Student Research

16 students worked on QNRF projects this year 3 new QNRF grants

Students at a CURA Workshop

Undergraduate research offers numerous benefits: it leads to fantastic learning opportunities; it teaches problem solving and resilience; and it helps students to grow and get ready for graduate school and employment.

—Dr. Kai Henrik-Barth, Senior Assistant Dean for Research Support

STUDENT SUPPORT

Research is an integral component of the BSFS degree and students are fully supported from their first semester at GU-Q. The process of learning to become scholars supplements classroom learning, teaches students a new set of skills, and prepares them for future graduate studies and professional positions.

RESEARCH SKILLS

HOW DO STUDENTS GAIN RESEARCH SKILLS?

BSFS CURRICULUM Built into the BSFS curriculum, extensive required reading and assigned research papers introduce students to academic writing and research publications.

BEYOND THE HEADLINES GU-Q’s discussions, Beyond the Headlines, allow students to utilize their research and critical thinking skills. Students join panels with expert faculty from GU-Q and elsewhere to discuss links between history and current events.

CURA PROGRAM The CIRS Undergraduate Research Advancement (CURA) program prepares GU-Q students for successful research experiences by fostering their ability to: Launched by CIRS in 2018-2019

• identify and define research goals • interact professionally with faculty and other research partners • present research findings • publish original research

FACULTY RESEARCH EVENTS Faculty research events present students with the opportunity to ask questions, gain insights, and learn from experience.

RESEARCH AT GU-Q A supportive research ecosystem is a key component in producing quality outcomes. Faculty and student research at GU-Q is supported through a number of mechanisms, which foster high quality and contextually relevant research.

AURC Information Session

OPPORTUNITIES WHAT ARE THE KEY OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS? MAJORS & CERTIFICATES In addition to the research papers assigned in the classroom, students aiming to earn honors must write a thesis that gets faculty recognition. Students participating in certificate programs must also complete a research thesis by their senior year. UREP PROJECTS The Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) provides students with the opportunity to pursue independent, faculty mentored research projects through the Undergraduate Research Experience Program (UREP). A n n u a l U n d e r g r a d u a t e R e s e a r c h C o n f e r e n c e ( A U R C ) 2 0 1 9

MENTORSHIP

WHAT KINDS OF MENTORSHIP AND SUPPORT DO STUDENTS RECEIVE?

ASS IGNED MENTORSHIP Students, as first time scholars, can be overwhelmed by the academic process and unsure of how to proceed.

When students undertake research for the Honors in the Major or as part of certificate programs, they are assigned a faculty mentor and a research librarian to guide them through the research and writing process.

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH FAIR At the inaugural Undergraduate Research Fair, students met with peers, faculty, and former students involved in funded research projects to learn about:

• available resources • various forms of support and funding • research opportunities

New in 2018

2,600

reference queries answered by library staff this academic year

69

student research workshops offered through the library this year

1,270

OAS tutoring appointments made by 187 students this year

RESOURCES

WHAT ARE THE KEY RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS?

ACADEMIC SERVICES The office of Academic Services (OAS) provides tutoring and other support to enable students to gain essential skills needed to undertake substantive research.

WRITING CENTER The Writing Center—an extension of OAS—works with students at all stages of the writing process. Students may choose to work with members of the staff or with qualified and professionally trained peer tutors.

LIBRARY The library offers assistance and skills training, including:

• workshops on topics like citations, finding resources, research ethics, and writing research papers • reputable collections, databases, and online tutorials • a new library search engine • course guides • individual research consultations

Students at a CURA Workshop

FUNDING

HOW IS STUDENT RESEARCH FUNDED?

QNRF-SPONSORED GRANTS Students have access to UREP grants from QNRF, which awards funds to students and their faculty mentors to pursue topics relevant to Qatar’s national development.

OFFICE OF FINANCE & RESEARCH COMPLIANCE Research grant search, writing, submission, and reporting assistance is organized through GU-Q’s Office of Finance and Research Compliance.

9

student papers were selected for AURC 2019

RESEARCH IMPACT

WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF STUDENT RESEARCH?

RESEARCH COMMUNITY Dissemination of results is an integral part of conducting research. GU-Q’s Annual Undergraduate Research Conference (AURC) allows students to gain experience in presenting research findings to their peers from GU-Q and other leading international universities.

PROFESS IONAL & PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT Student researchers gain experience in professional settings, expand their networks, and aquire practical critical thinking skills. Exposure to research fosters self-confidence, independence, and lifelong curiosity.

