Virginia commonwealth uniVersity in qatar annual repo rt
| 2009-2010
table o f co ntents
1 Dean’s message 2 cultiVating Design thinking 6 Design for social impact 12 BuilDing a Design inDustry: amal al-mehain, iD ’2003 16 creating an enVironment for Design 18 the year in numBers 20 graDuation 2010 26 proViDing a gloBal experience 28 eDucating future leaDers 30 fostering community inVolVement 32 a Destination for Dialogue 34 thank you
Message froM the Dean, allyson Vanstone 2009/10 was a year of firsts for Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUQatar), including the launch of the first Master of Fine Arts in Design Studies program in the Gulf region, the first undergraduate degree in visual arts in Qatar, the start of an entrepreneurship initiative for students and alumni, and the first university campus expansion in Education City. VCUQatar’s graphic design, fashion design and interior design programs have created awareness about the benefit of excellence in design since the university was established in Education City in 1998. Our graduates make us proud with their successful engagement in a wide range of professions, earning positions at prestigious Qatar businesses and cultural institutions and starting independent companies. VCUQatar’s continuous development, concentration on student and faculty research, and expansion of community collaborations, ensure that the region will have a talented network of creative, connected professionals to both lead and support the extensive economic and cultural developments in Qatar and the region. I invite you to read the highlights of the remarkable accomplishments achieved over this past year that move us closer to our vision to create a Qatari society that innovates through art and design. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our faculty, staff, students, alumni, board members, sponsors, partners and friends who contribute daily to our learning community. 1
cultivating Design thinking
Successful economic and cultural growth requires the conscientious design thinking and creative process core to the educational approach at Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar. Today, design thinking is highly regarded among business leaders and policymakers and is often employed to solve complex global problems. VCUQatar prepares its students to become productive citizens who are able to contribute to the professional and cultural growth of Qatar and the Gulf region. Virginia Commonwealth University was the first university partner invited to join the Qatar Foundation in 1998. Inspired by the vision of her highness Sheikha Mozah Bint nasser Al Missned, VCU School of the Arts initiated programs in fashion, graphic and interior design. By 2002, VCU established a full branch campus to become the Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar, conferring the VCU degree to the first graduating class of 19 students. Today, VCUQatar alumni are 270 strong, taking part in the emerging creative and cultural organizations in Qatar and the region. And this past year VCUQatar has expanded to include a visual arts curriculum and the first Master of Fine Arts in Design Studies degree in the region.
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The new MFA program in Design Studies is a substantial advancement in the curricular offerings of VCUQatar, raising the school’s qualifications as an international destination for advanced students and faculty — ROGER MAnDlE, ExECUTIVE DIRECTOR, QATAR MUSEUMS AUThORITy
Master of fine arts in Design stuDies The Master of Fine Arts in Design Studies accepted its first class in fall 2009 and is the only graduate program in design in the Gulf region. Placed amidst a great transformation of the state of Qatar, the MFA program gives students a unique chance to both learn from the region’s historical process and to influence its future development. It acknowledges that design is a professional highly collaborative discipline, incorporating the transfer of knowledge across traditional domains to create products, environments, forms of communication and the organization of information. “We are looking for gifted graduates from different design and related fields who may feel they have reached a certain impasse in their career and creative work,” says the Russian-born, director of the program, Constantin Boym, adding that this program is exactly what they need to expand their knowledge and increase their motivation to contribute directly to innovation in design thinking and making. With a state-of-the-art media lab, facilities for 3-D digital fabrication, and a materials library with a dedicated curator, the program is
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well equipped to deliver on its aim to prepare future leaders capable of offering a high degree of sustainable value to the economic, social and cultural contexts of the global community. “The Gulf is not just reconfiguring itself; it’s reconfiguring the world,” wrote Dutch celebrity architect Rem Koolhaas in his introductory essay in Al Manakh: Gulf Continued. Mr. Boym puts this statement in perspective explaining how the MFA program is vital in shaping the business landscape of the country. “The unprecedented amount of construction activity in Doha shall not result in design work being outsourced in Europe or in the USA. In years to come we hope to see more local design studios established or staffed by our graduates,” he states. Mr. Boym brings to the MFA program over two decades of design experience; he taught at Parsons School of Design in new york from 1986 to 2000, and, in 1986 founded Boym Partners Inc. in new york, a national Design Award winning (2009) firm that brings critical, experimental approach to a range of products that infuse humor and wit into the everyday. Boym Partners’ work is included in the permanent collections of many museums, including The Museum of Modern Art in new york.
