under 17 the winning team are as follows: to take part in the CBSE national Boys). Gopalan Sunil, Mishal The Under 17 badminton team Saif Syed Mohamed, Shaffin Rey- table tennis tournament to be held Mohammed Riyas, Mohammed of MES Indian school won the ods and Punit Pande. Binoy K K, in India in November. It is remark- Omer Ali and Elliot Joseph (Under CBSE Qatar cluster badminton teacher in the physical education able that Under 17 boys table tennis 14 Boys). Midhila Sunil Kumar, Sta- tournament hosted by Al Khor department of the school was the team of MES Indian School made cey Singh, Nihan Kader and Inter National School on May 9. coach. MONDAY 15 MAY 2017 CAMPUS 05 Gulf English School launches plastic recycling initiative group of teachers, stu- each year. World-wide, nearly 300 org) In line with this, the response dents and parents at million tonnes of plastic is produced from the GES community to collect Gulf English School every year, half of which is for sin- plastic waste has been outstanding. (GES) have initiated a gle use. Plastic lasts forever as it is “We are overwhelmed and delighted campaign to tackle the not bio-degradable. Everything that by the response to this campaign. As Amenace of plastic waste by collect- has ever been made from plastic still a school, we would like to extend ing plastic bottle caps and recycling exists. In around 700 years plastic our sincere thanks and gratitude to them for better use. will start to break up (degrade). Plas- every single member of the school Over 650kg of bottle caps have tic does not decompose or and wider community that has con- been donated, which is close to biodegrade and get absorbed by tributed to this great cause, with 300,000 individual caps! These nature, it ‘photo-degrades’ – which special thanks going to Sheikh Faisal donated bottle caps will be handed means they will turn into smaller and Sheikha Maha who have been over to relevant recycling compa- toxic parts.