CIRS UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ADVANCEMENT (CURA)

CIURA Workshop: Designing a Research Question

CURA EVENTS & STUDENT FELLOWSHIPS Launched in 2018-2019, the CIRS Undergraduate Research Advancement (CURA) program facilitates research experiences for GU-Q students through focused mentorship and the opportunity to present original research publicly througout the year.

19

total CURA Fellows—17 GU-Q students and 2 from other universities

CURA LUNCH TALKS “The Marib Puzzle: A Case of Stability and Economic Activity in War-Torn Yemen” ............ Mohammed Al-Jaberi (SFS’19)

“The History and Evolution of American Torture and Secret Prisons (1898-2008)” ........................Ritica Ramesh (SFS’19)

CURA WORKSHOPS Designing a Research Question .......................led by Mehran Kamrava, Professor and Director of CIRS

Introduction to Research Methods ............................led by Justin Gengler, Qatar University’s Social and Economic Survey Research Institute

CURA SEMINARS • Informal Politics in the Middle East • Science and Scientific Production in the Middle East

RESEARCH FELLOWS • Ameena Almeer • Irakli Gobejishvili • Aiza Khan • Mehaira Mahgoub • Irene Promodh • Abdul Rehmaan Qayyum

PUBLICATIONS FELLOWS • Shaza Afifi • Younis Al-Agha • Mohammed Al-Jaberi • Chaïmaa Benkermi • Hala Eid • Khansa Maria

FACULTY RESEARCH FELLOWS • Najwa Al-Obaidli (Firat Oruc) • Anji Effat (Phoebe Musandu)

ADMINISTRATIVE FELLOWS • Riham Mansour • Fatma Salari • Khushboo Shah

SUMMER FELLOWS • Suhile Darwish (Ohio State University) • Noor Shahzad (University of Toronto)

STUDENT RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

UREP 2018-2019 GU-Q students completed work on two projects from previous cycles, and were awarded three new Undergraduate Research Experience Program (UREP) grants from the Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) during 2018-2019.

Y a r a A l k a h a l a ( S F S ’ 1 8 )

2

UREP-sponsored research projects concluded in 2018

16

GU-Q students worked on UREP research projects during the year Breaking Down Stereotypes: Experimental Approach to Discrimination on the Basis of Nationality and Accent

UREP PROJECT 21-103-5-011

With a completion date of September 2018, this project extended literature on discrimination to the MENA region, using accents. By studying the decisions made in the Investment Game, researchers spent the past two years quantifying the extent of discrimination and deducing whether or not certain groups are more likely to discriminate.

Student Researchers: ... Mohammad Taimur Ahmad (SFS’18) .........................Yara Alkahala (SFS’18) ................... Yara Abdelmaged (SFS’18) .....................Awatif Al Habsi (SFS’18)

Faculty Mentors: ...........................Mongoljin Batsaikhan ............................... Sulagna Mookerjee

AURC Conference 2019

Preserving The Linguistic Heritage of Qatar: Language Change and Documentation

UREP PROJECT 21-099-6-009

With a completion date of December 2018, this project created an Arabic language comparison of the Qatari dialect used by elder generations and that used by younger generations. Using personal interviews, television, and radio records, the project aims to preserve the linguistic heritage of Qatar.

Student Researchers: ...........AlMaha AlMohannadi (SFS’19) ................... Fatima Al-Ansari (SFS’18) ..........................Hissa Albadr (SFS’18) ..................... Jassim Al-Thani (SFS’19) ................Maryam Al-Kuwari (SFS’18)

Faculty Mentors: ....................................Yehia Mohamed ................................. Rogaia Abusharaf

Investigating the Resilience of Qatar’s Trade Network

UREP PROJECT 23-148-5-036

This proposal seeks to investigate the resiliency of Qatar’s trade network using data from the United Nations’ Comtrade Database to detect products for which Qatar’s supply chain is potentially under-diversified.

Student Researchers: ....................... Alisha Kamran (SFS’19) ...........................Halak Sheth (SFS’18)

Faculty Mentor: .......................................Jack Rossbach

9out of 14 AURC participants were GU-Q students

Jidariya: Every Day is National Day in Qatar

UREP PROJECT 22-120-5-030

This research project systematically examines the visual, linguistic, and anthropological significance of Qatar’s Tamim Al-Majd Jidariya (billboard) and how it serves to solidify the idea of the nation, particularly in the wake of the blockade.