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Bachelor of fine arts in Painting anD PrintMaking Accepting the first class of students in fall of 2010, painting, drawing and printmaking form the core of this major. Students are given detailed technical instruction in a variety of media and the training that facilitates a professional crafting and presentation of work. Students develop skills for critical analysis, and are challenged to think, to articulate ideas visually and to defend them verbally. The flexibility of the curriculum permits students to tailor a course of study suited to their professional and personal ambitions. The department provides exposure to a plurality of ideas and stylistic approaches. Students have an extensive educational experience to build their intellectual, conceptual and technical abilities. In addition to the traditional techniques, students can explore printmaking through many other contemporary avenues. The faculty consists of working artists and historians. Through this major VCUQatar aspires to contribute to cultural dialogue and development, enhance visual literacy and encourage the growth of individual perception, enterprise and artistic decision-making. “As the fine arts and design are increasingly merging as fields, the addition of the fine arts program will make VCUQatar an ever more ideal school for creative people wishing to advance into successful professional careers,� states Roger Mandle, Executive Director, Qatar Museums Authority.
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Design for social impact
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“At VCUQatar we believe research to be a vital component of the educational experience. Our research vision is to bring innovation to society.” —PETER ChOMOWICz, ASSOCIATE DEAn FOR RESEARCh AnD ACADEMIC AFFAIRS, VCUQATAR
Designers have long been professionals who study audience and user needs to inform the creation of new products, services and environments that reference cultural, historic, economic and political contexts. At its heart, design research is characterized by two impulses: translation and transformation. The widely used term “design thinking” or design research seeks to serve society by connecting diverse disciplines to diverse populations. In both the professional and academic world the traditional boundaries between disciplines are dissolving or mutating, giving way to new forms of investigation, communication, ideation and implementation. Designers seek to leverage this trend by translating basic research and breakthrough into a form widely benefiting society; and conversely, by connecting to the communities around us, designers help target research agendas and evaluate their efficacy. By acting as the glue that binds diverse disciplines, design research transforms the people, places and process in the world around us.
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a PortaBle architecture for Qatar iMProVing Migrant Worker conDitions By Design The Center for Research in Design (CRID) at VCUQatar brings faculty, graduates, students and design professionals together to undertake applied design research. CRID develops innovative design solutions and promotes the value of design through the intersection of design research, education, practice and technology. CRID actively supports collaborative research endeavors that contribute to Qatar’s innovative and enterprising future. One of its current research projects that originated in a Tasmeem Doha student charette, focuses on improving the lives of Qatar’s migrant workers through better housing conditions. “The initial driver behind this initiative was to develop a model that was first and foremost a socially sustainable concept. The benefits of this concept would be demonstrated in the quality of life for the migrant workers, which in turn would improve their productivity and address a huge humanitarian issue in the region,” explains Roman Turczyn, director of CRID. Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP) is the funding organization for the 1.4 million dollar project and QSTP’s Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program (TIEP) is developing the business model. The Concept Design report was well received by QSTP and has been given the approval to proceed to the Design Development Phase. Construction documents for the worker housing design are currently being finalized and a prototype is scheduled to start construction in January of 2011. In addition, Texas A&M University at Qatar will be an integral member of the project providing the technical expertise required to monitor the energy performance of the proposed prototype. Their participation on the project enhances the interdisciplinary approach to the project and encourages collaboration between engineering and design disciplines.
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gaza anD the West Bank the challenge of reBuilDing a coMMunity Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar in partnership with Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP), Qatar Foundation and the United nations Relief and Works Agency (UnRWA) are investigating how to improve living conditions in Gaza and the West Bank. The collaboration is an outgrowth of VCUQatar’s Center for Research in Design’s current research project to improve the lives of Qatar’s migrant workers. In support of this project, VCUQatar hosted a three-day workshop, January 17-19, 2010, sponsored by QSTP, UnRWA, VCUQatar and Qatar Foundation International whose objective was to develop specific design and technology-based solutions in support of human, economic, and social development in Gaza, and in collaboration with leading international relief agencies including habitat for humanity, Rebuilding Alliance, and AnERA. “The three day workshop drew upon the diverse expertise of architects, planners, engineers, and policy makers. The project highlights how designers are addressing some of the world’s most pressing needs through innovation and collaboration,” said Roman Turczyn, Director of CRID at VCUQatar. “Together with relief agencies from around the world, we are looking to leverage the knowledge and passion of experts at Qatar Foundation in support of technology and community development for the people of Gaza. This is a great example of inter-organizational collaboration where the unique capabilities hh Sheikha Mozah bint nasser Al Missned has gathered at Qatar Foundation are brought together to solve critical social development challenges in the region,” said Bowman heiden, Innovation Director, QSTP.
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“Presenting poetry in translation is both a creative and a cultural act, and the art of translation is one of balance, of bringing the poem to the reader and the reader to the poem.” — PATTy PAInE, ASSISTAnT PROFESSOR, VCUQATAR
gathering the tiDe: an anthology of conteMPorary araBian gulf Poetry Assistant Professor Patty Paine and Adjunct Professor Samia Touati Dietz of Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar, with Assistant Professor Jeff lodge, formerly of VCUQatar and now of VCU Richmond, are editing Gathering the Tide: An Anthology of Contemporary Arabian Gulf Poetry. This is the first English language collection that presents the poets of the Gulf region. The anthology, which will be released in 2011, invites readers into the rich and vibrant world of the Arabian Gulf, while making available important literary works being undertaken by poets of this region. Students in VCUQatar literature classes first identified the need for a comprehensive collection of Arabian Gulf poetry, and the creation of the anthology was supported in part by a Qatar Foundation Undergraduate Research Experience Program (UREP) grant. UREP seeks to promote “learning by Doing” and “hands-On” mentorship activities as effective methods for undergraduate education. Professors lodge and Paine, originally from the US, were overwhelmed by the generosity of Gulf poets. Professor lodge says, “The poets’ reception to the idea only echoed the grace with which the Qatari students and their families, and the Qatari people as a whole, greeted us upon our arrival in Doha several years ago.” VCUQatar Dean Allyson Vanstone says, “I am continually impressed by the initiatives of our faculty and students. This anthology is an outstanding example that expresses significant research and creative exploration to reach an audience far beyond the borders of the university.”
