With the passing of another academic year, there is time to pause, reflect and celebrate what has been a period of considerable achievement.
From the momentous decision taken by the Qatar Foundation and Northwestern University in extending our agreement to academic year 2027-28 and the vote of confidence it reflected, to quieter accomplishments across the faculty, staff, and student body, NU-Q's record is impressive by any measure.
Sweeping curricular changes and modifications in our admissions program represent considerable thought and many hours of serious and dedicated work well beyond anyone’s job description.
Across the staff multi-faceted efforts are preparing us for occupancy of our new building. Whether that involves planning for a bold media installation or designing a newsroom to broader concerns involving safety, structural, and esthetic aspects, a large cadre of our colleagues have made a dedicated effort. For each of the individuals on the staff or faculty involved, complex and calibrated activity has occurred alongside the important work required to staff and operate the school.
“Students made us proud with award-winning films, a new burst of research activity, and energetic journalism.”
Faculty productivity this year has been especially high as books, monographs, articles, and creative scholarship have thrived. With little fanfare, a new Writing and Academic Resource Center has evolved, partnering with the NU-Q Library. As always, new courses were offered, and our Middle East Studies certificate program also embraced a new minor. A whole new field—Science and Technology Studies—also took root as successful faculty searches added strength in digital and mobile media, documentary film, and strategic communication.
Importantly, students made us proud with award-winning films, a new burst of research activity, and energetic journalism. The student body has grown as witnessed by our largest graduating class—and the largest ever freshman class coming in the fall. The record of our alumni is notable as they take up jobs and careers in media and related fields while significant others go to some of the world’s great graduate schools.
The school’s institutional research effort continued to lead the way with a major longitudinal study while breaking new ground in understanding media industries across the MENA region. This work and collective research output have stimulated thought leadership that is advancing the reputation of individual researchers, faculty, staff, and students as well as the school itself.
These notable accomplishments are all about people, and we are privileged to have students, faculty, and staff who individually and collectively continue to impress. Whether individuals who make up NU-Q have been here since the get-go or have arrived recently, we appreciate their contributions. As is the nature of an international school, we also witness planned departures each year of valued colleagues and wish them well in their new ventures, though in the main, we are quite a stable community.