Student Researchers: ............ Mohammed Al-Jaberi (SFS’19) ................... Saoud Al-Ahmad (SFS’21) .................... Ousman Camara (SFS’20) .........Mohammed Al-Khulaifi (SFS’20)

Faculty Mentors: ................................. Rogaia Abusharaf ........................................ Suzi Mirgani ....................................Yehia Mohamed

Qatar’s Establishment of Infant Industries in Response to the Blockade

UREP PROJECT 22-180-5-048

This project studies the establishment of infant food, beverage, dairy, medicine, and construction material industries in Qatar as a response to the blockade and discusses how the state can protect them from competition until they are able to mature and compete.

Student Researcher: ...................... Rafia Al-Jassim (SFS’18)

Faculty Mentor: .................................Alexis Antoniades AURC Conference 2019

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH CONFERENCE Fourteen students presented their research at the 8th Annual Undergraduate Research Conference under the theme “Borders, Boundaries, and Identities: Tackling New Global Challenges.” Their research covered a broad range of global issues, including the changing dynamics in the Gulf, plurality of national identity, sovereignty and borders, a historical analysis of the evolution of religion, America and the politics of contestation, and new economic challenges in Asia.

STUDENT RESEARCH OUTCOMES Yara Alkahala (SFS’18) presented her Honors in the Major thesis, “Discrimination, Voice, and Trust: An Experimental Approach,” at the 2018 International Research Meeting in Business and Management in Nice, France.

Obadah Khaled Diab (SFS’18) completed his Honors in the Major thesis on education in emergencies, with a focus on his homeland of Syria. The thesis was included as a case study in a United Nations report.

The AURC is an essential training ground for the next generation of scholars who will contribute to the development of their countries both here and abroad.

—Dr. Ahmad Dallal, Dean

HONORS & CERTIFICATE THESES

Thirteen students wrote Honors in the Major or Certificate Project theses in 2018-2019. They were each mentored by one of nine different faculty members.

The Certificate in Media and Politics is jointly offered with Northwestern University in Qatar

Writing my thesis completely changed the course of my life—especially the academic side. I gained so many skills in the process, including writing, critical thinking, personal expression, and the ability to organize my thoughts and arrange my priorities.

—Obadah Khaled Diab (SFS’18)

HONORS IN THE MAJOR CULTURE & POLITICS Asma Al-Jehani. “ ‘Returned Maids for Sale’: The Commodification of Domestic Workers in the Gulf.” .....................Yehia Mohamed (mentor)

Shereen Elsayed. “Beirut is Burning: Drag in the Creation of a Queer Lebanese Identity.” .............................Firat Oruc (mentor)

Jessamine Perez. “Suicide Memes: Internet Users’ Anti-Future Expressions.” .............................Firat Oruc (mentor)

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS Obadah Khaled Diab. “Ramifications of Conflict on Education: Assessing Functionality of Schools and Estimating Welfare Costs in Syria.” ........................Jack Rossbach (mentor)

INTERNATIONAL HISTORY Ritica Ramesh. “The History and Evolution of American Torture and Secret Prisons (1898-2008).” ......................Karine Walther (mentor)

INTERNATIONAL POLITICS Shiza Abbasi. “The Changing Contours of Resistance in Kashmir.” ....................... Uday Chandra (mentor)

Zaubash Shakir. “NGOs as Educators: Civil Society and Primary Education in Islamabad.” ....................... Uday Chandra (mentor)

CERTIFICATE PROJECTS AMERICAN STUDIES Ritica Ramesh. “Secret Abusers: The Extent and Scope of Domestic Violence in Police Communities.” ......................Karine Walther (mentor)

ARAB & REGIONAL STUDIES Maryam Al-Hababi. “Saudization of Mecca: Mecca’s Entanglement in Saudi Arabia’s Domestic Dynamics.” .................. Mehran Kamrava (mentor)

Haya Alwaleed Al-Thani. “The Spatial Distribution of Qatari Tribes: An Ethnographic Study.” ................... Gerd Nonneman (mentor)

Hala Eid. “The Egyptian Authority’s Legitimacy through the Instrumentalization of Islam and Cultural Power.” ........................Amira Sonbol (mentor)

Salma Hassan. “Between State Creation and State Consolidation: Ayoob’s Concept of Security and French External Intervention in Syrian in the Mandatory Era, 1923-46.” ........................... Rory Miller (mentor)

Rawan Yousif. “Borders Between Secularism and Neo-Ottomanism: How a Political Divergence Swayed Turkish Drama.” .....................Yehia Mohamed (mentor)

MEDIA & POLITICS Normeanne Joyce Sison. “Digital Media Disruption and Religion: Is God Online or Is God on the Line?” ........................... Rory Miller (mentor)