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Doha MeMories line Ulrika Christiansen, director of Design Foundation and lauren Maas, assistant professor of Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar along with external collaborators Dr. Walter Aprile, (ID-Studiolab Delft) assistant professor, Delft University of Technology, The netherlands and Dr. Stefano Mirti, (Interaction Design lab) director of Design School, nABA, Milan, Italy challenge the question of how to create a museum based on intangible, precariously ephemeral memories which are a chronicle of Qatar and at present hiding inside people’s memories. Their research titled Doha Memories looks at the last fifty years of Qatar’s history and attempts to capture, store and present oral memories of this fast-changing society “Qatar’s recent transformation leaves a rich store of memories and stories: personal stories, collective memories, traces of events, lost customs,” says Ms. Christiansen. From the point of view of design research, Doha Memories addresses open questions related to user involvement in the broadest sense, particularly in the early phases of the project, with the specific challenge of cutting through cultural, linguistic and national differences. The analysis of the research was concluded through a background investigation, study of design precedents, and design of an early prototype, which was tested in Doha during a public presentation. Guided by the Arab proverb “no history, no future” which refers to the general focus of the project, Doha Memories will showcase a temporary installation that addresses this local proverb.
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builDing a Design inDustry
aMal al-Mehain, class of 2003 When one thinks of the Qatar real estate sector, the name that springs to mind is that of Barwa. Projects and investments, joint ventures and partnerships, sourcing from and to the country, heritage and innovation – Barwa is at the center of the playing field where the world plugs into Qatar. And Barwa Media, the marketing and communications arm of the real estate giant, has its sights set on creating world-class design in the country. Behind the success of this ambitious venture is the ever capable, elegant and passionate Qatari Art Director, Amal Al-Mehain, the force behind taking Barwa Media from a subsidiary to a full-profit center for Barwa. After graduating with a BFA degree in Interior Design from VCUQatar in 2003, Ms. Al-Mehain started her own graphic and interior design company, Pixels, with her business partner Jamal Al Itani. “The first few years were difficult,” she reminisces talking about Pixels. “My partner and I started with two designers, few projects and lots of expenses.” Seven years on, Pixels has found its niche – specializing in printing, signage, exhibition booth stands, CD printing, window designing – which its 22 employees and long list of satisfied clients can vouch for. Ms. Al-Mehain joined Barwa Media in 2006. “Working for Barwa has been a great opportunity as I had the chance to start a department from scratch and build it up to where we are right now – a full design team capable of delivering all design services professionally and efficiently,” says Ms. Al-Mehain. The projects she and her team have 12
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delivered for clients reiterate this feat. They include the InFDEx (International Furniture and Design Exhibition) and QREx (Qatar Real Estate Exhibition) booth designs, creating an identity for Qatari rally driver nasser Al Attiyah, projects for multi-utility service provider Marafeq, the Barwa Media website and the more famous Barwa and Diar taxi advertising campaigns in london. The team is presently working on other projects including the branding of Barwa City and a mining company in Qatar and plans to announce them once they have been launched. The team Ms. Al-Mehain speaks so fondly of started out with two designers four years ago and today comprises 16 designers - 95% of whom are Qatari and 10 of whom are VCUQatar alumni - who work in the graphic design, interior design and multimedia sections of Barwa Media. Working at Barwa Media has helped expose the designers to the local market, believes Ms. Al-Mehain. She is extremely proud of the team and the milestones they set for the design department. She is especially pleased with the number of VCUQatar alumni who have interned at or joined Barwa Media. “It is a delightful working experience since all of us speak the same language and come from the same educational background,” she explains. Ms. Al-Mehain continues to support her alma mater and is actively involved in almost every VCUQatar alumni event. In 2009, she presented awards to VCUQatar alumni at Barwa Media during Alumni Injaz night (Injaz is Arabic for achievement) iterating, “Injaz is an opportunity to prove that VCUQatar graduates are out in the market designing and inspiring others. These designers, with their continuous 14
efforts over the last few years, have been able to change people’s views on design and how important it is.” She looks forward to supporting future Injaz events and believes Injaz is a great occasion to inspire new graduates and current students. More recently, Ms. Al-Mehain played a key role in supporting VCUQatar’s first Alumni networking Reception with VCU President Dr. Michael Rao and VCU International Alumni Relations liaison, Mrs. Monica Rao. At a presentation by Barwa media, which preceded the reception, Ms. Al-Mehain introduced the organization and the VCUQatar alumni employed there to the visitors. “I would like to help the girls in my team achieve their goals, see their dreams to become signature designers some day come true,” she says. Ms. Al-Mehain credits her education at VCUQatar for helping her develop her skills and her personality. “Being part of an amazing education and design environment made me appreciate everything around me and look at the world from a different perspective, one that made me realize design is not a career that you choose to be in, it is a way of living, every day.” “My focus for the future is to make Barwa Media a one-of-a-kind services provider that offers unique design solutions to end users. I want people in Qatar to believe in us as designers and in design as a career,” she says with formidable conviction.
