Northwestern University in Qatar
Encyclopedia
Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q) is Northwestern University
’s first overseas campus. Founded in partnership with Qatar Foundation
in 2008, NU-Q is located in Education City
, Doha
, Qatar
. NU-Q offers a liberal arts and media education with undergraduate degrees awarded in communication
and journalism
.
NU-Q will graduate its first class in spring 2012.
on Northwestern’s Evanston campus. Communication students at NU-Q pursue a major in Media Industries and Technologies, which combines elements of the Communication Studies and Radio/TV/Film major offered in Evanston. The curriculum leading to the award of the Bachelor of Science in Journalism degree is overseen by the Medill School of Journalism in Evanston; this program is accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. Liberal arts courses are provided by Northwestern’s Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences.
NU-Q courses are modeled closely on those offered on the Evanston campus, although adjustments have been made because NU-Q courses are taught in a fifteen-week semester system, rather than the ten-week quarter system in Evanston. Additionally, courses with particular relevance to the region (e.g. Middle East Cinema or Newswriting in Arabic) are also offered at NU-Q. All faculty teaching courses at NU-Q are approved for faculty appointments by the relevant schools and departments on the Evanston campus. Many faculty teaching NU-Q courses have come directly to Doha from the Evanston campus.
NU-Q’s academic programs provide various opportunities for students to participate in international programs. Students in the journalism program are required to complete a junior year residency, which have occurred exclusively in the United States. All students are eligible to apply for the Evanston exchange. Shorter international academic trips are offered at various times throughout the year. Past destinations have included Turkey
, Switzerland
, Italy
and the United States of America.
NU-Q students can access courses at the five other American universities located in Education City.
Degrees awarded by Northwestern University on the Qatar Campus are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
. All course instruction is in English and admission is competitive. During the 2010 round of admission, fewer than one in three applicants were offered admission to NU-Q.
, Northwestern agreed the following year to open its Education City
campus. The inaugural NU-Q Class of 2012 began studies in August 2008. Additional classes have been added each year and the university has established strong ties with local organizations, partnering with media groups and collaborating with a number of regional initiatives to generate additional educational and professional opportunities for its students. Speakers invited to address the student faculties have included journalist Evan Osnos
, of The New Yorker
, television journalist Tim Sebastian
and Iranian-American journalist Roxana Saberi.
In January 2010, NU-Q began hosting a series of “Exploration Visits” for local high school students. Participants are invited to tour the facilities, meet staff and students and see examples of class projects. Also in 2010, NU-Q offered its first summer camp to high school students - a two-week course combining aspects of the Journalism and Communication programs.
NU-Q students have access to the full range of student activities offered to all Education City students, including the Education City Student Center, Recreation Center, clubs organizations and athletic leagues.
In addition, students have access to and participate in a range of activities and clubs that are unique to NU-Q, including:
Students also participate in a wide variety of leadership, service and experiential learning initiatives both in Doha
and internationally. Some of these initiatives include StrengthsQuest, LeaderShape and retreats designed to help students learn about their strengths and how to apply them in their academic and personal lives.
in July 2011. Senior associate deans Richard Roth and James Schwoch were appointed respectively in 2008 and 2010.
The NU-Q staff provide the range of support services expected in an American college or university, including professionally staffed offices for admissions, academic and personal counseling, student activities, student records, information technology, human resources, finance, marketing/public relations, and facilities. The collections of the professionally staffed NU-Q library focus on media issues, and students and faculty also have access to all electronic resources available on the Evanston campus and to the services of inter-library loan. A production facilities department provides support for the media-intensive work of students and faculty at NU-Q.
NU-Q’s permanent home was designed by architect Antoine Predock
, and is projected for completion in 2013. The facility includes four video production studios, two 150-person lecture halls, a black box theatre, a two-studio radio station facility for teaching and broadcast activities, a multi-media newsroom, a library capable of housing 40,000 volumes, office facilities for more than 50 faculty and 60 staff, a conference center for events and special programs, student lounge and activity spaces, classrooms, labs, small lecture halls, and seminar rooms. The facility will also have gathering spaces with seating to encourage informal faculty-student and student-student interactions. These “nodes” will be equipped with video screens and technology which will enable NU-Q students to connect computers for presentations. The largest of these areas will be equipped with a large video wall displaying a variety of media sources and student or faculty projects, and help to create an informal learning environment for new media techniques.
