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Qatar / Education

Three more private universities to open in Qatar under Ministry of Education's 5-year plan

Published: 06 May 2021 - 07:42 am | Last Updated: 28 Dec 2021 - 11:39 am
Peninsula

Sanaullah Ataullah | The Peninsula

Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE) has enhanced efforts to open new private universities in the country to enable more students to pursue their higher studies in the country.

Increasing its commitment towards a vibrant, growing higher education community, a new private Indian university — a Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) campus — will open in September at Barwa, Abu Hamour.

The university will offer five academic programmes initially. Under a five-year plan of the MoEHE, three more private universities are expected to open in Qatar, giving students more options to pursue academic programmes of their choice, tailored to their budget. Higher education institutions offered 290 educational programmes for the academic year 2019-20.

According to a report on the Ministry’s website, Qatar University, Community College of Qatar, The College of the North Atlantic, and Hamad Bin Khalifa University offer more than 66% of these programmes. In the 2018/19 academic year, Qatar had 29 colleges and universities, while more than 34,000 students attended these institutions in 2017/18. These post-secondary institutions offer an expanding number of degrees, fields of study, and specialisations — from medicine to business, technology, and liberal arts.

Being a regional hub, Qatar’s colleges and universities serve citizens and residents and attract students from all over the world, particularly from the Gulf region. Public Higher Education Institutions operating in Qatar are Qatar University, Hamad bin Khalifa University, Community College of Qatar, Qatar Aeronautical College, Ahmed bin Mohamad Military College, Al Zaeem Mohammed Bin Abdullah Al-Attiyah Air Academy, Joaan bin Jassim Joint Command and Staff College, Police College, the University of Calgary in Qatar, College of the North Atlantic – Qatar, Qatar Finance and Business Academy with Northumbria University, Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Centre (ROLACC) with the University of Sussex, Qatar Leadership Center with Georgetown University, and Ras Laffan College for Emergency and Safety with the University of Central Lancashire.

There are branches of world-renowned higher education institutions, supported by Qatar Foundation, including Georgetown University - School of Foreign Service in Qatar, Northwestern University in Qatar, Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar, Texas A&M University in Qatar, Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar, HEC Paris in Qatar, Weill Cornell Medical School in Qatar, and University College London in Qatar.

Meanwhile, private higher education institutions include Stenden Qatar - University of Applied Sciences, Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, AFG College with the University of Aberdeen, University Foundation College, City University College, Oryx Universal College with Liverpool John Moores University, Lusail University, and Indian State University Savitribai Phule Pune.