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The library has always been described as the symbolic heart of a university. It helps to sustain the academics, research, and, yes, social aspects of the institution. We now have room to show off our enviable collection of art and design books. We have areas for quiet study, group study and a room for library instruction. 窶馬AnCy FAWlEy, hEAD OF USER SERVICES, VCUQATAR lIBRARy
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creating an environment for Design
Over the past two years, VCUQatar has undergone an extensive process of expansion and renovation. The expansion, which more than doubles the size of the current facility, is yet another critical step to fulfilling VCUQatar’s goal of providing an exceptional educational environment for students from Qatar, the Arabian Gulf region and from around the world. VCUQatar now features an impressive two-wing building with an exterior reminiscent of the heritage and culture of Qatar and an interior in which student projects line the hallways, showcasing a vibrant contemporary design and art school. The hub of activity occurs within the studios which students have access to around the clock throughout the calendar year. The expansion adds state-of-the-art facilities such as a sophisticated media lab, facilities for 3-D digital fabrication, photography studios, and a vastly expanded library. In addition, the campus now features a large cafeteria, several student lounges, male and female prayer rooms and two central halls where people can gather for activities and presentations. 17
virginia commonwealth canaDa
university
uniteD states
Qatar mexico
2009/2010
braZil
stuDent PoPulation
Qatari
53%
47%
stuDents
non-Qatari
faculty / staff
2009/2010
cross registration
Dean’s list
12th academic year
139 students
55 students
223 students enrolled
from other universities
made the Dean’s list in fall 2009
270 alumni
completed vcuQatar courses
9th graduation class 39 students graduated
48 students 39 students
made the Dean’s list in spring 2010
enrolled in classes at vcuQatar through the academic bridge program
18
19 223
210
193
192
182
total enrollMent
2009
2008
2007
2006
159
141
122
117
182 completeD applications
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
recruitMent enrollMent By DePartMent
founDations 29%
graphic Design 30%
mfa Design stuDies 2%
fashion Design 9%
76 aDmitteD stuDents
64 freshmen enrolleD
interior Design 30%
australia
south africa
namibia
new ZealanD
inDonesia
inDia
thailanD
italy
iran
kuwait
syria
lebanon
uniteD kingDom
sweDen
Denmark germany
hungary croatia turkey
palestine
bosnia
korea
pakistan
banglaDesh
oman
Qatar
sauDi arabia bahrain
philippines
singapore
jorDan
yemen
sri lanka
kenya
egypt suDan
tunisia
france
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graDuation 2010
coMMenceMent at Vcu richMonD her highness Sheikha Mozah bint nasser Al Missned, chairperson of
Students received professional, graduate and undergraduate degrees
Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Develop-
at the ceremony at the Richmond Coliseum. About 2,800 students
ment, urged graduates to remember that the virtues of the human
attended the ceremony, and about 4,300 degrees were conferred.
mind transcend technological wonders during Virginia Common-
VCU President Michael Rao, Ph.D., told the graduates that VCU’s
wealth University’s 2010 spring commencement exercises.
commitment to them will continue long past graduation. “Our responsibility – those of us who administer and teach at VCU – to you does
her highness said that education serves as a valuable tool for young
not end today,” Rao said. “That is because how ever the world sees
people around the world, noting the common benefits a college educa-
VCU – its reputation, its standing – will affect how the world sees you.
tion offers new graduates in both Qatar and the United States.“Within
“My job is to make sure that VCU’s ascending line of greatness keeps
each of us there is a passionate interest waiting to be uncovered,” she
ascending, that the reputation of this university continues to grow and
said. “Education is one of the most powerful means for any individual
never diminishes,” he said.
to discover the promise that lies within.” 21
conVocation 2010, eDucation city Education City’s third Senior Convocation took place on May 4, 2010 at Education City’s Ceremonial Court. During the convocation, 194 graduates from Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar, Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, Texas A&M University in Qatar, Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar, and Georgetown University School of Foreign Affairs were honored in front of family and friends. QF President Dr. Fathy Saoud and QF Vice President for Education Dr. Abdullah Al Thani congratulated each graduate. her highness Sheikha Mozah Bint nasser Al Missned addressed the graduating class. 22
coMMenceMent 2010, VcuQatar Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar held its 2010 Commencement
prepared to participate in building the nation and region while contrib-
Ceremony on 8 May at the Ritz Carlton Doha, conferring 41 Bachelor of
uting their voice to initiatives throughout the world,” she added.