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
’s first overseas campus. Founded in partnership with Qatar Foundation
Qatar Foundation
Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development is a government-funded, chartered, non-profit organization in the state of Qatar, founded in 1995 by decree of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of Qatar and chaired by Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned...
in 2008, NU-Q is located in Education City
Education City
Education City is an initiative of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development. Located on the outskirts of Doha, the capital of Qatar, Education City covers 14 square kilometers and houses educational facilities from school age to research level and branch campi of some of...
, Doha
Doha
Doha is the capital city of the state of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 998,651 in 2008, and is also one of the municipalities of Qatar...
, Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
. NU-Q offers a liberal arts and media education with undergraduate degrees awarded in communication
Communication
Communication is the activity of conveying meaningful information. Communication requires a sender, a message, and an intended recipient, although the receiver need not be present or aware of the sender's intent to communicate at the time of communication; thus communication can occur across vast...
and journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
.
NU-Q will graduate its first class in spring 2012.
Academic Programs
The curriculum leading to the award of the Bachelor of Science in Communication degree is overseen by the Northwestern University School of CommunicationNorthwestern University School of Communication
The Northwestern University School of Communication is an undergraduate and graduate institution devoted to the academic study of communication arts and sciences, located on Northwestern University's campus in Evanston, Illinois, about 12 miles north of downtown Chicago.The School has its origins...
on Northwestern’s Evanston campus. Communication students at NU-Q pursue a major in Media Industries and Technologies, which combines elements of the Communication Studies and Radio/TV/Film major offered in Evanston. The curriculum leading to the award of the Bachelor of Science in Journalism degree is overseen by the Medill School of Journalism in Evanston; this program is accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. Liberal arts courses are provided by Northwestern’s Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences.
NU-Q courses are modeled closely on those offered on the Evanston campus, although adjustments have been made because NU-Q courses are taught in a fifteen-week semester system, rather than the ten-week quarter system in Evanston. Additionally, courses with particular relevance to the region (e.g. Middle East Cinema or Newswriting in Arabic) are also offered at NU-Q. All faculty teaching courses at NU-Q are approved for faculty appointments by the relevant schools and departments on the Evanston campus. Many faculty teaching NU-Q courses have come directly to Doha from the Evanston campus.
NU-Q’s academic programs provide various opportunities for students to participate in international programs. Students in the journalism program are required to complete a junior year residency, which have occurred exclusively in the United States. All students are eligible to apply for the Evanston exchange. Shorter international academic trips are offered at various times throughout the year. Past destinations have included Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and the United States of America.
NU-Q students can access courses at the five other American universities located in Education City.
Degrees awarded by Northwestern University on the Qatar Campus are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools , also known as the North Central Association, is a membership organization, consisting of colleges, universities, and schools in 19 U.S. states, that is engaged in educational accreditation...
. All course instruction is in English and admission is competitive. During the 2010 round of admission, fewer than one in three applicants were offered admission to NU-Q.
History
Having been approached in 2006 by the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community DevelopmentQatar Foundation
Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development is a government-funded, chartered, non-profit organization in the state of Qatar, founded in 1995 by decree of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of Qatar and chaired by Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned...
, Northwestern agreed the following year to open its Education City
Education City
Education City is an initiative of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development. Located on the outskirts of Doha, the capital of Qatar, Education City covers 14 square kilometers and houses educational facilities from school age to research level and branch campi of some of...
campus. The inaugural NU-Q Class of 2012 began studies in August 2008. Additional classes have been added each year and the university has established strong ties with local organizations, partnering with media groups and collaborating with a number of regional initiatives to generate additional educational and professional opportunities for its students. Speakers invited to address the student faculties have included journalist Evan Osnos
Evan Osnos
Evan Osnos is an American reporter for The New Yorker, based in Beijing.Previously, he was an international correspondent for The Chicago Tribune in Beijing...
, of The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
, television journalist Tim Sebastian
Tim Sebastian
Tim Sebastian is a television journalist. He is the moderator of the New Arab Debates and the Doha Debates, and was the first presenter of BBC's HARDtalk....
and Iranian-American journalist Roxana Saberi.
In January 2010, NU-Q began hosting a series of “Exploration Visits” for local high school students. Participants are invited to tour the facilities, meet staff and students and see examples of class projects. Also in 2010, NU-Q offered its first summer camp to high school students - a two-week course combining aspects of the Journalism and Communication programs.
Students and Student Life
The State of Qatar provides the largest single group of students at NU-Q. However, the student body is highly international and includes more than 20 different nationalities.NU-Q students have access to the full range of student activities offered to all Education City students, including the Education City Student Center, Recreation Center, clubs organizations and athletic leagues.
