Campus issue 18 low by Oryx Group of Magazines

Yousuf Jassem Al-Darwish

Sindhu Nair SABRINA CHRISTENSEN abigail Mathias

Venkat Reddy M Hanan Abu Saiam

Sandeep Sehgal Alpana Roy Ravi Raman

Zulfikar Jiffry thomas Jose Chaturka Karandana

Hassan rekkab LYDIA YOUSSEF KANWAL BALUCH

sue eedle

Pratap Chandran Bikram Shrestha Arjun Timilsina Bhimal Rai

Ayush Indrajith maheshwar reddy b

M AY - J U N E 2 0 1 3 Campus wishes to congratulate all of this year’s graduates. now is The time to celebrate, and soon after that will come the time when you reflect and decide what path to thread. We wish you all the best in finding your path, whether in pursuing higher education or in entering the world of responsibilities. Whatever the path, be ready to enjoy the experience and learn from it. in This issue, we speak to some of you about graduation, internships and plans. We speak to experts on some of the basic skills needed as you head out to get your “dream job”. CAMPUS also hears from a graduate who is helping change our airport experience. We hope you all have a well-deserved summer break.

Address all correspondence to CAMPUS, Oryx Advertising Co. WLL, P.O. Box 3272 Doha-Qatar. Tel: (+974) 44672139, 44550983, 44671173, 44667584. Fax: (+974) 44550982; Email: campus@omsqatar.com. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. The publisher does not accept responsibility for advertising contents. Licensing/Republishing CAMPUS content: To obtain permission for text syndication in books, newsletters, magazines, newspapers and web or to use images/pictures carried in CAMPUS, please contact our syndication and licensing department on the numbers given above. Permission is also required to photocopy a CAMPUS article for classroom use, course packs, business or general use. Custom reprints: Any previously published article/s to be used as stand-alone pieces can be reprinted by us on special request. The reprint cost is based on the length of the article and the quantity ordered. Contact our custom publishing division on the numbers given above for more information.Previous issues (January 2004 onwards) of CAMPUS are available for sale, contact our library department. To subscribe to CAMPUS call our subscription department on the numbers given above.

Published by Oryx Advertising Co. WLL, P.O. Box 3272 Doha-Qatar. Tel: (+974) 44672139, 44550983, 44671173, 44667584. Fax: (+974) 44550982. Email: campus@omsqatar.com website: www.omsqatar.com

Congratulation and Celebration!

CAMPUS speaks to graduates about everything from internships to graduation and life after. Also, read about women striving ahead and the youngest graduating doctor in the region

20 “I want to make a difference”

issue 18 MAY - JUNE 2013

Dr Mark H. Weichold, the Dean of Texas A& M University at Qatar, recently won an award for ‘Lifetime Achievement for the Advancement of Education’. He is on a mission, and he tells us all about it

Powered to write

Abigail Mathias speaks to Justin Martin about journalism and technology

Emma Stone

There is more to the funny girl than meets the eye

Fashion Show Take a peek at some of the creations by our very own VCUQ students

CV help

CAMPUS gives 10 tips to help you create a successful CV

The Final Destination

Zaid Haque speaks about his work with Hamad International Airport

QHackathon First of its kind, bringing entrepreneurs from the Arab world to Qatar

Rock the look CAMPUS shows you how to wear this seasonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s festival look

CAMPUS NEWS

Safety awareness with

“Ahmeek”

ohammed Al-Matwi, a sophomore Business student at Carnegie Mellon University, was presented with an award as this year’s winner of the Doha Community Engagement Program (DCEP) last month. Mohammed’s car safety awareness campaign titled “Ahmeek” uses theater and creative expression to engage community members and increase awareness on car safety in Qatar. DCEP is a program whereby students directly initiate and create a program that enhances their community through engagement and raising awareness of a social issue. This year Mohammed was selected based on his proposal to engage the local community in a car safety awareness campaign titled, “Ahmeek.” Through DCEP, Mohammed used interactive silent theater by creating skits which portrayed scenes taken from real news stories about car accidents in Doha and presented them to the community. He supervised a team of volunteers who acted out scenes and portrayed issues of safe and responsible driving habits, as well as negative consequences as a result of reckless driving habits. His vision was that through theater and creative expression, community members will be engaged and curious to learn more about car safety. When asked what the main aim of “Ahmeek” is, Mohammed said “The main aim of “Ahmeek” for the community is to help them become more caring and protect one another, not by our heart only but also by using our voices and taking actions, such as advising a friend to not use a mobile while driving or forbidding children to drive without a license.” He also talked about the plans and how to encourage more people to join. He said “This year is all for “Ahmeek”, it’s unlimited so

Texas A&M at Qatar Recognizes Student Achievement

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I can’t promise anything except creativity, innovation and love. Qatar gives a lot to the community so it’s our responsibility to give back and set a good example to other countries and communities.” “Ahmeek” will be taken to the larger Qatar community through year-long funding after Mohammed Al-Matwi was selected as one of Vodafone’s World of Difference Campaign winners. Three Qatari winners were selected out of the 150 applicants due to their passion and dedication to bring about a positive change in Qatar. Through the first-of-its-kind initiative in the country, Vodafone gives people the opportunity to receive funding for 12 months to undertake projects to help the community in Qatar. The projects can focus on any area, cause or social issue as long as it meets a local need and is 100% non-profit. Vodafone will support him in expanding his awareness campaign in Qatar to reach the wider community. “We have no doubt that the winners’ passion and determination to make a difference will touch the lives of many people in Qatar,” said Dana Haidan, head of CSR, Vodafone Qatar.

exas A&M University at Qatar recently hosted its annual Student Affairs Leadership and Student Achievement (SALSA) Awards. The event celebrates student achievements throughout the year, and awards were presented to individuals and student organizations that have demonstrated the University’s core values and exhibited outstanding student accomplishment. Aggie engineering students were recognized for contributions to the University as student leaders, athletes, student employees and scholars. Jeff Sulik, assistant director of student affairs at Texas A&M at Qatar, said, “We look forward to this event all year. You just can’t go wrong honoring students for their dedication and hard work. Students are the reason we are here.” The awards celebrated Student Organization of the Year, Student Organization Advisor of the Year, Athletics Awards for the Basketball, Cricket and Soccer Team, Student Employee Awards, Buck Weirus Spirit Award, 12th Man Award, Gathright Scholar Awards, Core Value Awards, Richard E. Ewing Award for Excellence in Student Research, Troy Marschang Award for Leadership Excellence.

Carnegie Mellon hosts annual robotics tournament

magine you’re part of NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory. It’s your job to develop a robot like the Curiosity Rover, which must land on Mars and scoop up rock samples to be analyzed back on Earth. That’s exactly what local middle and high school students were challenged to do during the 9th Regional Botball Robotics Challenge held at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar. Botball is an action-packed robotics competition for secondary school students that develops knowledge and practical understanding through a hands-on experience with science, technology, engineering and math. Additionally, students learn soft skills like problem solving, teamwork, time management and leadership, giving them insight into what it takes to become a successful Carnegie Mellon student. Enthusiastic crowds of friends and family cheered on the 225 participants from 20 different schools, with a team from Qatar Academy named overall champion. Qatar’s Lycee Bonaparte finished 2nd overall, while Al Khor International School finished 3rd. Qatar Academy team member Abdullah Al-Shakarchi said: “Botball is a great competition and has taught me to be fast and efficient. I really enjoy learning through games about artificial intelligence and product development. Our strategy to win was to keep it simple and get it 100 percent right.” Cania Antariksa, who had participated in the Botball Regional Finals twice before, was motivated to study computer science to achieve her dream of becoming a gaming programmer. This year, as a freshman in computer science, Antariksa joined in botball yet again, but this time as a volunteer to mentor other students through the competition. “Participating in botball last year was fun, hectic and a great experience. It developed my interest in programming and led me to apply to do computer science at Carnegie Mellon,” Antariksa said. Sirraj Kara, Senior Engineer, Embedded Software at Williams F1, relished the opportunity to connect with aspiring students and families at the event. “I am impressed with the level of programming language understood by students. This is the same programming language I use in my work to develop software, and it is great to see students understanding and applying the concepts,” Kara said.

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Student exhibition ‘Backstage’

tudents of the Museum and Gallery Practice Master’s degree program at University College London Qatar (UCL Qatar) have curated an exhibition to run at the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) from May 1 to June 2 2013. As part of the Qatar UK 2013 Year of Culture celebrations, the exhibition, ‘Backstage’, explores the work that goes on behind the scenes in a museum. Utilizing stunning examples of Iznik pottery from the MIA’s collections, the exhibition conveys the work of archaeologists, conservators and curators, disciplines that are unfamiliar to many museum-goers. The exhibition reveals how experts in these disciplines help us understand objects in museum collections and how they influence the way in which objects are displayed and interpreted. The exhibition aims to foster enthusiasm for museums and encourage a younger generation to develop a career in this area. The exhibition has been curated by students at UCL Qatar, with each student fulfilling a key role of a museum professional in order to develop the project. Fifteen students from Qatar, the UK, Jordan, Greece, Germany and Pakistan have worked together developing the exhibition from the initial concept through design and implementation stages. Efstathios Doganis, a student on the UCL Qatar program, said: “The process of curating this exhibition, where each student on the course has had to take on a different role, from marketing or outreach to production and design, has been challenging, but equally enjoyable and a fantastic learning experience. We hope the public will come along to see the finished product.”

student quotes

Achievements mark the celebration The year 2013 marks a great milestone for Qatar Foundation (QF). This year saw a convocation for 437 graduates, the highest number in QF history. The ceremony, held at Qatar National Convention Center (QNCC) under the patronage of HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of QF, demonstrated the nation’s innovative approach to developing a knowledge-based economy.

