New CMU-Q grads speak to Al Raya: We aspire to serve the nation
Originally written in Arabic by Heba Al Baih and published in Al Raya newspaper.
DOHA: Reflecting on their professional journeys ahead, several 2021 graduates from Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q), a Qatar Foundation (QF) partner university, share their enthusiasm to enter the labor market and continue their higher studies in various fields. The new graduates noted that CMU-Q contributed to the development of their personal, academic, and practical skills, in addition to providing many opportunities.
In exclusive interviews with Al-Raya, these graduates share their aspirations to serve the nation, apply the knowledge they learned, confront cyberattacks, face challenges, and establish advanced systems that contribute to meeting the needs of the national economy.
Entrepreneurship and the national economy
Business administration graduate Ali Mohamed Al-Maadid reflected on his CMU-Q education: “During my journey at CMU-Q, I learned to overcome difficulties and face challenges. At the beginning of my higher education, I had a hard time adapting to university life. I used to continue studying at home, spending long hours searching for business information. I did, however, receive support and help from faculty members to understand each new topic.
“I chose to study entrepreneurship and delve into business matters because my father and grandfather were both entrepreneurs in Qatar. This made me passionate about business and encouraged me to enter this field.”
Al-Maadid pointed out that the most important knowledge he has gained is the love of entrepreneurship, its fundamentals, and learning about the success stories of entrepreneurs in the west. He was greatly influenced by entrepreneurship professor George White, and has learned to use his entrepreneurship knowledge to establish the Al-Diqah Factory for Metal Recycling, which won first place in Qatar Development Bank’s 2020 Al Fikra business competition.
“My future steps are to engage in the labor market, establish a factory in 2022, and develop it. I would like to sharpen my capabilities as an entrepreneur so that I can manage many projects in the future.” Al-Maadid believes the best thing in the field of entrepreneurship is its openness to any idea or sector.
He added: “I aspire to serve the nation with the knowledge I have gained. The establishment of Al-Diqah Factory contributes to achieving the Qatar National Vision 2030, as it is an environmentally-friendly factory. It reduces waste in the country, preserves the environment, and contributes to building a knowledge-based national economy.”
Ali Al-Maadid has a degree in business administration from CMU-Q.
Countering cyberattacks
Maryam Al-Darwish, a computer science graduate, is keen to continue her studies in the United States. Her CMU-Q education has ensured she is qualified to move further in this field, whether by pursuing graduate studies or entering the labor market. Al-Darwish said: “I aspire to apply all the skills and experiences I have learned in practice.
“I participated in many research projects, including the Tic-Tac-Toe AI game project, using the minimax algorithm, which relies on trying to predict the player’s next move. I created a proxy server for web pages by reading the information entered by the user, analyzing it, and sending and receiving it to and from the server. I additionally developed a program that processes text files and generates questions and answers. In this project, I relied on several libraries to analyze the text and find questions and answers as per the user’s request. I also developed a dynamic memory allocation program using the segregated list structure.”
“I am keen to pursue graduate studies in cybersecurity, given the importance of this field for the nation. My goal is to serve the country and to give back using my field of expertise.
Maryam Al-Darwish has a degree in computer science from CMU-Q
Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022
Reem Al-Haddad, an information systems graduate, said: “My next step is to secure a job pertaining to my degree, and to pursue graduate studies in the future. I aim to serve my country by developing the existing information systems and working on creating advanced ones that are protected from cyberattacks.”
CMU-Q granted her the opportunity to work on many research projects, such as a project to develop information systems at Qatari shipping and maritime company, Nakilat, Al-Haddad said. She also worked on a project to devise different means to attract tourists to museums and stadiums hosting the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, through programs that serve tourists using augmented reality and artificial intelligence. Al-Haddad additionally had the opportunity to work on a project funded by the Qatar National Research Fund, with the support of the Undergraduate Research Experience Program, to study Qatari awareness of local wildlife.
Reem Al-Haddad has a bachelor’s degree in information systems from CMU-Q.
Challenges of the sports industry
Alanoud Al-Ghamdi, a business administration graduate, said: “CMU-Q provided me with the opportunity to participate in many student clubs, competitions, and community events. In 2018, I designed the cover of the CMU-Q student art anthology. My fellow students and I also started a club that offers Arabic calligraphy tutorial sessions. Additionally, I won the Senior Leadership Award, granted to only 9% of graduates.” She added: “I was also on the CMU-Q team that won first place in the Qatar Sports Tech (QST) Virtual Hackathon to address the most pressing challenges facing the sports industry in Qatar.”
Al-Ghamdi said: “Perhaps the most important project that I worked on pertains to the difficulties and challenges facing entrepreneurs in Qatar. Conducting the research was a great challenge for me, especially in light of the coronavirus pandemic, and given the lack of sufficient scientific resources. This research is important because it can provide entrepreneurs with important information on the risks and resources that can affect their success, and this in turn positively affects the Qatari economy.”
Alanoud Al-Ghamdi has a degree in business administration from CMU-Q.
Creating a system that measures ship performance
Shouq Al-Kuzaei, an information systems graduate, said: “One of the most important opportunities I had was to participate in the hackathon competition at Qatar Science and Technology Park. My team and I were able to come up with a new idea in less than 48 hours, one that could help visitors in the 2022 World Cup stadiums. This experience was one of a kind, and I am very proud that I took part, because in the end we won first place ahead of all the participating teams in Qatar.
“My next step is to apply all the knowledge, experiences, and skills I have acquired to develop the field I will work in. I also aspire and strive to pursue graduate studies and obtain both a master’s degree and a PhD in technology, with a focus on cybersecurity. I have the encouragement and support from my family, who gave me the support to achieve academic excellence.”
She pointed out that while she was studying at CMU-Q, she participated in many prominent projects, including a project with Nakilat, where she developed a system that assessed the performance of ships and then clearly displayed the assessment for the users of that system.
“When it comes to research, the project I conducted under the title “Design for Change” is one of the most important I participated in. It aims at redesigning texts allocated for university programs, including diverse activities to make them attractive and interesting for students.”
“Serving the nation is an honor and a source of pride to me, as I will use my academic knowledge and expertise in information systems to create and establish many systems and programs in various fields. My goal is to help and make life easier for all members of society, so they can conduct their daily affairs smoothly and with ease. I plan to achieve this using the latest innovative electronic systems and programs, so as to advance the Qatar National Vision 2030.”
Shouq Al-Khuzaei has a degree in information systems from CMU-Q.