Fine Arts degrees in fashion, graphic and interior design. Two students from VCU Richmond walked with VCUQatar’s 39 graduating students at
Rodney Fitch, founder and chairperson of Fitch Worldwide, delivered a
the ceremony. The 9th Commencement brings the number of VCUQatar
commencement address that reflected his professional experiences.
alumni to 270.
VCUQatar students have worked closely with Fitch Qatar over the years as interns and on several collaborative projects.
“I would like to congratulate our graduates on their many achievements,” say VCUQatar Dean Allyson Vanstone. “They are entering a
VCU President, Dr. Michael Rao addressed the graduating students
field that has become an increasingly global profession, and we are
during the ceremony. “Trendsetting and innovation are key words here
proud to say that our students have been educated and equipped to
in Doha and you will be the innovators shaping your country and the
be leaders in addressing the design issues that challenge the world
region. I am confident that you will contribute to the design of Qatar’s
today and tomorrow. With the unequivocal support of a great leader
future,” he said in his concluding statement.
and role model, Sheikha Mozah bint nasser Al Missned, they are 23
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senior exhiBition anD annual fashion shoW Every Spring, VCUQatar presents the Senior Exhibition, a juried exhibition that showcases the final thesis projects plus a selection of the best work of VCUQatar senior students from the Fashion, Interior and Graphic Design departments. Over the course of the Senior Showcase week, visitors see final theses and other research projects of Graphic and Interior Design students, and a fashion show that presents the final portfolios of Fashion Design students. “This year we invited the senior students to submit their favorite work from any part of their study at VCUQatar,” said Jochen Sokoly, gallery director at VCUQatar. “The students have shown a lot of creativity and ingenuity in their designs,” he stated. “Students start with a particular source of inspiration and explore possibilities through their design ideas,” said Sandra Wilkins, chair of the Fashion Design Department. “They are making an identity statement, really,” she added. 25
proviDing a global experience
marianna shreve simpson discusses the impact of the
film producers mark gordon, jeremy thomas, and
vcuQatar students fatima mousa Zainal and nawar
color red “ahmar,” “surkh” and “kirmizi” in the history
svp walt Disney michael andreen review the work
adel al-mutlaq at the cannes lions international
of islamic art.
of vcuQatar students and alumna.
advertising festival.
stuDents attenD cannes lions the Biennial haMaD Bin khalifa
hollyWooD
international aDVertising
islaMic syMPosiuM
coMes to Doha
festiVal 2010
And Diverse Are Their hues: Color in Islamic
VCUQatar hosted leading figures from the
The Cannes lions International Advertising
Art and Culture, the third biennial Hamad bin
world of film who were in Qatar as speak-
Festival is a global festival for those working
Khalifa Symposium on Islamic Art, was held
ers at the Financial Times Business of Film
in advertising and related fields. The seven-
in Córdoba, Spain, november 2-4, 2009.
Summit. Students presented their work and
day festival, including the lions awards,
Sponsored by Virginia Commonwealth
had the opportunity to be critiqued by the
is held yearly at the Palais de Festivals in
University (VCU) School of the Arts, VCUQatar,
film legends. Mark Gordon, producer of The
Cannes, France. Q.Media generously provided
and the Qatar Foundation and organized by
Mark Gordon Company (films include Patriot,
two full delegate passes to VCUQatar stu-
co-chairs Sheila Blair and Jonathan Bloom,
Day After Tomorrow and 2012); Bill Mechanic,
dents, Fatima Mousa zainal and nawar Adel
the symposia explored broad issues in the
founder, Pandemonium Films and former
Al-Mutlaq, who attended all seminars, work-
visual arts of the Islamic world. The fourth
chairman of Fox (films include Titanic,
shops, presentations and events. Students
symposium will be held in Doha in november
Braveheart and the animation Coraline);
were immersed in the international advertis-
2011 in cooperation with the Museum of
Jeremy Thomas CBE, producer and founder,
ing world and returned to their studies with a
Islamic Art.
Recorded Picture Company and hanWay
new pursuit of excellence among students.
Films (films include Crash and The Man Who Killed Don Quixote); Ivan Dunleavy, chief executive, Pinewood Shepperton plc. (films include Sherlock holmes and Quantum of Solace); Greg Coote, chairman and CEO, Dune Entertainment (recently co-funded Avatar); and Michael Andreen senior vice president, International Production, Walt Disney were in attendance. 26
Qatari student Davood anwari speaking with visiting vcu student.
gD student hadir samir omar enjoys her visit to japan.