HH Sheikha Moza shared some powerful words of wisdom with the graduates, calling them to continue their pursuit of excellence and achievement: “When I look at you, I feel confident that you graduates are capable of transforming our world and ushering in long-lasting change.” HH Sheikha Moza also used the occasion to announce that Qatar Foundation students will soon be able to read majors at one university whilst taking on a minor at another.

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Sidra Alam

Hanan Mohammed

Fatema Akbar

Women stride ahead

he field of information technology is traditionally dominated by men, but efforts have been made to promote the inclusion of women in such fields. This has become more apparent than ever, seeing the high number of accomplished female graduates from Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q). This year, 48 women graduated in a range of technical fields alongside 33 of their male colleagues. Among them were exemplary women who have defied conventional attitudes and followed their passion for information technology. Two such examples are graduates Sidra Alam from Bangladesh and Hanan Mohammed Alshikhabobakr from Yemen, who have each earned a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from CMU-Q. Their mutual interest and appreciation for computers has allowed the young women to forge a strong friendship and spurred them to work together on a number of challenging technical projects. Sidra, 23, and Hanan, 22, say they are keen to set an example for other aspiring female programmers through their active

participation in the creation of technology. “In five years, I would like to create more opportunities for students here in Qatar from primary grades and up to high school,” says Hanan. “When you learn robotics, you learn mathematics, engineering, English – it is a package of a lot of disciplines, skills and teamwork. It is a very interactive way and I am sure that Qatar will support this initiative, so I hope some day to start an institution where people can come in and learn robotics.” Sidra echoes similar sentiments and points out that her interest in computer science developed from a very young age. “When I was little, I used to love video games and I was absolutely amazed at how they were created. I learned basic DOS commands as a child and a bit of Linux programming. Then in high school I developed a strong background in C++, a programming language,” explains Sidra. Fatema Akbar is another outstanding CMU-Q graduate. The intelligent 21-year-old has already made impressive strides in her undergraduate studies and earned a welldeserved place at Oxford University in the UK

where she hopes to complete a Master’s program in the Social Science of the Internet. “I believe this is an active area of research in the region, especially as the Internet is changing many aspects of education, society, politics and healthcare,” explains Fatema. “I would like to transform the knowledge that I have obtained from my research and studies into educational policies, teaching material or published material.” As a Bahraini national, Fatema is eager to contribute to the development of the Gulf region, especially in the fields of research and teaching. Having successfully earned a double major in Information Systems and Business Administration with a commendable Grade Point Average, Fatema is confident about the choice she made to study at CMU-Q in Qatar. “I have spent four years here and I know that I could not have made a better choice,” she says. “I became more open-minded, articulate and educated – I gained a lot on both a personal and an educational level.”

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On a noble mission:

Youngest graduating doctor in the region

ith insatiable curiosity and an inherent love of learning, Iqbal El-Assaad, who is of Palestinian origin, was determined to fulfill her noble childhood goal of becoming a doctor in order to provide medical care to Palestinian refugees who lived in camps and were less fortunate than herself. “Since I was very young, I really wanted to help people. My family did not live in a camp, but we had family members who did and I used to visit them,” she says with empathy. “I became aware that they had a lot of medical needs and I felt that the best way to help them would be by providing family healthcare.” So when the high-achieving student completed high school at the tender age of 12, the Minister of Education in Lebanon stepped in to help her secure the most competitive scholarships. Soon afterwards, several prominent individuals and universities came forward with promising offers that ensured Iqbal would receive an outstanding education. “When they told me about the opportunity to study at Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar and I read about the university and Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, I was very happy. Weill Cornell is known across the world for offering top medical programs, and I was really pleased to receive a scholarship from Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser,” she says. Iqbal is now one of the youngest doctors in the world. The 20-year-old has earned her Doctor of Medicine degree from Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar (WCMC-Q) and is exceptionally grateful to HH Sheikha Moza and to all the individuals who helped her along the way. “I would really like to thank them for giving me this opportunity, because I never dreamed that I would be educated at one of the best universities in the world, so I extend a special ‘thank you ‘to Her Highness and to Qatar Foundation as a whole.” The fresh graduate will be starting her residency at the prestigious

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Iqbal Mahmoud El-Assaad

Cleveland Clinic in the United States this summer and she hopes to specialize in pediatrics, with a long-term view to becoming a pediatric cardiologist. “My plan is to do the residency and then do a fellowship. I am of course planning to come back to the Middle East after I train, since this field is not well developed in the region as a whole,” says the compassionate doctor. “Then I would like to join an academic health center so that I can undertake research and teach other medical students so they too can become doctors one day.” But Iqbal has not forgotten about the childhood dream she harbors, and she intends to continue working hard and with the utmost dedication until she realizes it. “My biggest dream is to come back to Lebanon and open a free clinic for the Palestinians in the camp and to help them out as much as I possibly can.”

Internships, Graduation and life after Basra Bashir, Fashion Design, VCUQ Rinchu Mathew, Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M at Qatar

Chaiun Chung, Graphic Design, VCUQ Mei El-Gindi, Biological Sciences, CMU-Q Farheen Ehasanulla, Interior Design, VCUQ

what’s The first thing you will do after the graduation ceremony? Basra Bashir Everything’s happened so fast that most of us still can’t believe that the graduation ceremony is over and we’ve finally graduated. But since it has been done, while moving my things out from the university lockers, I look forward to a long relaxing vacation. I have to pack and move out from the student housing as well.

Rinchu Mathew Take a lot of pictures, or rather be in a lot of pictures taken by others.

Chaiun Chung I would love to celebrate my honorable graduation with my family, friends and colleagues.

Mei El-Gindi

Basra Bashir Fashion Design, VCUQ

Sleep, and go on vacation. I am going to Dubai, Croatia and Serbia, which I am really looking forward to.

Farheen Ehasanulla What I am going to do is take a long break and catch up on all the sleep I have missed out on!

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Are you looking forward to a life without deadlines? Basra Bashir No! Just imagining that there is nothing to wake up to do is depressing; not having any deadlines will make me feel like everything I gained from college is being wasted and that I am useless.

Rinchu Mathew That would be the day! I am looking forward to a life with fewer deadlines on the same day and not having to worry constantly about what is due in the next few hours.

Chaiun Chung Well, since I am pursuing my career as a designer, I will always have a deadline. Plus, I don’t think that deadlines are always a bad thing. Deadlines keep you on track of your projects.

Mei El-Gindi Definitely! I will still have some deadlines as I am going to be working, but it will definitely be easier. However, research always has deadlines!

Farheen Ehasanulla I think after university life is going to get a tad more serious. If not assignments deadlines, I’m sure I will have other far more important ‘life’ deadlines to meet.

How well prepared are you for a career? Chaiun Chung Graphic Design, VCUQ

Basra Bashir Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar has taken all possible care to prepare us for the practical world. I believe I am ready to take the next step and ace up to the horizons. I am all set to walk on the bridge of the design field in Qatar that is rising high, especially fashion design.

Rinchu Mathew I think my education has served me well. Especially the last year, with the capstone project, I’ve learned how to use the various resources that we have to learn more about things we do not know.

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Chaiun Chung I have learnt a lot at VCUQ, and I believe that I am ready for my future career.

Mei El-Gindi I think I am pretty well prepared for my career in the lab, as I will be doing the same thing but it will just be on a more advanced level. We have spent a lot of time in the lab, so the hands-on experience has prepared me for my career path in biology.

Farheen Ehasanulla Well, I have prioritized my life a little now and I think I need to give myself some time. After that, I will look forward to stepping into the professional world; that way I will be fresh and ready to begin another huge phase of my life.

Did you undergo many internships during your college time? Basra Bashir My first and only internship during the period of my undergrad was with GLAM at Oryx Advertising in Qatar.

Rinchu Mathew I was fortunate to have two.

Chaiun Chung

Farheen Ehasanulla Interior Design, VCUQ

I have done one internship while I was a student at VCUQ, which helped me a lot to experience life outside of university life.

Mei El-Gindi In biological sciences we do more research than internships, as this is more useful for the field and it is what employers look for. I have completed one research project in Pittsburgh and two in Qatar â&#x20AC;&#x201C; one at Weill Cornell and one at Carnegie Mellon Qatar. We work with the professors and they help to guide us with the research projects.

Farheen Ehasanulla I did my internship at Salam Enterprises, and it was honestly a great experience.

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How have your internships helped you? Basra Bashir At GLAM, I worked with the design as well as the editorial team. Although my internship was for a very short period, my work made it to publication and was included in the “Fashionista” section of the magazine. I learned some keyboard short cuts as well as some do’s and dont’s from all those who I worked with.

Rinchu Mathew The one I did with a smaller company, Petrofac, was very beneficial. They were very accommodating and let me look through all their plant drawing, and even go through the plant at my own pace. This was the first time I was able to actually see the real versions of the plant drawings that we did in school.

Chaiun Chung It showed what real work is and what to do in the real world. For example, at VCUQ I could extend my deadline on occasion; in the real world you would lose your job.

Mei El-Gindi

Rinchu Mathew Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M at Qatar 18

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The research is great; you need the experience. The more research you have the better it looks on your resume and the more it will prepare you for life in the lab.

Farheen Ehasanulla Unlike what I used to hear, my internship definitely helped me enhance my designing skills and achieve some hands-on experience of the professional world. Meeting deadlines professionally and meeting deadlines in university are two completely different things. My internship made me realize that however much fun you are having doing your work, professionalism is always top priority!

what Memories do you have of life at college? Basra Bashir The feeling of being so independent and taking all decisions by yourself is what I will miss the most. I’m not sure if this is how it will be in my life after I leave this place. I will miss being there for my friends and them being beside me through all the easy as well as the tough times. This time spent at college has not only given us knowledge but has educated us about life and people, from various nationalities. I would always want to come visit very frequently to meet my professors and mentors who guided us as to what was right and always gave us honest opinions and advice.

