Northwestern University in Qatar’s flagship undergraduate academic programs in journalism and communication continue to evolve under new academic leadership as the school reinforces its position as a premier global media education and research school.
Professors Ilhem Allagui and Rana Kazkaz, both long-time faculty of Northwestern Qatar, are leading this new era of transformation as the newly appointed directors of the Journalism and Strategic Communication Program and the Communication Program, respectively. Under their leadership, the programs will focus on the opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence, media divergence, and disinformation while preparing students with the education and skills to excel in a constantly evolving media industry.
“Professors Ilhem and Rana have been instrumental to the growth of education, research, and creative media-making at Northwestern Qatar. This renewed leadership will bring our academic programs into a new frontier of education. Their combined media expertise and experience in the classroom will continue to deliver world-class education that is the hallmark of our institution,” said Marwan M. Kraidy, dean and CEO of Northwestern Qatar.
“With a vision anchored in academic excellence and interdisciplinary faculty-student research, Northwestern Qatar continues to navigate the complexities of today's journalism and media landscape to empower our students to become creative, ethical, and impactful communicators across cultural and national boundaries."
Since 2008, the Journalism and Strategic Communication Program has trained leaders in multimedia journalism and communication professions through purposeful integration of learning and research in tandem with Northwestern Qatar’s mission of evidence-based storytelling focused on the Global South. Over time, the program will leverage its strengths and integrate AI tools and data journalism, emphasizing adaptability to local and regional contexts.
“With a vision anchored in academic excellence and interdisciplinary faculty-student research, Northwestern Qatar continues to navigate the complexities of today's journalism and media landscape to empower our students to become creative, ethical, and impactful communicators across cultural and national boundaries.”
“We want to offer an innovative and integrated program that is at the core a balance between vocational, hands-on practice, experiential learning, and solid theoretical foundation, both in journalism and strategic communication,” said Allagui, professor in residence and director of the Journalism and Strategic Communication Program. “This integrated and holistic approach will foster innovation and creativity and offer students the opportunity to pursue their interests, be it in fashion, sports, politics, culture, health, or other journalism specializations.”
In addition to adapting to media changes, the program will prepare students through expanded hands-on experiences and global opportunities. “We are in an era of misinformation and disinformation, so we want to train students to interpret, analyze, and utilize data and information to produce evidence-based stories,” noted Allagui. She added that expanding the Journalism Residency program globally and aligning with strategic institutional initiatives like the Artificial Intelligence Initiative (AI2), which focuses on contributing to research, teaching, and professional development on the challenges and opportunities of AI, are key to the program's future.
Similarly, the Communication Program, which has groomed students into well-rounded leaders, will continue to grow under Kazkaz’s directorship, aligning academically with the school’s priorities while enhancing collaborations within the school and beyond. “As a program, we will continue to evolve and define our unique contribution to the wider community while maintaining and building fresh relationships within our institution, as well as across Education City,” said Kazkaz, associate professor in residence and director of the Communication Program.
Amid global unrest, Kazkaz said she will work with students and faculty to explore ways to center solidarity in teaching and education. “There are exciting ways in which we can develop what solidarity means for us as individuals and as an institution in Education City, in the Global South,” said Kazkaz. “In a world where there is a risk of feeling hopeless and helpless, solidarity is one of the tools we have to feel empowered.”
Drawn from Northwestern’s internationally renowned journalism and communication programs, the Bachelor of Science degrees at Northwestern Qatar have been recognized for excellence in education and research in Qatar and the Global South. Under Allagui and Kazkaz’s leadership, they will continue to stand at the forefront of media and communication education and evidence-based storytelling in the region.
