Carnegie Mellon Qatar signs MoU with the Jassim & Hamad Bin Jassim Charitable Foundation

Agreement will promote computer science education in Qatar’s schools

DOHA, QATAR: Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q) and the Jassim & Hamad Bin Jassim Charitable Foundation signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to create the Hamad bin Jassim Center for K-12 Computer Science Education and commitment funding of 4 million QAR. The center will promote computer science education in schools throughout Qatar.

The Hamad bin Jassim Center for K-12 Computer Science Education aims to educate students in the fundamentals of computer science, helping to develop basic computational thinking skills. A second objective is to expose and raise awareness among students about the importance of computer science to the future of a knowledge-based society.

The MoU was signed by Ishaq Hashem, Board Member of the Jassim & Hamad Bin Jassim Charitable Foundation and Michael Trick, Dean of CMU-Q. Representatives from the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labor and Social Affairs, Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF) and Business leaders attended the signing.

“The Hamad bin Jassim Center’s mission is to create and promote critical thinking and problem-solving skills in students, particularly by implementing a computer science curriculum that will foster their computing knowledge and experience of Qatar. By working with CMU-Q and other stakeholders, we will work with both students and educators to strengthen Qatar’s status as a leader of educational innovation,” said Sheikh Jabor bin Yousuf Al-Thani, Vice Chairman of the Jassim & Hamad Bin Jassim Charitable Foundation.

To reach its objectives, the Hamad bin Jassim Center will implement a curriculum based on Alice Middle East, the educational, interactive software that was developed at Carnegie Mellon, and adapted to a Middle East context at CMU-Q through funding from the Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF).

These efforts will include training educators who will teach the Alice Middle East curriculum in their schools. In the 2017-18 academic year, all Ministry of Education and Higher Education government schools that teach information communication technology included Alice Middle East in the 11th-grade coursework.

“Computer science education is a key component of increasing Qatar’s human development, in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030 and 2nd National Development Strategy 2018-2022. We are pleased that CMU-Q and the Jassim & Hamad Bin Jassim Charitable Foundation are partnering to promote this important area of study in Qatar’s schools,” said Fawziya Al Khater Assistant Undersecretary for Educational Affairs of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education.

The MoU also provides for support for Mindcraft, a CMU-Q workshop for high school students that introduces them to computer science disciplines such as robotics, cryptography and computational thinking.

Abdul Sattar Al-Taie, Executive Director of QNRF, attended the signing. He remarked: “QNRF is pleased to have witnessed the impact made on the ground by one of its funded-projects, which led to the establishment of  a dedicated Hamad bin Jassim center for K-12 Computer Science Education in Qatar and a collaboration between CMU Qatar and the Jassim & Hamad Bin Jassim Charitable Foundation. QNRF has invested enormous resources in the Alice project. The team’s first grant was awarded through the fifth cycle of the NPRP, and generated tangible outcomes with the project being completed last year. Furthermore, in line with QNRF’s policy of continuing to invest, on a competitive basis, in projects which generate impact on the ground, last year QNRF awarded the Alice team a renewal grant which will enable them to work with more schools in different grades.” Dr. Al-Taie added, “Through the Alice project, the research team has been able to train both students and teachers, produce publications, develop a curriculum model and start some work in generating valuable IP.”

“Programs such as Mindcraft and Alice Middle East spark an interest in computer science at a young age, which in turn encourages students to pursue it and other important STEM disciplines as they continue their education. As Qatar becomes more economically diverse and self-sufficient, programs like these are incredibly important to prepare future generations,” said Saeed Mathkar AlHajri, the CEO Jassim & Hamad Bin Jassim Charitable Foundation.

“Today, technology is driving nearly every discipline, including business, finance, medicine and education,” said Michael Trick. “This collaboration between the Jassim & Hamad Bin Jassim Charitable Foundation and CMU-Q will increase access to a high-quality computer science education for students across Qatar. The Hamad bin Jassim Center for K-12 Computer Science Education will have a profound impact on Qatar, equipping the next generation with the tools to succeed in our technology-based society.”