Rinchu Mathew Strumming my guitar in the courtyard outside my lab, midnight karak/ice cream with friends, and crazy all-nighters.

Chaiun Chung I never understood the saying “your university years are the best years of your life” until my graduation day. Even though I had many all-nighters at the university and sacrificed my social life, I do not regret a single second of the time I spent here. It was so much fun because of the people around me.

Mei El-Gindi

Mei El-Gindi Biological Sciences, CMU-Q

I have so many, it’s hard to pick out the best memories. I love the opportunities it gave us. The professors are amazing, and the best teachers that anyone could ask for. The friends are great, so it was just a fantastic experience overall!

Farheen Ehasanulla My memories lie with all my friends here. They were the reason I used to come to university, because I knew that they would always bring a smile to my face. Their positivity and motivation always made me give my best. From complaining about how we got the worst laptops to ordering shawarmas and watching movies while pulling all-nighters during exam week, each moment will remain with me forever. I wish my friends all the very best and I hope to see them all again down the road!

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Internships helped pave the way Mughees Ahmed

Talal al-Haddad

Business Administration I have worked with finance, research and marketing organizations. The most interesting internship was the marketing one; I was the data analyst. I had the responsibility of arranging focus groups, surveying people, combining the results, and analysing them. It was a three-month internship, and I learned a lot on so many different levels. Firstly, I learned how to work professionally, and I learned how to apply the theoretical knowledge from the courses to the practical business.

Computer Science I had an internship at QNB. I worked in the IT department and I got to rotate so I was working in different sections, therefore I have experience in the network section and the development section. It was a really good experience and I learned a lot from it. However, I wish I had practised programming myself. I had more than one mentor throughout the internship and they really helped me, which made it a valuable experience.

Inspiring and Aspiring Ismaeel Naar Northwestern Journalism graduate

Why did you choose to study journalism? I want to tell stories. I want to help others. I want to travel the world. I want to change the world. You don’t necessarily have to go far to become a storyteller, because you just have to listen to those around you. You have the ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and the ability to see the world through their eyes. And in doing so, we give someone a voice. A voice to the voiceless.

What’s the importance of journalism? Whether it is a communications film that encapsulates the Syrian revolution and what it means for a son and his mother, or a journalism report on the struggles of the Qatari people living with diabetes and illness, what we have learned here is that stories have the power to move not only a person but a nation. And what we do as storytellers can be controversial and hard-hitting, but the end result is that there is a dialogue. People here may not be used to putting their problems in the spotlight, but at the end of the day they’re still talking about it. And in a city, and a region, where many are still trying to figure out their

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problems, the only way to achieve and grow is if we talk with one another. That is the real reason why the work we do works.

do you have an Inspirational thought for others studying journalism? Travel the world and tell others’ stories. And be the change you want in the world, through whatever medium. Edmund Burke once said: “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” So let us use our degrees to do good things and give back to our societies, wherever they may be.

expert talk

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I want to make a differenceâ&#x20AC;? By a Sabrin sen en Christ

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Dr.

Mark H. Weichold, the Dean of Texas A& M University at Qatar, was recently awarded the inaugural Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Attiyah International Energy Award for ‘Lifetime Achievement for the Advancement of Education’ at the Doha Energy Forum’s 2013 event gala. T he award recognizes Weichold’s contributions and achievements in the advancement of education in Qatar. Dr Weichold believes in changing people’s lives, and hence imparting education was the perfect vocation for this visionary. He talks to Campus about his dreams and ambitions for young people.

After a career working as an engineer, how did you decide to branch into education? Do you ever regret not being hands-on in a profession that makes you change and improve lives... or do you think this is a continuation of the same vocation? I’m a practising engineer and I’ve worked for Motorola and General Dynamics and other places. Principally, I’ve been a professor since 1982. I do see myself as being hands-on and making a difference and changing people’s lives. In fact, probably back in the 80s, one of my students was asking me basically the same question: “Why become a professor instead of a practising engineer?” My answer to him is one I still feel good about today, and that is, if I really want to make a difference in engineering, I would educate lots of engineers because then instead of just one person, me, being out there, I have hundreds of my students out there.

How different are students on the Campuses where you have taught? It is almost surprising to see how similar the young people are in all these campuses. Young people, no matter where you are, have new and different ways to look at things, and I find that very exciting. I like to think it keeps me on my toes and keeps me fresh. It’s always rewarding for me to see the way a student’s face lights up, whenever the engineering concept we are working on clicks.

Was it your decision coming to Qatar? Were you aware of the country, and what were your initial impressions? When Qatar Foundation first approached Texas A&M, I was part of a team that came over here on the very first visit and the group that set up the campus and everything, so I was very much aware of it. When we first got here, Education City was not nearly as large and as built up and developed as it is now. At that time, the Qatar Foundation headquarters building was in place, Qatar Academy, VCUQ, and Cornell’s building was still under construction. It was exciting to see the plans that Qatar Foundation had. There was a master plan then with certain buildings and layouts, and if you see the master plan now, it has grown to five or six times the size of what was planned back then.

As the dean of such a prestigious university, do you have time to interact with the students? How is the campus atmosphere different here than in Texas? I don’t have as much time as when I was a professor, obviously, because

Why did U become a professor? Because if I really want to make a difference in engineering, I would educate lots of engineers, because then instead of just one person, me, being out there, I have hundreds of my students out there. every day as a professor I would see my class but, on the other hand the opportunities that I have as a dean to interact with students are on a different level. At least once a month I meet the student body president. Hearing what the students have on their minds, what their concerns are, is very important to me. Also, working with the student leaders is a very rewarding part of my job. The similarities between the students here and in Texas is remarkable. One thing that is different here is that about 38% of the students are female and in Texas it’s about half. So that creates a different environment here. Qatar Foundation has been an outstanding partner with us and has provided us with some excellent laboratories and classrooms, and from that perspective, the environment here is different as well. The opportunities that our students here have for state-of-the-art equipment are far better than what we have at College Station in Texas.

What advice can you give students, in terms of making it a fun and learning experience? The advice I would give to both the students and the sponsors of an internship program is to make the job assignment a real assignment. Give the students a real project. It may not be the most long-term or advanced project, but make it real. And if the student seeks out that kind of project, and if the internship sponsor provides, it that will produce an outstanding experience for the student.

How important is it for students to gain work experience before they graduate? It’s very important to have work experience. One of the things that I think is unique about our program here is that by the time our students graduate, 80% of them have some kind of internship or work experience. Having that hands-on feel is very important for an engineer. That’s why we have so many of our engineering courses associated with laboratories, so the students learn theory in the classroom but then they go into a laboratory and actually conduct experiments.

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YOUNG TURKS

The Final Destination Zaid Haque,

a Carnegie Mellon Qatar graduate, is now working at Hamad International Airport as Lead Desktop Publishing Officer. He is pretty happy in his job right now, but he too went through all the hitches deciding on the “right path” to take. “In high school, my dream job was to be an architect, but I decided to pursue Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar; I

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thought the best I could do for myself was to become a doctor. I prepared myself over a year in advance, even attending Cornell’s Summer College program for high school students in Ithaca, New York, in order to secure a seat in WCMC-Q. Though I enjoyed the first year, I was not very fond of how the more ‘medical’ courses like Neuroscience and Biochemistry often did not allow us to ask ‘why’,” he says. In his quest to find all the answers, he was introduced to the then-new major of Information Systems, and it looked like a field of un-

limited opportunity to do exactly that. “I then took my first design course and realized that there was something about design that I liked. It was the same exact thing I liked in Architecture - the simple idea of combining lines and shapes to create anything from a house to a skyscraper. In this case I’d be using lines and shapes to create a technology experience instead. This was exactly what I wanted from my education - a platform to innovate and create new knowledge, and I got that at CMU.”

He speaks about his experience working at a place that will soon cater for 25 million passengers annually.

How did your education at CMU-Q help you prepare to become involved in innovative projects that make a difference for the community in Qatar? In what ways did your education help you decide exactly what you wanted to do? Like I stated earlier, I feel I got a lot from the projects that I did during my time at CMU-Q. It started when I had to apply for my minor in Communication Design, for which I had to create a portfolio of work I wished to show to the committee. I realized that every piece of work I did at CMU-Q should be done in such a way that I could be proud to show it to someone if I was applying for a job, rather than for a good grade. I think constantly working on this portfolio helped keep me ready for whenever I found an opportunity to get involved in innovative projects - and when I found an opportunity I would straightaway add that to my portfolio as well, which in turn helped me

find more opportunities. My education opened many doors and it was a tough decision choosing a single path. I really wanted to utilize my knowledge of technology and combine it with my passion for design, and my professors advised me that I should get involved in UX Design. Regarding my specific choice of where to work, I felt that out of the offers I received, this would give me the widest level of experience possible in my field. I think this is necessary for professionals entering any industry - starting off with a wide depth in the field, and slowly narrowing into specialties and subspecialties.

In your work with Hamad International Airport, what are the main design problems you deal with? As with any airport, the biggest challenge is the volume of people using any system that is made. The capacity of Hamad International Airport is starting off at 25 million passengers per year; that is almost 70,000 users per day who will be using anything we produce. Due to Qatar Airways’ continuously expanding

network, these people come from all around the world. This results in people with different language and cultural backgrounds. Addressing these is no doubt a challenge, and a very interesting one at that.

What are some of the ideas or design solutions you have come up with so far? I cannot give specifics, but I am looking at ways in which technology can enhance passengers’ experiences at the airport. One of these is to do with the flight information screens, which have been specifically designed with the ambience of the airport as well as the culture of Qatar in mind, including the challenges of addressing many different people of different backgrounds.

