Four students from Northwestern University in Qatar are in New York, where they are taking part in The World in 2013 Festival, The Economist’s annual event, timed with the release of its “World in…” publication, a collection of trends and predictions about the year ahead.
Alanood Al-Thani, Najwa Al-Thani, Fatima K. Al-Hajri and Nayla Al-Thani were given the opportunity to participate in the global event after their videos were selected in a competition staged by The Economist. Chosen based on the originality of their ideas, the effort put into their submission, and the quality of presentation, the group of NU-Q’s winners—alongside eight others from Qatar Foundation—will gain special access and learning opportunities during the festival, thanks to a partnership between QF and The Economist.
Now in its 27th year, “The World in…” issue of The Economist provides readers with a unique global perspective on the upcoming year, across the spheres of business, finance and economics, technology, sport, media, arts, culture and beyond. The event of the same name aims to bring the publication to life through a series of lively discussions, performances and debates with Economist editors and distinguished guests.
The four NU-Q students will be engaging in a short internship with The Economist in advance of the festival, to prepare them before they take on the production of a full documentary about the fest, complete with coverage of its inner workings and behind-the-scenes preparations.
Student participation at The World in 2013 comes as part of a partnership between QF and The Economist Group (TEG), which kicked off during September’s Ideas Economy: Human Potential conference, co-hosted by the two organizations in New York. The event tackled many themes central to Qatar’s ongoing transformation into a knowledge-based economy, such as technological innovation, talent retention and human capital development.
The partnership also gives students from across QF the opportunity to benefit from an educational program that will allow a select few to secure prestigious internships with TEG. The aim is for them to learn key skills, such as how to conduct research and produce high-quality written material, as they shadow members of TEG’s programming division.
