From left: Aicha Vall, Mariana Pereira de Souza, and Juyoung Kim
Doha, Qatar: From Brazil to China, Mauritania, and beyond, the graduates who represent Qatar Foundation’s Class of 2026 are entering the next stage of their lives with a more defined sense of purpose – with their journeys at Education City having shaped not only how they see the world, but also how they choose to contribute to it.
For Juyoung Kim, a Journalism and Strategic Communication graduate from QF international partner university Northwestern University in Qatar, the experience has been deeply personal. Originally from South Korea and raised across different cultures, she learned early how to adapt – but it was in Qatar where she truly learned what it means to belong. “Through working with peers from different backgrounds, I began to see connection not as something given, but something built,” she says.
“My journey extended far beyond the classroom, from volunteering in Qatar to service experiences in Laos and Nepal, where every place became a classroom.”
Reflecting on her internships and journalism residency, she explains that meaningful storytelling carries responsibility. Today, she believes communication can serve as a bridge — amplifying unheard voices and connecting conversations across borders.
Jordanian graduate Nour Fareed Alseaf, an Information Systems graduate of QF international partner university Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar, describes her journey as being shaped not by titles, but “by moments of courage — by the moments when I almost didn’t take the risk, and chose to anyway, carrying with me the values my parents raised me with”.
“Balancing roles of as President of the Student Majlis, running a startup, and managing academics was not always visible to others,” she says. “But it taught me that real growth happens in the quiet moments when you choose to keep going.” From pitching ideas to investors to representing her class on stage, Alseaf learned that confidence is not something you begin with, but something you build by showing up repeatedly.
The journey of Mariana Pereira de Souza, a Brazilian graduate in Culture and Politics from QF international partner university Georgetown University in Qatar, has been one of redefining purpose. Education, she says, became more than knowledge; it became a responsibility toward both the communities she came from and the ones she now belongs to at QF and in Qatar.
“Working across cultures pushed me to listen more deeply, and to think beyond my own perspective,” she says. “Over time, what began as a new environment transformed into a space where I felt seen and connected. Qatar became more than a place of study; it became a place I hope to give back to someday.” For Wei Quan, who is from China and is graduating from QF international partner university HEC Paris, Doha, with an Executive MBA, her experience has been shaped by a commitment to building connections across regions. Her journey at QF helped her understand how ideas travel — and how they can create real impact.
“Launching my ‘China Corridor’ newsletter became my first bridge: a way to connect China and the Middle East through shared knowledge,” she says. “Working on initiatives such as the Teen Art Award, which reached platforms like Art Basel, showed me how culture can shape global conversations and create space for new voices.” And for Aicha Vall from Mauritania, a Translation Studies graduate from QF’s Hamad Bin Khalifa University, the journey that has led her to this point began with a passion for language and grew into a deeper sense of responsibility. “Moving from teaching English to studying translation made me realize that language is not just about words, it’s about meaning, context, and whose voice gets heard,” she says.