How does it feel to be involved with such a big project and having so many eyes waiting to see the end result? Is the pressure easy for you or do you find it stressful? I’ve always wanted to be a part of big projects that impact many people, and now that I’ve got the opportunity I am trying to make the

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UX design: the potential benefits for other businesses

most of it. Yes, it is stressful knowing how many passengers my work will affect, but I feel this type of pressure brings out the best in people; it helps to motivate them to give their level best.

Do you feel you have missed out on anything because of where you were? I have missed different opportunities given where I was at a certain point in time, be it geographically or in terms of my educational development. If I were still in CMU this year, there would have been more courses that I would have loved to take that I missed. If I had not gone to Cornell, I could have used those extra years to pursue a Master’s degree by now. However, what I do know is that I would not be where I am right now, and I’m pretty content at the moment! There are many times when we miss opportunities, but some people say ‘when one door closes another one opens’, and I’ve seen a lot of truth in that.

During your time at CMU-Q, did you gain any work experience in the field you are in now? If so, where, and how did it help you?

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The term “UX” stands for User Experience, and it basically encompasses the experience a user has while using a certain technology or set of technologies. Comparatively, UI (User Interface) Design, which is a bit more commonly known, refers to the look and feel of a certain app or website. This could have to do with the use of color, branding, size of images and buttons, and typefaces. UX covers this, but looks in more detail at how a potential user would interact with the technology, given the context. We need to ask more questions about how a user would be using a certain product. In the context of an airport, we could be asking questions like: “Would a passenger have a free hand to take out his or her phone to use an app, or would they be pushing a trolley with both hands at this point?” “Would users want to download an app for this action, or could they do the same thing on a mobile website?” “Can I push information from this screen onto a user’s mobile device, so that it’s possible to use the mobile device without having to come back to this screen?” Answering these questions helps us get a better sense of how to design a group of products that meet a unified goal, eg providing information about flights to passengers through different means, harmoniously.

I did two internships during my time at CMU, the second one, 3D modelling/design at Williams F1 Advanced Technology Center in QSTP, being a bit more relevant to my field. However, most of my ‘experience’ was not through internships but through coursework and personal/freelance projects that I used to do in my spare time. These, as well as specific work from my student organizations, really ad ded to my portfolio of projects and experience.

If you had to change anything in your life what would it be? One thing that I feel got me to where I am today is having had the courage to explore things happening outside of college. I did everything from weekly radio shows at QF Radio, fundraising, organizing a conference and much more. These were all enriching experiences and I do think they added a lot to my professional side. Rather than specifically changing something about my life, I would say that I could do more of these same experiences. As graduates, however, we don’t have the same opportunities to go out and do things like we could in university. I’d want to carry

forward with things I was doing in university and continue being a part of the vibrant community in Qatar.

One quote and a personality that always inspires you? It might seem a bit cliché but I’ve always been inspired by Steve Jobs. He had the idea of creating things that would change the way humans interact with technology, and he and his team did that many times, with the personal computer, music player, smartphone and tablet. UX Designers in general work on creating technology that humans would feel comfortable using, but Jobs took it to another level by defining what people should feel comfortable using. My favourite quote, which is something that all designers live by is, “A lot of times, people don’t know what they want until you show it to them.” If designers are trying to innovate, they cannot look at what people want, because what they want isn’t out there yet, which is why they don’t know they want it! It’s our job to design something and make sure we design it so that they want it and like it.

“I’d rather be funny than sexy” By Sabrina Christensen 28

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In the past six years, Emma Stone has gone from playing the goofy sidekick in movies like Zombieland and Ghosts of Girlfriends Past to the serious heroine in The Help and Gangster Squad. Her breakthrough role in the surprise hit Easy A, in which she portrayed a high school girl who amps up her popularity by pretending to be promiscuous, introduced Stone as a leading lady. She not only was pretty but also had a sly sense of comic timing and a knack for physical humor.

Emily

Jean Stone, also known as just Emma Stone, has already made her mark on Hollywood. The 24-year-old actress was born in Phoenix, Arizona, the daughter of Krista, a homemaker, and Jeff Stone, a contractor. Growing up, Stone was a member of the Valley Youth Theater, a regional theater in Phoenix. She appeared in her first stage production, The Wind in the Willows, at the age of eleven. While being home schooled for two years, she also appeared in sixteen productions at the same theater, including Cinderella, T itanic, T he Little Mermaid and many more. When asked about her experience in school, she says, “I was home schooled through high school, but before that I enjoyed being the class clown. It was a strange combination of wanting to be the teacher’s pet and the class clown. I was a nightmare, essentially!” Stone attended Xavier College Preparatory, an all-girl Catholic high school, as a freshman for one semester. Her passion for acting was set in stone (no pun intended) and she gave a PowerPoint presentation to her parents, set to the Madonna song “Hollywood”, to convince them to let her move to California to pursue an acting career. T hey agreed, and she dropped out of high school, and in January 2004, at the age of 15, moved with her mother to a Los Angeles apartment. She was then home schooled so that she could audition during the day. When asked if she had a Plan B, Stone says it would be “to be a journalist, because I think we have similar jobs. You analyze people. I love to ask questions.” Stone

chose the name “Emma” when she registered for the Screen Actors Guild because there was already a listing for an “Emily Stone”. Her family and friends still call her Emily. Stone launched a career in television after winning the role of Laurie Partridge on In Search of the New Partridge Family (2004), a talent competition reality show. The resulting show, The New Partridge Family (2005), only produced a pilot episode. Stone next had appearances in the television series Medium, Malcolm in the Middle and Lucky Louie. In 2007, she had a regular role on the Fox drama Drive, playing Violet Trimble, until the series was canceled. She also auditioned for Heroes, and overheard in the casting room, “On a scale

of 1 to 10, you are an 11.” The casting directors were referring to Hayden Panettiere, who was cast as Claire Bennet instead. Stone called this experience “rock bottom”. Stone made her feature film debut in the 2007 teen comedy Superbad, playing Jules, the love interest of lead character Seth (Jonah Hill). In 2008, she appeared in the comedy The Rocker, with Rainn Wilson. Stone played Amelia, the bass guitarist in a band featuring singer Teddy Geiger. Stone learned to play bass for the role. Also that year, Stone appeared in The House Bunny, starring Anna Faris, alongside Katharine McPhee and Kat Dennings. In 2009, Stone appeared in Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, a romantic comedy directed by Mark Waters, the director of Mean Girls, starring Matthew McConaughey and Jennifer Garner. She starred in the horror/comedy Zombieland, along with Woody Harrelson and Jesse Eisenberg. Stone played Wichita, a survivor/con artist from Wichita, Kansas, travelling across the US with her younger sister Little Rock (Abigail Breslin). Stone also starred in Paper Man in 2009, alongside Jeff Daniels, Ryan Reynolds and Lisa Kudrow, directed by Kieran and Michele Mulroney. She played Abby, a babysitter that Daniels’ character hires after moving to Long Island. In 2010, Stone had a voice role in Marmaduke, a film adaptation of the longrunning comic strip about a Great Dane. She voiced Marmaduke’s friend, Mazie, a tomboyish Australian Shepherd. Stone landed her first leading role that year, starring with Amanda Bynes as a high school student in Easy A, a comedy directed by Will Gluck. Her character scandalizes her teachers

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and more conservative religious classmates after a false rumor circulates that she is sexually promiscuous. The script contrasts the novel The Scarlet Letter and its heroine, Hester Prynne, to the life of the protagonist in the film. Stone read the script before the project was optioned for production, and kept an eye on it along with her manager until preparations were made. She was attracted to the script because it was “funny and sweet” and her character was “fantastic from the first read” and was “fleshed [..] out so much in the script”. When she found out that the film had gone into production, she met with Gluck to express her enthusiasm about the project. A few months later, the audition process started and Stone met again with Gluck to be one of the first actresses to audition. Stone was nominated for the 2011 Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy for her role. Stone stated in 2008 that she would eventually like to venture into film production, producing her own films, and that her dream was to appear on Saturday Night Live. Stone appeared in Friends with Benefits, starring Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis, and directed by Will Gluck. The comedy was released in July 2011. She also starred in Crazy, Stupid, Love that year, alongside Steve Carell, Julianne Moore and Ryan Gosling. The Warner Bros film, about a husband (Carell) with marital problems and difficulties with his children, was also released in July. Stone starred in The Help, an adaptation of Kathryn Stockett’s best-selling novel of the same name, a period piece set in Jackson, Mississippi in the 1960s, which was released in August 2011. She plays Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan, an aspiring writer, and employed a Southern dialect for the role. Stone joined the voice cast of The Croods, a 3D computer animated caveman comedy by DreamWorks Animation. She voiced the role of Eep, the oldest daughter of Grug (Nicolas Cage) and Ugga (Catherine Keener). Ryan Reynolds voices Gy, the love interest of Stone’s character. The film was released in March this year. Stone starred as the female lead opposite Andrew Garfield in The Amazing Spider-Man, a reboot by Columbia Pictures and Marvel Entertainment, of the Spider-Man film series. She played Gwen Stacy, the seventeen-yearold love interest of Peter Parker. Marc Webb directed the film, which was released in July

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2012. Stone co-starred in Gangster Squad, a film by Zombieland director Ruben Fleischer. She was reunited with Ryan Gosling in the ensemble crime drama, which also starred Sean Penn. Stone played Grace, who is caught in a love triangle with Gosling’s character, Sgt Jerry Wooters, and Penn’s character, mobster Mickey Cohen. The film was released in January 2013. Stone will soon be reunited with writer and director Will Gluck, starring in and executive producing an untitled comedy for Screen Gems. The film studio has given Gluck and Stone full discretion in developing a new project, after the success of Easy A. Stone will also reprise her role as Gwen Stacy in T he Amazing Spider-Man 2, which is scheduled

