Qatar University’s (QU’s) Honors Program, Deanship of General Studies, held its first Faculty Open Day for the current academic year 2022-2023.
More than 20 distinguished faculty members attended the event from various colleges and specializations. Honors courses at Qatar University are expected to provide more intellectual challenge through more sophisticated material, a higher level of intellectual engagement, and greater responsibility for the learning process than an undergraduate course would typically provide.
The event aimed to pay tribute to former and present honors faculty while also creating a sense of community among incoming professors who were interested in working with honors students on teaching and/or co-curricular opportunities. Commonly asked issues concerning honors teaching, learning, and participation were also discussed, along with program updates and ideas for recognizing and assisting Qatar University’s Honors Program faculty members.
Dr. Esmat Zaidan organized an intellectual roundtable conversation during the event where other distinguished QU faculty members from various colleges who are joining the Honors Program this semester offered ideas for class activities in keeping with the excellence themes of Qatar University. These suggestions included urging students to consider using the course/module content to solve unforeseen issues or “real-world” circumstances. Teach pupils to mix different sources of data in order to overcome obstacles. Invite students to create an extensive, inquiry-based project that is focused on their individual intellectual interests and that requires significant research in order to give honors students rewarding classroom experiences and transformative education that focuses on their personal, professional, and intellectual development.
Dr. Esmat Zaidan, Director of the Honors Program, Deanship of General Studies at Qatar University, said: “I was thrilled today to chair the meeting of the Honors Program Faculty (FALL 2022 FAMILY) at Deanship of General Studies. It was a true pleasure to meet such distinguished, committed, and exceptional colleagues who will be teaching the QU top-notch students during AY 2022-2023. The Honors Program would like to express sincere gratitude to all Deans who accepted our nomination of their faculty. Your cooperation in ensuring an enriching learning experience to the highly motivated students at QU is sincerely appreciated.”
She added: “The Honors Program started with 4 students in 2009 and it has evolved into a university-wide community with 500 students.”
Source: Qatar University