fuDan uniVersity
stuDent exchanges
international learning
collaBorations
BetWeen richMonD anD Qatar
oPPortunities
In 2010, MFA students and faculty collabo-
This year the Qatar and Richmond
VCUQatar students participated in a variety
rated with students from Fudan University,
Foundation Programs created a student
of study abroad trips. Interior Design took
Shanghai, China to produce a series of video
exchange experience for ten selected students
15 students to london and Dubai; Graphic
vignettes that presented stereotypes and
from both campuses. The exchange, during
Design took 20 students to Japan and
facts about food in Arabic and Chinese
their respective spring breaks, was a new
lebanon and Fashion Design took 18
cultures. VCUQatar students traveled to
initiative with a focus on freshmen students
students to Italy. Five students and five
Shanghai at the end of May to meet with
working collaboratively to bridge cultural,
alumni also participated in the Islamic Art Symposium in Cordoba, Spain.
their collaborators at Fudan University and
geographic and national barriers. In addition
visit the Shanghai Expo. The overall theme of
to studio workshops, the visit also included
the project was Eating Design, a discipline
museum visits and a gala dinner hosted by
Student Affairs supported six International
that positions food as an edible, designed
the Qatari Embassy in Washington, DC. The
internships through money raised by the
product that is ergonomic, functional, com-
student outcomes and interactions made the
community programs: Ahmed El Sayed with
municative, interactive, visionary but radically
program a success and will be a future model
Thrown ltd in Riga, latvia; Selina Farooqui
contemporary and timeless at the same time.
of exchange.
with Isabel Toledo in new york; zarmina Qazi
Renowned eating designer Marije Vogelzang,
with Arcanoid Architects in Thessaloniki,
was a guest workshop leader for the MFA
Greece; Carla Mallari Feral Childe in
students during the semester.
new york; Esra Sharab with Arzu Kaprol in Istanbul, Turkey; Bekita Mubarak Muwangua with Arzu Kaprol in Istanbul, Turkey.
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eDucating future leaDers
students recognized by the 2009/2010 honors designation.
sahar mari (left): winner of the vcu leadership award.
2009 best young Designer award recipients.
exPanDing the
first VcuQatar stuDent
sheikha Mozah Bint nasser
honors PrograM
to Win Vcu leaDershiP aWarD
al MissneD scholarshiP
Working with Dr. Tim hulsey, Dean of the
Sahar Mari, a graduate of VCUQatar’s class
This year the design competition was
honors College at VCURichmond, Byrad
of 2010, has been awarded a University lead-
opened world-wide and VCUQatar received
yyelland, director of liberal Arts and Sciences,
ership Award from Virginia Commonwealth
176 applications, a record number, from 20
and Patty Paine Gibbons, assistant professor
University in Richmond, Virginia. The award
different countries most notably Argentina,
in English expanded the VCUQatar honors
was presented to Ms. Mari during VCU’s
Bangladesh, Indonesia, nigeria, Ghana and
program. As a result, VCUQatar graduated
commencement ceremony in Richmond on
Kenya. The Sheikha Mozah Bint nasser
seven students with University honors at its
22 May, 2010. Sahar Mari is the first VCUQatar
Al Missned Scholarship was awarded to
May commencement ceremony: Sahar Mari,
student to be selected for this award, which
two students from the International School
Dima Ahmed Masoud, Esra Kazem, Esra
is presented to honors students who demon-
of Al-Khor in Qatar: Marianne Janeen
haytham Abduljawad, Miriam Magdy Kamel
strate academic excellence, leadership, and
Berrnejo and natasha larasati Bahri.
Greiss, Elba Gabriela leon and Reem Talal
service. Ms Mari graduated with a double
Al-Thani. The VCUQatar honors Program is
major in graphic and fashion design with a
endorsed by the honors College in Richmond.
minor in art history and University honors.
In order to qualify, students have to main-
Best young Designer aWarD Three students from VCUQatar won the
tain a 3.5 GPA, complete 18 honors course
top three prizes in the Best young Designer
requirement credits, and submit a written
Awards at the International Furniture and
dossier scored by the VCU honors College.
Design Exhibition & Awards (InFDEx) 2009, sponsored by Qatari Diar. First prize in the Best Piece of Furniture category went to Sara Al Mulla. The Best Interior Space category winner was Dima Masoud, and the award for Best Presentation went to Maryam Al Kuwari. 28
vcuQatar student designed trophy is handed to the
assistant professors Donald earley and kathleen
waffa al saffar (left) and abdulla al gusaibi (right) at
Qatar prix de l’ arc de triomphe winner in paris.
ferguson-huntington with Dean allyson vanstone.
the tribeca film festival workshop in new york.