That chemistry inspired their off-screen romance. In a 2012 interview with USA Today, Garfield elaborated, “We don’t talk about anything personal. That’s just the way it is. Right now, we’re just actors. Em will soon be a producer, too. It’s just something that’s personal, and this is work, really.” Stone also explained her unwillingness to discuss Garfield: “There’s such a great sense of comfort in knowing that the only thing you have control over is what you say. People can say and do all they want. If it never comes out of your own mouth, you still get to keep that semblance of what is sacred to you.” Hollywood puts a lot of pressure on actresses to look good. Stone recently gave her thoughts on the subject. “Yeah. You see your-

Style

Of all the Hollywood stars whose wardrobes we’d love to raid, Emma Stone ranks at the top of the list. The actress has transitioned from bigscreen sweetheart to bona fide movie star over the past few years, a metamorphosis as inevitable as her style evolution. Her fashion aesthetic has paralleled her rise to superstardom: little black dresses and simple cocktail frocks have given way to more directional, risk-taking outfits. She’s nailed her own particular brand of cool downtown polish when it comes to off-the-clock ensembles too. for release in May 2014. Stone will co-star in Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu’s ensemble comedy Birdman, with Michael Keaton, Zach Galifianakis, and Naomi Watts, and is also set to co-star in Guillermo Del Toro’s Crimson Peak, alongside Jessica Chastain and Benedict Cumberbatch. It certainly appears that Stone is here to stay. What is great about her compared with so many other young stars is that she generally avoids discussing her personal life in the media. After Stone was cast in The Amazing Spider-Man, the film’s director Marc Webb noted that the chemistry between Stone and Andrew Garfield made her the clear choice.

self too much... I don’t want to watch my movies any more, because watching your face that big is awful... No one should go through that!” (laughs) I’m trying not to see myself anymore. And now it’s in 3D! Not only am I big like that, but I keep jumping out of the screen. But I don’t want to worry too much about that, because I’m not a model, I’m an actress. I want to look like a normal person. It’s important to me that I’m able to play many different parts instead of being put in a specific box. It’s good to have the appearance of a human being.” She also says “it’s very flattering to be found in the ‘most sexy’ lists but adds, “my goal has always been to make people laugh.”

By ABIGAIL MATHIAS

ournalism is a profession that appears glamorous, but that’s not all it is. There is an element of intrigue and research in it as well. Justin Martin is an assistant professor of journalism at Northwestern University in Qatar. He completed his PhD from the journalism school at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and taught in Cairo and Jordan before arriving in Qatar. Martin’s research and writing focus on free speech in developing countries and emerging

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democracies, and media and politics in the Arab world. His work has been published in a large number of publications. A former Fullbright scholar, he has lived in several countries and speaks multiple dialects of Arabic. He has reported on five continents and shares his love of the field and of teaching with us.

What is the one lesson you hope students in the media keep handy with them when they are in the field? I hope they remember the things that they’ve been taught. I would encourage them not to be afraid to ask the hard questions. To always

push the boundaries, but to be respectful of sources and to cultivate relationships with sources. The best reporters cultivate relationships with sources. That’s not always an easy thing to do. Another important thing I would recommend is to keep contacts meticulously documented and saved in multiple places. Try and keep these contacts active, as they will come in handy.

Do you believe technology empowers or disempowers young people and media students in particular?

I strongly believe that technology empowers and enables reporting. I have been in touch with students who are based all over the world. Thanks to technology, students can work with editors and they can get published by editors they’ve never ever seen in person or even spoken to. They can communicate with them via social channels and via e-mail. Not that this is ideal. Face-to-face communication is wonderful, but you can work with editors that are perhaps based in countries as diverse as Singapore or Lebanon while residing in Qatar. They can advance their careers in this way. I’ve had my work published on five different continents and have only met editors of three of those publications in person. Digital technologies have made these relationships possible.

When it comes to having a balanced report, what are some of the techniques you encourage among your students? In our journalism classes we talk about ‘objectivity of process’. Bias-free news may never

really exist, because human beings are fallible. However, what we encourage our students to do is talk to independent sources. To get information from reliable sources. For example when someone dies, they don’t report that someone dies unless they see the body themselves or they’ve talked to a director at a hospital that has seen the body. This is a process that they need to go through to vet information. We encourage them to be open to ideas but skeptical. We tell them to use their instincts. There’s a smell test. If something doesn’t smell right, we ask that they sniff a little harder. If it doesn’t pass the smell test, it might not be right. We help them go through a whole series of steps to get the most reliable information.

What are some of the skills that students need to acquire before they take up the profession? Study languages and start with your own. Those aren’t my words; I’m quoting a former Associated Press journalist,named Mort

Rosenblum. Studying foreign languages is extremely important in the age of global journalism. My students in Qatar study multiple languages. Some speak Urdu, French and Spanish, and that is indeed an asset. Technical skills are also certainly important. Code writing helps. One of the most important things I try to teach my students in addition to clear writing is being comfortable with numbers and with math. Journalism students tend to believe that the world is populated by two types of people – people that write things and people that count things. I try to tell them that this is a false dichotomy. Journalists need to be able to write things as well as count and quantify things to understand numbers. I will teach statistics to journalism students this summer at NorthWestern University in Qatar. I try to teach my students the importance of understanding numbers so when a government hands out a statistical report about crime and unemployment, a student should be able to analyse this data and see if it passes the smell test.

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career trivia

Job interviews:

It’s all about

first impressions

e’ve all heard this at least once in our lives: “Dress for the job you want, not the job you have.” In fact, when you’re interviewing for a job, it is all about first impressions. So if you like the job you applied for and you want to get it, you should make some effort to look the part and leave a lasting positive

impression. In fact, Bayt.com’s latest poll on the Influence of Personal Appearance on Hiring Decisions revealed that 83.4% of MENA professionals link appearance to success and 76.4% believe that employers make a decision based on a candidate’s physical appearance. In addition to

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that, good personal grooming and style show your interest in the position you’ve applied for (27.5%), and your good character (24.8%). More often than not, there’s no second chance to make a first impression, and it takes no more than 30 seconds for a person to form an opinion of you. First impressions are vital to the success of your job interview and when you’ve only got a short time to sell yourself, you need to communicate your professionalism effectively, both verbally and non-verbally. To make sure you don’t end your job interview before it has really begun, here are some do’s and don’ts from Bayt.com, the Middle East’s #1 Job Site, to help you leave a good first impression at a job interview:

The Do’s 01 02

Do arrive on time, with a professional smile and a firm handshake that indicates you are confident. Also, make sure you maintain eye contact during the handshake. Generally, the image you want to project is one that is professional and positive.

03 04 05 06 07

Do dress conservatively and sensibly in clothes that are not too tight or revealing. We recommend a business suit for the first interview - in fact a Bayt. com poll revealed that Western formal wear is the top choice of professionals (62.3%). Too much jewelry, revealing attire, clothes that are too casual or unclean, careless grooming and excessive make-up will all send out the wrong message. Do watch your body language, by sitting upright in your chair, maintaining comfortable eye contact, smiling and nodding politely. Do show enthusiasm. Your attitude can make or break the interview. Employers are looking for energetic professionals. Looking bored or tired or displaying a lack of interest during the interview will work against you. Bayt.com’s ‘Hiring Practices in the MENA Region’ poll (February 2012) showed that recruiters in the MENA region look for hunger, drive and ambition as the most important things when making a hiring decision. Be courteous. Listen to the interviewer attentively, smile politely and do not interrupt. Tailor your answers to the precise questions to show you are in fact listening and understanding all that is being said. Answer questions attentively, respectfully and in a manner that engages the employer and demonstrates your interest in the company and the job. Be honest. Exaggerations and outright lies at the interview stage are more often than not glaringly obvious. Dishonesty and clear exaggerations are among the most common mistakes jobseekers make during an interview, as affirmed by employers in Bayt.com’s ‘Hiring Practices in the MENA Region’ poll. Leave happy and make sure your goodbye handshake is just as confident as it was when you were going in.

The Don’ts 01 02 03 04 05 06 Don’t wear strong perfume. You don’t want to cause any respiratory allergies in the interviewer. Anything that is louder than what you have to say at an interview is a distraction.

Don’t chew gum, smoke, eat or drink at the interview, as this would suggest disrespect.

Don’t act distracted. Look the interviewer straight in the eye and give them your full and undivided attention.

Don’t let your body language send the wrong messages: Avoid crossing your arms or legs in front of you, slouching in the chair, leaning too far back, talking to the floor, or flirting. Avoid over-confidence, superiority, bragging, or excessive familiarity.

Don’t bring up your personal life or comment on politics, religion or any other controversial topics that may be off the track. Don’t stray from the interview questions, and keep your answers factual, honest and professional.

Making the right impression during a job interview isn’t hard if you keep in mind three basic rules: First, personal appearance does count. Second, your body language says a lot about you, so make sure you don’t send the wrong cues. Finally, dress as you want to be seen: a person who takes their job seriously and is professional.

Bayt.com is the #1 job site in the Middle East, with more than 40,000 employers and over 11,000,000 registered job seekers from across the Middle East, North Africa and the globe, representing all industries, nationalities and career levels. Post a job or find jobs on www.bayt.com today and access the leading resource for job seekers and employers in the region.

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Getting your CV to work for you Putting together a successful CV is easy once you know how. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a case of taking all your skills and experience and tailoring them to the job youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re applying for. The following tips will help you get started on creating a successful CV and securing your first (or next) job.

1 36

Get the basics right There is no right or wrong way to write a CV, but there are some common sections you should cover. These include: personal and contact information; education and qualifications; work history and/or experience; skills relevant to the job in question; interests, achievements or hobbies; and some references.

