Carnegie Mellon Qatar and Weill Cornell Medical College launch two new joint undergraduate degrees in the Biological Sciences and Computational Biology
DOHA, QATAR – Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q), Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar (WCMC-Q), and Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF) participated in a joint press conference on Thursday, February 2nd, 2012. The event introduced two new collaborative undergraduate degrees between CMU-Q and WCMC-Q in the biological sciences and computational biology. Participants discussed the programs, the importance of the collaboration, and their benefits to Qatar.
Deans of CMU-Q and WCMC-Q, Dr. Ilker Baybars and Dr. Javaid Sheikh participated in the press conference alongside President of QF, Dr. Fathy Saoud. Dr. Kenneth Hovis, assistant teaching professor of biology at CMU-Q provided specifics about both the biological sciences and the computational biology joint degrees.
“Carnegie Mellon is excited to partner with Weill Cornell Medical College. Graduates of these programs will have the scientific and analytic ability to meet the demands of the future workplace and be able to contribute to cutting-edge research in fields such as biomedicine, biotechnology and bioengineering – putting them squarely in place to explore the unsolved questions of science,” said Dr. Baybars.
The two new joint bachelor of sciences draw on the unparalleled expertise of two world-class institutions. CMU was the first university in the United States to offer an undergraduate degree in computational biology. WCMC in New York is among the top ranked medical research centers in the United States. Both the biological sciences and computational biology degrees are offered in collaboration with their associated departments at CMU in Pittsburgh – the Department of Biological Sciences and the Lane Center for Computational Biology.
"A unique aspect, which we witness today is the co-existence of two leading universities in one home. It is exciting that a student can study at two internationally renowned institutions to earn their degree,” said Dr. Saoud. He added that “These programs, either in biological sciences or computational biology, will not only place our students at the forefront of pioneering research, but make them leaders in the fields of science and medicine. We constantly strive to give our students only the best academically and there is no doubt that today signals a true breakthrough as we train talented students to become highly qualified job applicants for the future of Qatar’s knowledge-based economy."
CMU-Q enrolled six students this past year into the biological sciences program. They will undertake a rigorous, quantitative course of study that requires substantial laboratory experience. Once fully established, the programs in biological sciences and computational biology are expected to annually enroll between 20 and 25 students. The core curriculum includes biology, physics, biochemistry, math; and both organic and experimental organic chemistry – some of which are taught at WCMC.
Dr. Sheikh said that he is “looking forward to welcoming new students from this joint program into our premedical courses. He believes that the “future of science lies in cross-disciplinary efforts and that this interaction between …will enhance the educational experience for all.”
Dr. Sheikh went on to praise the collaboration’s embodiment of the Qatar National Vision 2030 stating, “This is a great example of how Education City institutions can create new opportunities for Qatar and the region by bringing together their unique strengths and expertise.” Students attending universities at QF are able to cross-register for courses in the biological sciences. Those who are currently enrolled in CMU-Q’s existing undergraduate degrees will be able to participate in the new programs.
Students completing the degree in computational biology will apply computer science techniques to complex biological problems. The program will position enrollees to meet needs already present within biological research, combining WCMC’s biological tradition with CMU’s pioneering computer science work. As in Pittsburgh, the degree in Qatar will only be offered to students who complete their first year in the biology program, whereupon they will be able to assess if complementing their biological studies with the methodological and analytical tools to model biological data sets is intellectually of interest. Students who study computational biology will be able to harness technology and innovation to solve complex biological questions that 10 years ago were unimaginable.
Elaborating further on the program itself and the collaboration in general, Dr. Kenneth Hovis added, "Biology and medicine are undergoing incredible advances in the areas of biotechnology, bioinformatics, and genomics. Our two new majors are designed to provide students with an interdisciplinary education to enable them to become leaders in research, innovation, and technology in the sciences in Qatar, throughout the region and around the world. We see CMU-Q along with WCMC-Q, as partners in the Qatar National Vision 2030 to bring world-class education and van guarding research in the sciences to this region. We want to do this by strengthening the pipeline of students who are trained to tackle some of today’s most important biological problems, with the application of theories and computational tools at the forefront.”
Each year, CMU-Q continues to provide new and relevant course work for its students. Collaborative programs like these are one way in which the university prepares its undergraduates for the marketplace of the future.