IMPAQT students explore CMU from a different perspective
Twenty students from the Carnegie Mellon campuses in Pittsburgh and Qatar participated in this year’s IMPAQT program. IMPAQT, which stands for Initiating Meaningful Pittsburgh and Qatar Ties, is an annual student exchange that takes place during spring break.
For many members of the CMU-Q IMPAQT team, travelling to Pittsburgh was a first opportunity to see the main campus and meet their American counterparts. “We found them very welcoming, and very friendly,” said Amer Ahmad, an information systems junior and part of the IMPAQT 2018 team from Qatar. “We really formed a close bond, and we also connected with CMU-Q alumni who are now studying on the main campus.”
The Pittsburgh IMPAQT team returned the visit the following week. For most of them, this was a first foray into the Middle East. Emily Parks, a sophomore in CMU’s College of Engineering, learned about IMPAQT in her first days as a CMU student. “On my first couple of days on campus, I learned about IMPAQT at the Study Abroad Fair, and I couldn’t wait to apply.”
Fellow IMPAQT team member Yingli Sieh, who is a junior in the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences, became acquainted with the Qatar campus through a summer research program, “In my freshman year, I participated in the Summer Research Institute at the Mellon College of Science and I was paired with CMU-Q students. IMPAQT was a nice way to come and experience it for myself.”
For Qatar students, IMPAQT is an opportunity to experience the Carnegie Mellon culture on a much larger scale. For Pittsburgh students, a trip to the Qatar campus allows them to see Carnegie Mellon through a global lens. IMPAQT students also noted that the small student body and close relationships between students and faculty create a strong community atmosphere. Michelle Madlansacay, a sophomore from the Dietrich College, commented: “The small community here speaks to me.”
IMPAQT began in 2005, which was the first spring semester after the Qatar campus opened. Former IMPAQT students remain involved with the program, helping to spread the word and sometimes returning to the other campus for a semester abroad.