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Presentation is key A successful CV is always carefully and clearly presented.The layout should always be clean and well structured.

the 3 Keep it to the point 4 Understand job description A good CV is clear, concise and makes every point necessary. A CV is a reassurance to a potential employer; it’s a chance to tick the right boxes. And if everything is satisfied, there’s a better chance of a job interview. Also, employers receive dozens of CVs all the time so it’s unlikely they’ll read each one cover to cover. Most will make a judgment about a CV within seconds, so make sure you keep it on point and don’t add too many unnecessary things.

the CV 5 Tailor to the role When you’ve established what the job entails and how you can match each requirement, create a CV specifically for that role. Remember, there is no such thing as a generic CV. Every CV you send to a potential employer should be tailored to that role, so don’t be lazy and hope that a general CV will work, because it won’t. Create a unique CV for every job you apply for. You don’t have to re-write the whole thing, just adapt the details so they’re relevant.

Making the most of interests Under ‘Interests’, highlight things that show off the skills you’ve gained and that employers look for. Describe any examples of positions of responsibility, working in a team or anything that shows you can use your own initiative, for example if you ran your university’s newspaper or started a weekend league football team that became a success. Include anything that shows how diverse, interesting and skilled you are. Don’t include passive interests like watching T V or solitary hobbies that can be perceived as showing you lack people skills.

Including references References should be from someone who has employed you in the past and can vouch for your skills and experience. If you’ve never worked before you can use a teacher or tutor as a referee.

your 10Keep CV updated It’s crucial to review your CV on a regular basis and add any new skill or experience that’s missing. For example, if you’ve just done some volunteering or worked on a new project, make sure they’re on there – potential employers are always impressed by candidates who go the extra mile to boost their own skills and experience.

The clues are in the job application, so read the details from start to finish. Take notes and create bullet points, highlighting everything you can satisfy and all the bits you can’t. With the areas where you’re lacking, fill in the blanks by adapting the skills you do have. For example, if the job in question requires someone with sales experience, there’s nothing stopping you from using any retail work you’ve undertaken – even if it was something to help pay the bills through university. It will demonstrate the skills you do have and show how they’re transferable.

the 6 Making most of skills Under the ‘Skills’ section of your CV, don’t forget to mention key skills that can help you to stand out from the crowd. These could include: communication skills; computer skills; team working; problem solving; or even speaking a foreign language. Skills can come out of the most unlikely places, so really think about what you’ve done to grow your own skills, even if you take examples from being in a local sports team or joining a voluntary group – it’s all relevant.

the 8 Making most of experience

Use assertive and positive language under the ‘Work History’ and ‘Experience’ sections, such as “developed”, “organized” or “achieved”. Try to relate the skills you have learned to the job role you’re applying for. For example: “The work experience involved working in a team”, or “This position involved planning, organisation and leadership as I was responsible for a team of people.” Really get to grips with the valuable skills and experience you have gained from past work positions, even if it was just working in a restaurant – every little helps.

Resources: LinkedIn.com – creating an account is free. Upload your CV and connect with professionals. Bayt.com – Post your CV. New jobs around the Middle East posted everyday.

2013

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Fashion initiatives TALK

By ABIGAIL MATHIAS

The graduating students of Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar (VCUQ) put on a grand show at The Gate Mall recently. The senior thesis collection, titled â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Fingerprintâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, consisted of an eclectic mix of day to evening looks that reflected the individual aesthetic of each student. Each collection consisted of a minimum of 10 looks that reinforced the individual vision, creativity and style of the young designers.

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“Little in fashion is really new. It has all been done before. It’s just a matter of reinterpreting and redefining it into something different. Science tells us that a fingerprint is our single most distinguishing factor. We have used this as a theme to bring out the individuality in each one’s designs,” explains Sandra Bell Wilkins, Chair of Fashion Design at VCUQ. She invited a special guest designer, Eric Gaskins, to help students with their designs. Gaskins’ designs have adorned celebrities such as Salma Hayek, Sharon Stone and Natalie Portman, and his collection in Qatar, left many delighted. The fashion show also included an exciting childrenswear collection called ‘Patterns’, where adorable tiny tots strolled unabashedly on the runway. Another featured at the show was the senior fall collection, titled ‘Illusions’, which contained extraordinary details,while the junior sportswear had a denim focus.

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During the event, a number of awards were handed to promising students as well. VCUQâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Golden Needle Awards for achievers were presented to - Kinda Morshed (Best Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Collection), Dylon Sergei Adonis (Most Outstanding Sophomore), Hisham Dawoud (Best Junior Collection), Maha Ghanim Al-Kuwari (Most Outstanding Junior), Dana Masoud (Most Outstanding Senior) and Rabab Abdulla (Most Outstanding Senior Collection). The Salam Fashion Award was introduced this year. It will help in the development and design of two bespoke collections to be sold exclusively within a dedicated space in Salam Stores, Doha. The award went to Dana Masoud. For the third year, the W Doha hotel presented an award for most outstanding and innovative collection, which went to Rabab Abdulla. The final award was presented by Texture Boutique to Sultana Jesmine.

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WHATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S COOL

Campus Cool Quotient Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s summer - and here are the essentials

Nina Ricci is releasing a summer version of Mademoiselle Ricci. The new juice, developed by master perfumer Alberto Morillas, is made up of fruity and floral summery notes. The perfume features strong notes of rose petals, enriched with peony and lychee.

Get the perfect foundation with Max Factor All-Day Flawless 3-in-1 Foundation with SPF 20. It has been designed with a primer and concealer builtin to give your look durability. The primer gives a smooth, even base for hold, the concealer corrects for a flawless look, and the foundation gives a light, flexible finish. This summer, Rimmel is offering the perfect solution to keep your lips looking good all day. The new range of Apocalips Lip Lacquer has the intense rich color of a lipstick, enhanced by a satin-smooth shine. It combines the best of lipgloss and lipstick in a groundbreaking new formula that promises not to leave lips feeling that dryness that many long-wear lipsticks can cause, or the gloppy stickiness of a typical lipgloss.

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As the temperature begins to soar, Adidas provides the answer to all summer season training worries with its new men’s training range, Climacool. Using revolutionary new fabrics and technologies to keep you cool, the range will help you finish your workout feeling as fresh as when you started.

It’s hard to go wrong with a polo shirt. This summer, get ready for the sun in the new range of Lacoste polo shirts. Bright colors, stripes, neutrals – take your pick!

L’Oreal’s new Nude Magique CC creams help neutralize the appearance of redness, dullness and tired-looking skin with three different color correcting creams. Smart Pigment Capsules in a feather-light hydrator transform into foundation on contact with the skin, giving a weightless bare sensation. Provides 24-hour hydration and has SPF 12.

Tired of rummaging through your beach bag looking for sun lotion or your glasses? This new chic tote from Lacoste is see-through and a perfect size to carry your essentials this summer.

Stand out in an explosion of 3D colors with Manicure Toppings from Bourjois. Harmonies of fine, brightly-colored pearls dress the nails with a new arty dimension.

2013

issue 18

Rock the festival look this season! Compiled by Sabrina Christensen

Coachella Festival in Southern California sets the start of the season for music festivals. Be inspired by the music and street fashions, and rock out your own version of the festival style.

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With a cool printed t-shirt and some skinny jeans, mix the denim with a shirt on top for an edgier look.

guys

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girls QR 90

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Layers are part of the festival look, so wear a jersey dress over a pair of fauxleather leggings with a black cardigan on top.

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All looks by H&M

2013

issue 18

health & Fitness

Photography: Rob Altamirano

Bench Dips

DIP MACHINE

For this exercise you will need to place a bench behind your back. Hold on to the bench on its edge with the hands fully extended, separated at shoulder width. The legs will be extended forward, bent at the waist and perpendicular to your torso. This will be your starting position. Slowly lower your body as you inhale by bending at the elbows until you lower yourself far enough to where there is an angle slightly smaller than 90 degrees between the upper arm and the forearm. Tip: Keep the elbows as close as possible throughout the movement. Forearms should always be pointing down. Using your triceps to bring your torso up again, lift yourself back to the starting position.

Sit securely in a dip machine, select the weight and firmly grasp the handles. Now keep your elbows in at your sides in order to place emphasis on the triceps. The elbows should be bent at a 90 degree angle. As you contract the triceps, extend your arms downwards as you exhale. Tip: At the bottom of the movement, focus on keeping a little bend in your arms to keep tension on the triceps muscle. Now slowly let your arms come back up to the starting position as you inhale.

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03 Cable One Arm Tricep Extension Grasp a single handle attached to the high-cable pulley using a supinated (palms facing DOWN ) grip. You should be standing directly in front of the weight stack. Now pull the handle down so that your upper arm and elbow are locked in to the side of your body. Your upper arm and forearm should form an acute angle (less than 90-degrees). Move the single handle attachment down to your side until your arm is straight. Breathe out as you perform this movement. Tip: Only the forearms should move. Your upper arms should remain stationary at all times. Squeeze the triceps and hold for a second in this contracted position. Slowly return the handle to the starting position.

Push-Ups - Close Triceps Position Lie on the floor face down and place your hands closer than shoulder width for a close hand position. Make sure that you are holding your torso up at armsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; length. Lower yourself until your chest almost touches the floor as you inhale. Using your triceps and some of your pectoral muscles, press your upper body back up to the starting position and squeeze your chest. Breathe out as you perform this step. After a second pause at the contracted position, repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.

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Triceps Extension Hold a bar with an overhand a little closer together than shoulder width. Bring the bar overhead with your arms extended and elbows in. Now lower the bar in a semicircular motion behind your head until your forearms touch your biceps. Inhale as you perform this movement. Tip: Keep your upper arms stationary and close to your head at all times. Only the forearms should move. Return to the starting position as you breathe out and you contract the triceps. Hold the contraction for a second.

