DOHA • Qatar University (QU) wrapped up its joint summer programme with Stanford University, USA, with a final reception at the Diplomatic Club. QU's 14 students and 16 Stanford University students participated in the program which was organised in conjunction with the College of Engineering at Qatar .

The programme offered the students the opportunity of hands-on training and information about infrastructure and construction projects in Qatar and the Gulf Region. It included classroom lectures and discussions led by Stanford University faculty Dr Ryan Orr, Executive Director, Collaboratory for Research on Global Projects, Dr Martin Fischer, Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering and Director of the Center for Integrated Facility Engineering.

"Seeing how these projects are managed in terms of structure and in terms of the labour force needed has given me added incentive to pursue a Masters' degree", said Fatima Al-Sulaiti, an architectural engineering student from QU. "The program also helped me to strengthen my interpersonal skills in my interaction with the visiting students," she added

"All our site visits went very well as professionals were very open and discussed many issues frankly, which is key to developing a comprehensive understanding of the field of engineering", said Dr Orr.

Field visits featured the Lusail site, RasGas, the new airport and Al -Waab City in Doha, and a two-day trip to Dubai's project sites such as the Palm Jumeirah. The students also met with Qatar's Minister of Finance and Commerce HE Yousuf Hussein Kamal, and took part in a student's conference at Education City on migration, immigration and labour issues.