In addition, students have access to and participate in a range of activities and clubs that are unique to NU-Q, including:
- Women’s Basketball
- Men’s Football
- Men’s Basketball
- NU-Q Student Government
- NU-Q Film Society
- Oh Snap! Photography Club
- Purple Project service club
- Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ)
Students also participate in a wide variety of leadership, service and experiential learning initiatives both in Doha
Doha
Doha is the capital city of the state of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 998,651 in 2008, and is also one of the municipalities of Qatar...
and internationally. Some of these initiatives include StrengthsQuest, LeaderShape and retreats designed to help students learn about their strengths and how to apply them in their academic and personal lives.
Leadership
The leadership of NU-Q is appointed by the Northwestern University Provost, in consultation with the Qatar Foundation. NU-Q’s dean Dr. Everette E. Dennis was appointed in June 2011. The founding dean was Dr. John Margolis, an associate provost at Northwestern University who served from 2008-11. David Carr was appointed chief operating officerChief operating officer
A Chief Operating Officer or Director of Operations can be one of the highest-ranking executives in an organization and comprises part of the "C-Suite"...
in July 2011. Senior associate deans Richard Roth and James Schwoch were appointed respectively in 2008 and 2010.
The NU-Q staff provide the range of support services expected in an American college or university, including professionally staffed offices for admissions, academic and personal counseling, student activities, student records, information technology, human resources, finance, marketing/public relations, and facilities. The collections of the professionally staffed NU-Q library focus on media issues, and students and faculty also have access to all electronic resources available on the Evanston campus and to the services of inter-library loan. A production facilities department provides support for the media-intensive work of students and faculty at NU-Q.
Community
In addition to its core mission of providing undergraduate education to its students, NU-Q seeks to serve as a regional center for issues related to communication and journalism. Often in collaboration with local, regional, or international organizations, NU-Q sponsors seminars and colloquia on topics related to the media. NU-Q also sponsors short, non-credit programs for pre-college students designed to expose those students to developments in media.Joint Advisory Board
Like other campuses in Education City, NU-Q has a Joint Advisory Board, with members designated by Northwestern University and the Qatar Foundation. members of the NU-Q Joint Advisory Board are: H.E. Sheikha Hind Bint Hamad Al Thani (Director of HH the Emir’s Office) and Dr. Daniel Linzer (Provost, Northwestern University), co-chairs; Dr. Abdel Rahman Azzam (Communication Adviser to HH Sheikha Mozah), Thomas Cline (Vice President and General Counsel, Northwestern University), Dr. Lee Huebner (Professor, School of Media and Public Affairs, George Washington University), Wadah Khanfar (Director General of the Aljazeera Network), Rami G. Khouri (Director of the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Beirut and editor at large of The Daily Star newspaper), and William Osborn (Chair, Northwestern University Board of Trustees). Dr. Abdulla Al-Thani (Vice President for Education, the Qatar Foundation) and Dr. Everette E. Dennis (Dean, NU-Q), serve as ex officio members.Facilities
Until its permanent facility is completed, NU-Q occupies the top floor of the Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar building in Education City. This space includes office space and support space to house 24 faculty, and 52 administrative staff. The facilities include a 70-student lecture hall, a 93-person auditorium, one 30-person seminar room, three 25-person teaching labs, one 24-person and one 18-person computer lab, a library, a small video studio used for indoor training, eight video and audio edit suites, a student lounge area, and a dozen shared seminar and study group rooms of various sizes. In addition to the facilities in the CMU-Q building, beginning September 2011, NU-Q will utilize a specially-built studio facility including two video/television studios which also incorporate a newsroom, one large video edit room, five small video edit rooms and audio edit rooms.NU-Q’s permanent home was designed by architect Antoine Predock
Antoine Predock
Antoine Predock is an American architect based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Antoine Predock is the Principal of Antoine Predock Architect PC. The studio was established in 1967...
, and is projected for completion in 2013. The facility includes four video production studios, two 150-person lecture halls, a black box theatre, a two-studio radio station facility for teaching and broadcast activities, a multi-media newsroom, a library capable of housing 40,000 volumes, office facilities for more than 50 faculty and 60 staff, a conference center for events and special programs, student lounge and activity spaces, classrooms, labs, small lecture halls, and seminar rooms. The facility will also have gathering spaces with seating to encourage informal faculty-student and student-student interactions. These “nodes” will be equipped with video screens and technology which will enable NU-Q students to connect computers for presentations. The largest of these areas will be equipped with a large video wall displaying a variety of media sources and student or faculty projects, and help to create an informal learning environment for new media techniques.
External Links
- Northwestern University in Qatar official website