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Triceps Push down Attach a straight or angled bar to a high pulley and grab with an overhand grip (palms facing down) at shoulder width. Standing upright with the torso straight and a very small inclination forward, bring the upper arms close to your body and perpendicular to the floor. The forearms should be pointing up towards the pulley as they hold the bar. This is your starting position. Using the triceps, bring the bar down until it touches the front of your thighs and the arms are fully extended perpendicular to the floor. The upper arms should always remain stationary next to your torso and only the forearms should move. Exhale as you perform this movement. Tip: After a second hold at the contracted position, bring the bar slowly up to the starting point. Breathe in as you perform this step.

07 Standing Dumbbell Triceps Extension Grasp a dumbbell with both hands and hold it overhead at armâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s length. The resistance should be resting in the palms of your hands with your thumbs around it. The palm of the hand should be facing inward. This will be your starting position. Keeping your upper arms close to your head (elbows in) and perpendicular to the floor, lower the resistance in a semi-circular motion behind your head until your forearms touch your biceps. Tip: The upper arms should remain stationary and only the forearms should move. Breathe in as you perform this step. Go back to the starting position by using the triceps to raise the dumbbell. Breathe out as you perform this step.

08 STANDING Overhead Triceps Extension To begin, stand up with a BALL held by both hands. Your feet should be about shoulder width apart from each other. Slowly use both hands to grab the BALL and lift it over your head until both arms are fully extended. Keeping your upper arms close to your head with elbows in and perpendicular to the floor Lower the resistance in a semicircular motion behind your head until your forearms touch your biceps. Tip: The upper arms should remain stationary and only the forearms should move.

Farhan Hussain Shaikh, 29 Business owner, training since 9 years. Ezequiel Guadalupe, 33 Pilot, training since 13 years

2013

issue 18

TECH BEAT

Microsoft readying a 7-inch tablet: report

icrosoft is said to be moving quickly to win a larger piece of the tablet market as PC sales continue to fall, putting Microsoft’s traditional core business in danger. According to “people familiar with the company’s plans” who spoke to the Wall Street Journal, Microsoft is working on a 7-inch tablet that it hopes to release before the end of 2013 as part of its refreshed line of Surface products. What’s more, the story claims that a smaller tablet wasn’t initially in the company’s plans, but it feels it needs to develop one quickly to protect itself against the growing uncertainty in the traditional PC market. Reports published by both IDC and Gartner show that PC sales have plummeted over the past three months. Gartner’s figures show that a mere 79.2 million computers shipped globally in the first quarter of 2013, an 11.2 percent drop compared with the same period in 2012. In fact it is the first time since the summer of 2009 that shipments have dropped below the 80

million mark. Worse still is the suggestion that rather than boosting sales, the launch of Microsoft’s latest operating system, Windows 8, has actually made consumers less likely to buy a computer and more likely to invest in a tablet, due to its completely redesigned menu system and touchoptimized interface. IDC’s figures for the fourth quarter of 2012 showed not only that tablet shipments were booming but that the growth was down to smaller devices such as the Google Nexus 7 and Apple’s iPad Mini. Some analysts claim that since its launch in October, the iPad Mini is now outselling its bigger brother by a factor of 2-to-1. Clearly Microsoft, whose core business up until now has been selling operating systems and applications to run on traditional PCs, needs to act fast to stay relevant in the era that the late Steve Jobs described as the post-PC world.

BlackBerry’s latest handset makes secret global debut at Selfridges

surprise low-key launch of BlackBerry’s new Q10 smartphone at UK department store, Selfridges, delighted and disappointed in equal measure. The Q10, the first new device from the embittered smartphone company to run its latest operating system and to feature a full QWERT Y keyboard as well as a touch screen, is viewed by industry experts and die-hard BlackBerry fans alike as the key device in determining if the company still has a future and, as such a huge launch event had been expected. However, in an event that was so low-key that only those with a Twitter account or a Selfridges store card seemed to be in the know, the handset magically made its first public appearance in the world at the London, Birmingham and Manchester branches of the UK’s fashionable department store. Despite the publicity blackout, Selfridges released a statement claiming that the Q10 is the fastest-selling consumer electronics product the store has ever stocked. “Selfridges’ initial stock of the BlackBerry Q10 sold out in stores within two hours. Stock of the BlackBerry Q10 is being continually delivered on the hour, every hour, to keep up with demand.” Demand for the device, which was on sale for GBP579.99 (around QR 3,300), was such that potential customers were forced to queue in two lines – one for single unit sales and one for bulk buying – as consumers and corporate IT clients jostled for position.

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Nokia plans smartphone launch for May 14

okia has sent out invitations to a London event that will reveal what’s next for its line of Lumia Windows Phone handsets. Rumors have been circulating since the start of the year that the Finnish phone maker is planning to launch a number of high-profile, premium-quality flagship handsets to bolster its existing range of smartphones in the first half of 2013, and the invitations appear to confirm the buzz. The existing Windows Phone 8 flagship, the Nokia Lumia 920, has become the world’s most popular Windows Phone device since its launch in November last year, and while it is well designed and offers a number of premium features, its lack of a true HD screen and the use of polycarbonates in its shell rather than a metal or alloy has drawn criticism in some quarters. The new flagship device, which Nokia bloggers have been referring to as the Catwalk, is expected to sport an all-aluminium shell and a 4.5-inch full-HD display. Fans of the brand are hoping that the eagerly anticipated ‘Eos,’ a handset that boasts Nokia’s industry-leading 41-megapixel image sensor for professional-level photography, will also be revealed at the event. In the company’s most recent earnings call, Nokia CEO Stephen Elop revealed that he believes Nokia’s future in the smartphone market will be defined by its leading imaging technology and by producing phones with larger, “phablet”-size, screens (as well as smaller handsets) and by ensuring there is a desirable Windows Phone at every price point from entry level to premium product.

Apple focusing on greater in-car integration for future devices and software

eports claim that Apple is building deeper, more integrated relationships with the world’s leading automakers in order to make its devices integral to the next generation of connected cars. The next version of Apple’s iOS mobile operating system – iOS7 – will be focused on in-vehicle use and will offer a greater level of Siri and Apple Maps integration so that iPhone owners can access hands-free turn-by-turn spoken and visual navigation when driving. Apple has made no secret of its desire to put its devices inside as many cars as possible. At the Worldwide Developers Conference in 2012 it unveiled Siri Eyes Free, a special driving mode for the iPhone, specifically aimed at drivers, that allows them to access a number of iPhone features without touching the device. At the same event, it revealed that a number of the world’s biggest auto makers, including Toyota, Honda and BMW, had signed up to the program and would be installing a dedicated Siri button on their future models’ dashboards. Now, according to “people familiar with the plans”, Apple is stepping up its operations in this regard, and the redesigned operating system, which will make its debut at this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference on June 11, will offer even greater integration. Apple hopes that car makers such as BMW and Mercedes will essentially make the iPhone an integral part of their cars’ consoles – the car’s display becoming a mirror of the phone’s screen. However, though the partnerships and underlying technologies are expected to be announced next month, it could take some time before the average consumer will be able to benefit, due to federal regulations in the US and safety regulations regarding driving and vehicles in other territories.

2013

issue 18

gizmos

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get gadgety All items available on wamli.com

Superman x MIMOBOT 8GB The Man of Steel is now the ultimate in transportable data! Don’t be Clark Kent-ish! Take off those glasses, tear open your shirt, and save the day with all of your music, pics and documents at your fingerstips. And all of it packaged as the most iconic superhero of all time, complete with red cape, “S” insignia and swooping hair. When you need your digital data, Superman Mimobot will be there to save the day.

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Digital Harinezumi 3 - Box Set Digital Camera King of the digital camera world, this one is loved by artists around the world for bringing back the nostalgia of those good old 110 film days. It has now been updated with even more great features and effects. Famous artists and musicians from all over the world have produced amazing art from this understated little digital wonder. The camera is able to shoot still images as well as video, and features 10 amazing creative effects that can be explored and used. With a close-up focus ability of down to 3 cm (around 1 inch), even macro-type shots are within reach. Shooting a movie with the Harinezumi 3 has never been so much fun, with three different frame rates to create anything from Super 8-style retro videos to 1 frame/second stop motion masterpieces. Add a digital zoom and overexpose function, and you can create gritty grungy videos like the professionals.

Buckle Up Key Holder Losing your car keys can be very frustrating, so it makes sense to keep them somewhere safe... Well, what could be safer than buckling them up? The Buckle Up Key Holder is produced from a genuine car seatbelt buckle. When you get home, plug your car keys in, and to release, simply press the buckle’s red button.

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Portable Quick Laptop Stand Aluminum (other colors available)

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Most people don’t realize it, but laptops were not meant to be used flat. After years of studies in keyboard ergonomics, the benefits of angled typing have been forgotten. The AViiQ Portable Quick Stand is here to bring comfort back to everyday laptop use. This super portable laptop stand elevates your laptop at a 12 degree angle, which makes it ideal for wrists and screen visibility. Unlike other laptop stands, which are big, bulky and hardly portable, the AViiQ Portable Quick Stand folds down to a ridiculously thin 1/3 inch by just picking it up, so it can fit perfectly into your laptop bag. Also, by elevating your laptop with AViiQ’s notebook stand it acts as a notebook cooling solution to help your computer run better.

Clap USB Digital Camera A USB drive that is also a digital camera? Talk about James Bond spy style! From the looks of it, it appears to be just another fancy flash drive but it is actually a 2-megapixel camera that takes photos and videos. Turn on, just press the shutter and away you go with the easiest camera ever invented. After shooting the images and video that you want, you simply plug the USB stick into your computer for easy files transfers. It runs on a Micro SD memory card (purchased separately), and the battery is easily recharged when plugged into the computer. The camera is available in six fun colors.

