Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q) has released “Charting a Course for Growth,” a report detailing the school's advancements and milestones during the past year across instructional, research, and outreach missions, highlighting the academic and professional achievements of the 2015 graduating class -- the school’s largest to date. [Download the report.]
Among the achievements cited are the number of NU-Q alumni who have gone on to pursue graduate studies at top international institutions including Oxford, Harvard, London School of Economics and New York University, as well as the continued pattern of job placements in major media and communication positions at organizations including the Amiri Diwan, Al Jazeera Network, Total Energy and Petroleum, and Qatar Airways. Another highlight of the year was Northwestern’s ranking among the top universities globally. It was ranked 12th among thousands of US colleges and universities in national rankings, and within the top 25 in the world, which makes it the top-ranked undergraduate university in Education City.
Critical to the university’s continued success and growth were new investments to strengthen the academic curriculum and expand NU-Q’s faculty. Several new courses were added to each the communication and journalism programs, with heavy emphasis on digital content production and the intersection of media and society, including "Market Research on Mobile-Based, Educational Digital Tools." NU-Q’s liberal arts program also continued its efforts to build a foundation for all students, integrating fresh thinking and theory from a broad range of subject areas. Following an international search, the university also added eight new faculty members: four full-time appointments and four adjunct lecturers, with the last two rounds for renewals resulting in 100 percent reappointment.
“With the passing of another year in the life of NU-Q, our community is on a firm forward trajectory,” said Everette E. Dennis, dean and CEO of NU-Q. “As our institution grows, develops and stretches, we must take a moment to acknowledge and celebrate the many ideas that came to fruition and flourished this year. Every member of the NU-Q faculty and staff is guided by the mission to cultivate the potential of each student to become a leader in journalism or communication,” Dennis added. “The record of unparalleled opportunities and outreach initiatives--not only offered, but utilized by students--speaks to the power of an NU-Q education.”
Also this year, NU-Q won major grants for institutional and faculty projects, including a National Priorities Research Grant (NPRP) from the Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF). In parallel, a series of globally-recognized thought leadership endeavors such as "Media Use in the Middle East 2015" and the ongoing Qatar Media Industries Forum, seized a critical opportunity to shape the developing industries of media, communication and journalism in Qatar.
By building capacity for responsive and interactive public communication, the pillars of NU-Q’s own strategic plan are closely linked to the advancement of the State of Qatar’s Vision 2030 and its ambitions for economic, human, social and environmental development.