Qatar racing anD eQuestrian
2009 DistinguisheD faculty
stuDents join the triBeca
cluB troPhy Winners
achieVeMent aWarDs
filMMaker PrograM
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
VCUQatar Assistant Professor Kathleen
Waffa Al Saffar, graphic design junior, and
and the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club
Ferguson huntington received the Distin-
Abdulla Al Gosaibi interior design junior,
(QREC) selected the VCUQatar student first
guished Faculty Achievement Research
joined six other young filmmakers from Qatar
prize winner for the design of two trophies –
Award, and Donald Earley the Distinguished
at the Doha Tribeca Filmmaker program in
the Qatar Prix de l’ Arc de Triomphe and the
Faculty Achievement Service Award. The
new york City. The filmmakers attended a
Qatar Arabian World Cup – two of the most
awards recognize individuals who have
series of screenwriting workshops, Festival
prestigious events organized by the QREC.
distinguished themselves over a period of
events, film screenings, industry meetings,
years in service to the school, community,
and mentoring sessions. With the help of
The winner for both designs was Abdulla
profession, teaching and research. Both
notable film professionals, they executed a
Al Gosaibi. For the Qatar Prix de l’ Arc de
faculty members were presented with
ten minute short film from conception to
Triomphe trophy design he used the Arc De
certificates and cash awards at the fall 2009
completion. The films were then presented
Triomphe of France and the Souq Waqif of
faculty and staff retreat. Recipients of the
to Martin Scorsese and Robert De niro.
Qatar as the two influential and prominent
Distinguished Achievement Awards are
landmarks from both cultures and created
nominated by a committee of their peers.
a fusion between the two. For the Qatar Arabian World Cup trophy, Abdulla designed a trophy with strong cultural elements from the Qatari culture to give the trophy a unique visual identity.
29
fostering community involvement
students present their concepts for a children’s
assistant professor peter martin, and chair of graphic
alumna cynthia batir and hala akkawi support the
museum incorporating interactivity and healthy
Design muneera spence, produce an episode of Design
summer program for 9-12 year olds.
eating habits
edition with Qf radio producer john bullock.
suMMer art anD Design
VcuQatar stuDents collaBorate
Qf raDio Partners With VcuQatar
DiscoVery PrograM
With Qatar MuseuMs authority
for neW raDio shoW
This summer, VCUQatar hosted the Summer
VCUQatar’s Senior Interior Design students
QF Radio launched the radio talk show
Art and Design Discovery Program, which
designed exhibition stations for a hypotheti-
Design Edition, a weekly show that focuses
is intended to allow design and art career-
cal Children’s Museum in Qatar, targeting
on design-related matters, global trends in
oriented students a chance to create a
children between the ages of five and twelve.
design and the ways that VCUQatar is
portfolio of work and explore the areas of
The exhibition was to draw attention to
helping to develop Qatar’s design industry.
fashion, graphic, interior design and painting
nutrition, which is a concern in the region
The 45-minute show is produced and hosted
& printmaking. The courses were segmented
given the rate of increasing obesity among
by Muneera Spence, chair of the Graphic
into two parts: Summer Art Exploration
children. The students were asked to create
Design Department at VCUQatar, and Peter
geared for students between the ages of 9-12
an experimental learning experience. They
Martin, associate professor of Graphic Design.
and Summer Design Discovery for students
had to use materials with textures and
between the ages of 15-17. The programs
patterns that were child-friendly and invited
culminated in an exhibition of student work
interaction. The stations had to be collapsible
nary experience. It is a pleasure to bring our
for families to view and enjoy. lesley Gray,
and use acoustic control, lighting applica-
experience with education and practice in
student affairs assistant, noted that “the
tions and air filters. The final presentation
design together with our propensity to be
department plans to extend the program
was critiqued by Roger Mandle, executive
interdisciplinary, culminating in the explora-
next year based on feedback from students
director of the Qatar Museums Authority
tion of the power of design thinking and
and their families.”
(QMA), Gayle Mandle, an interior designer
making,” stated Muneera Spence.
and Selma Thomas, senior advisor for Museum Training and Interpretation, QMA and other Interior Design faculty at VCUQatar.
30
“Exploring the concept of the show with my co-host Peter Martin has been an extraordi-
rodney fitch of fitch worldwide evaluates projects
mr. rashid ibrahim, Designer hicham lahlou, Dean
on retail interior space and branding with faculty
allyson vanstone, and Dr. fouad mrad judge the prime-
adjunct faculty linda (libby) smyth teaches jewelry
liam colquhoun.
time design episode for the stars of science broadcast.
design as part of vcuQatar community class program.
VcuQatar stuDents collaBorate
stars of science
PrograM for the hearing
With fitch on retail Project
anD VcuQatar
iMPaireD
Junior Interior Design students collaborated
now in its second season, Stars of Science,
VCUQatar collaborated with the Qatari Center
with Rodney Fitch, founder and chairperson
initiated by Qatar Foundation, is the first
for Culture for the Deaf to create an eleven
of Fitch Worldwide and Fitch Qatar, on a retail
Pan-Arab reality-TV program dedicated to
week arts enrichment program. Supported
project for Rotana stores. “Our thinking was
innovation, aiming to shine a spotlight on
by her highness Sheikha Mozah Bint nasser
that as a design school we were very fortu-
the next generation of young Arab innovators.