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JBL On Tour Micro Speaker The JBL On Tour Micro is sized to slip easily into a pocket or carry-on bag, but it’s engineered to perform in legendary JBL(r) style. The JBL Odyssey full-range transducer pounds out dynamic, big-system sound that fills any listening space, and the rechargeable lithium-ion battery and built-in stereo mini-jack cable spare you the hassle of traveling with separate cables and replacement batteries. A mini USB port and included cable let you charge your JBL On Tour Micro from a laptop or other USB host while you’re listening to your favorite music, and a single charge will give you up to six hours of uninterrupted playback. If there is something more that the JBL On Tour Micro could be doing to ensure good times anywhere you and your friends get together, we can’t think of it.

2013

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around town

Red Bull Fortress Challenge:

“A crazy biking adventure”

ed Bull Fortress Challenge, a mountain bike event on a unique and challenging track, returned to Qatar for the second time, with Jiri Vystejn winning the men’s open while Natalie Van Loggerenberg won the women’s open. On a 20-km track packed with natural obstacles, bumps and rough soils, more than 120 of the best riders raced for the Red Bull Fortress Challenge title. This year’s race, a second edition after 2010, witnessed a high participation level. The competition was fierce in all phases of

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the race, held at Film City on April 12. However, the Fortress Conqueror’s predominance was imminent as he used special techniques and knew how to deal with sand. He therefore described the Red Bull Fortress Challenge as “a unique and crazy adventure”. On the other hand, the winner of the women’s open called the track “a blend of gravel, sand and heat in a marvelous traditional setting”. All competitors were reported happy to participate in such a unique experience that combined sports competition, fun and adventure, as well as sight-seeing and exploration, all in a tough and demanding challenge. The men’s open winner, Jiri Vystejn said: “It

was a great feeling to compete in these conditions. The secret to winning was not speed, it was keeping pace and choosing the terrain on which to go, avoiding deep sandy pits.” He also said: “It was a really great race course with all the possible types of terrain to show what mountain biking in Qatar is aboutt. A race like this is not a single focused thing! You have to have a bit of everything to be successful... a well prepared bike that survives the rough track and doesn’t break, good experience with how to get through all the obstacles and pitfalls, and of course plenty of power to go fast. Everything worked well together and I’m really happy to win this amazing race!”

“Schools Trade Fair” encourages young people to explore entrepreneurship

line with the strategic cooperation agreement between Enterprise Qatar (EQ) and the Schools Olympic Program (SOP), “Business of Sports”, a program aiming to spark the competitive spirit within school students was held here recently. Organized by the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC), this program helps children keep sports in mind when developing their business ideas through a series of activities and competitions. “The Schools Trade Fair” is considered to be one of the most important activities organized by the program, where students from 20 government, private, independent and international schools showcased products created or sourced by them in school fairs ,where the products were sold to other students and parents. An important factor in choosing the products was how related they were to the program’s theme for this year, “The Business of Sport”. T he products varied from sports equipment and football shirts to falconry

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hunting accessories. The program organizers helped students to think outside the box and develop their business ideas to fit the concept, in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030. The cooperation between EQ and SOP is the result of this year’s theme, which concentrates on the concept of investment. EQ always aims to develop the Qatari entrepreneurial community and foster future entrepreneurs, and as the program targets students between the ages of 15 and 18, this will help in creating a generation of capable entrepreneurs who will be running their own businesses in the near future, and ready by the time of the 2022 World Cup. QOC Secretary-General, H E Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani described the initiative as “important” and added: “QOC is mainly interested in engaging youth in sports, and that’s one main pillar in building a strong and aware generation. Linking the concept of sports with business will help young people follow a healthy lifestyle and thus we ensure them a healthy life and a successful future.” Enterprise Qatar CEO Noora Al Mannai

said: “We are happy to be partners with SOP. Building a generation of entrepreneurs is one of the main reasons why EQ was established, and this program has provided us with easy access to young students, which will help us seed the concept of hard work in their minds. We are also very happy with the level of participation in the program as well as the quality of the ideas that the students had, which means we should expect to have a generation of young entrepreneurs soon who are able to achieve the Qatar National Vision by 2030”. The 20 finalist schools selected to participate in the “Schools Trade Fair” activity were chosen by the QOC according to the quality of their products and the profits they have raised through their in-house school fairs, and they were featured during a grand fair held at Landmark mall on March 27 and 28, 2013. H E Sheikh Fahad Faisal Al Thani, Deputy Governor of the Qatar Central Bank, attended the event to support the students, as QCB is the official sponsor of the Commercial School, which participated in the fair with six booths.

golden moments

ou may never have imagined getting a chance to see an Olympic gold medal at close range orr viewing the Olympic torches that have lit up international arenas from time immemorial. Now all that is possible. An exhibition narrating the history of the Olympics in ancient Greece and their reestablishment in modern times is on display from March 28 to June 30 at Al Riwaq Doha. Titled “Olympics – Past and present”, it includes two different sections highlighting ancient Olympia and the modern Olympic Games. Additional pieces from around the world, including Greece, France, Germany and Italy, complement the exhibition. “For the first time, an exhibition showcases the cultural history of the ancient and modern Olympics on such a scale, not to mention a special section on Qatar’s participation in the world-class event,” said Dr Christian Wacker, Director of the Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum (QOSM). Alistair Routledge, Vice-President of ExxonMobil Qatar, added: “I am confident that patrons of the exhibition will enjoy their journey through 2,700 years of Olympic history – a legacy celebrated by tradition and camaraderie.” The ancient section of the exhibition, “Olympia: Myth – Cult – Games”, takes visitors on a journey through the history of ancient Olympia with more than 600 original objects from Greece and international museums. Through this section, visitors can explore the sanctuary of Olympia and its role in ancient Greece, and find out more about Greek culture and the festivals held in Olympia.

By ABIGAIL MATHIAS

“Values – Competitions – Mega-Events” sheds light on the background to the rediscovery of Antiquity during the Renaissance, leading to the reestablishment of the Olympic Games in the 19th century and their development to the present. Luis Henrique Rolim Silva, Head of Research at the QOSM has helped curate the exhibition. He says: “ We want visitors to understand what the Olympics have stood for and how they have transformed over the years.” There is also a section highlighting the Paralympic games, which has events that people may be less aware of. Visitors can access a comprehensive display of all the posters, mascots, medals, programs and tickets from the last 48 Winter and Summer Olympic Games. This section of the exhibition illustrates the values and rituals of the Olympics, promoting peace and personal achievements, as well as the broader context of the games and their interrelationship with politics, the environment, economics, social issues and doping. The exhibition showcases original films and images from all the Olympic Games, and highlights the participation of Qatari athletes in these games through a series of interviews with previous and current Qatari Olympians and Paralympians. An extensive three-month program including gallery lectures, a theater performance, a film festival as well as a family fun day will complement the exhibition. The gallery lectures will cover topics related to the ancient and modern Olympic Games. It is an exhibition one should not miss.

2013

issue 18

Cultural Diversity at Stenden University

QHackathon 2013 brings entrepreneurs from around the Arab world

colorful captivation of music, food and pure talent – that was the theme of Stenden University’s cultural day. The annual event, organized by the Student Representative Council, had the students proudly showcase their countries’ culture, music, dance and food. The countries represented were Qatar, the Netherlands, Egypt, Lebanon, India, Pakistan, Syria, Palestine, Jordan, Iraq, Germany, South Africa and Costa Rica. Each stall competed for the prizes of best decoration, best hospitality and best food and was backed by performers who gave their best during a talent show. The talent show opened with Farhan Al-Suwaidi, who gave a beautiful guitar rendition and paved the way for his colleagues. The Indian community started with a fashion show displaying the different traditional outfits of each region, and later demonstrated the true Bollywood spirit with a colorful dance performance. The Middle Eastern nations were represented by Mohammad Daibes and his friend Suapi, who rapped in honor of Lebanon. Lebanese singer Jamal Mansour gave a special tribute himself while the students danced the dabkeh to the powerful melodies. Hailing from Syria, Ahmad Abaisad’s beat-boxing had the audience stunned and leaping to their feet. Abdullah Al-Ghanim, representing Qatar, left the audience laughing and asking for more with a satirical one-man show that shed light on the differences between men and women. Abdul Rauf gave a unique performance with his guitar, honoring the Costa Rican love for music. The last performance of the night was Pakistani band ‘Raakh’ (Ashes of Life). When the four members stepped on stage, little did they know that their performance would mark the best part of the evening. Their heart-warming performance made all students, regardless of nationality, stand up and join them in singing and dancing.

he biggest regional event for entrepreneurs and stakeholders in Arab enterprise took place at Katara last month. The challenge this year was to develop apps based on mobile payment solutions. The event brought together 130 young qualifiers selected from 13,000 entrants across 20 Arab countries for the finals of the MIT Enterprise Forum competition. The event was first of many designed to connect the Qatari entrepreneurship ecosystem to the international community and global standards. It’s the first example of its kind to make real international connections between Arab-world and Silicon Valley enterprises along with other interested stakeholders. Noora Al-Mannai, CEO of Enterprise Qatar, said: “Entrepreneurs in the Middle East are still facing challenges hindering their efforts to grow their own businesses, such as the absence of necessary funding and lack of incubation opportunities and technical support. EQ has now partnered locally with Silatech and globally with Silicon Valley and MIT-EF to create a new SME support system in Qatar.” The day featured a series of intensive sessions including full briefings on the event and themes, team formation, and an introduction to co-creation and design methodologies. The groups then had to identify breakthrough opportunities or incremental innovations with regard to stakeholders and stakes mapping. They then used usercentered design to create value, and concept-proofed by pitching service concepts to get feedback between teams. Lastly, they went through a prototyping rush to build the product and develop its story before finally pitching their apps to the jury of experts. The winners and awards were presented by Noora Al-Mannai. In first place was “Clickcloc” an electronic substitute for keys to help users control doors and gates remotely. Second place went to “Laties First” a mobile application to help users maintain their appointments through social networking. Third place went to “Oserve” a mobile application to connect households with domestic service providers.

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2013