Al Missned, this program enrolled 13 adult
nate to have a leading name in the industry
Expanding on the faculty support provided
learners from the hearing impaired community
just a matter of a few yards away so we really
to the contestants during season one,
to work with VCUQatar faculty members in
should explore the possibilities of how we
VCUQatar faculty shared design thinking,
drawing and jewelry making while simultane-
might interact in a more innovative way,” said
process and collaboration with the 2010
ously joining community classes to improve
VCUQatar’s assistant professor of Interior
Stars of Science contestants through various
written Arabic skills. Students from VCUQatar
Design liam Colquhoun. “Our students are
workshops and project critiques, while the
contributed to this program in the role of
getting an enormous amount of valuable
dean joined the judges panel for the design
teaching assistants and translators gaining
experience working in teams with creative
phase of the program.
valuable experience and insight. The program
professionals and I hope the young design-
was so successful that it has been developed
ers at Fitch are getting something out of the
into a certificate based program in which
experience too.
hearing impaired students will gain experience in interior design and graphic design programs while continuing to develop their artistic skills.
31
a Destination for Dialogue
vcuQatar kicks off a month long celebration of asian arts with the opening of the exhibit india east west- age of Discovery in georgian india.
william Dalrymple lectures on “white mughals” the improbable romance between james kirkpatrick and khair-un nisa.
2009/2010 exhiBition anD lecture series Throughout the year, VCUQatar produces and hosts a number of
In March, the gallery exhibited InDIA: East|West, which looked at the
dynamic and diverse gallery exhibitions and public lectures, which are
interface between cultures in India at the end of the 18th century, and
open to the general public.
was based on the collections of paintings, drawings and prints of the
The year started off with a retrospective exhibition on the renowned
Ambassador to Qatar and accompanied by a number of events that
Royal Asiatic Society, london. The exhibition was opened by the Indian Qatari artist Ali hassan, curated by Dr. Abdulla Al-Thani and Dr. Jochen
considered aspects of the exhibition. The author William Dalrymple pre-
Sokoly in collaboration with Al-Markhiya Gallery in Doha. “The Design
sented a lecture on his award winning book “White Mughals” looking at
of Dissent,” a groundbreaking exhibition curated by Milton Glaser and
the period in which most of the works in the exhibition were produced.
Mirko Ilic started off the Spring Semester.
32
renowned graphic designer mirko ilic presenting an opening lecture and the film screening of to inform and Delight: the work of milton glaser.
gallery exhibition the Design of Dissent by mirko ilic and milton glaser.
iraqi calligrapher wissam shawkat presenting a lecture entitled
architect joy monice malnar presents a lecture entitled
calligraphy: tradition to contemporary practice.
stepping toward sensory Design.
The launch of our newly formed spring lecture series included Martin
Under leadership of Dr. Jochen Sokoly, the VCUQatar lecture series
Venezky, Appetite Engineers: Inventing Visual language Through
Arts and Architecture of the Islamic World presented the fifth season
Process and Discovery; Joy Monice Malnar, Stepping Toward Sensory
of speakers. Dr. Oliver Watson, director of the Museum of Islamic Art,
Design; Stefano Mirti, Design for a low Cost World; and Ike Rust,
Doha presented The Doha Ivory Box: Fabulous or Fake?; Professor
halycon Daze: Uncovering the language of Designing. Dutch designer
Paula Sanders, dean of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies and profes-
Marije Vogelzang and renowned calligrapher Wissam Shawkut gave
sor of history at Rice University, houston presented Texts and textiles:
additional presentations and workshops.
thinking historically about material culture in the medieval Islamic world; and Rochelle Kessler, independent scholar from los Angeles, California presented About zain Al-Din: Painting and Painters in India under the East India Company. 33
thank you vcuQatar’s remarkable achievements would not have been possible without the generosity of our donors who contributed their time, talent and gifts to make the university the success it is today. it is this thoughtfulness that will allow vcuQatar to continue on its journey of creativity and innovation. stuDent scholarshiPs & grants
MeMBers of the joint aDVisory BoarD 2009/2010
abdullah abdulghani and brothers company arab engineering bureau
co chair
the education city central library
Richard Toscan, Ph.D.
the Qatar racing and equestrian club
Dean, vcuarts
Q. media
vice provost international affairs, vcu co chair H.E. Sheikh Hamad Nasser Al Thani, Ph.D. general manager of the Qatar Development bank and chairman of the Qatari-german company for medical Devices Ahmed Hasnah, Ph.D. associate vice president for education, Qatar foundation Roger Mandle, Ph.D. executive Director, Qatar museums authority John Bennett senior vice president finance and administration, vcu David Ross general counsel, vcu Samuel Hoi president, otis college of art and Design Jeffrey Nesin president, memphis college of art and Design Mohamed Zakariya calligrapher, Zakariya calligraphy
34
CreDits Virginia commonwealth university in Qatar the annual report is published annually by the office of communications. we welcome your comments. please send them to mckaan@qatar.vcu.edu editor: meike kaan writer: priya lorraine Dominica D’souza Design: cameron neat photography: markus elblaus contributors: constantin Boym, peter chomowicz, moamer Qazafi, roman turczyn line ulrika christiansen, patty gibbons copy editor: Dawn waters, nadia abu Dayeh translator: adel Jamal awad