Qatar Foundation honors CMU-Q graduates for excellence and leadership
At the Qatar Foundation Convocation ceremony for the class of 2023, Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation, presented a new award for academic excellence and leadership. Mathuso Molapo and Saifudden Nassar, both graduates from CMU-Q’s Class of 2023, received the Al Ihsan award.
The award was introduced by Qatar Foundation to recognize academic excellence, as well as the leadership, innovation, and creativity that allows them to contribute to the world and empower others.
Molapo is a business administration graduate with a minor in economics. An active participant in many student organizations, she helped found the African Students Association at CMU-Q and collaborated with other groups across Education City. Through her work with the Office of Diversity and Climate, she advocated for opportunities for students to lead initiatives, as well as a fair process to select participants for those opportunities. During the pandemic, she served as the Shamali Vice President in the Qatar Foundation Residential Student Government, working to increase affordable food options for students in residence.
Nassar is an information systems graduate with a minor in psychology. As a student, he pursued research projects to improve campus sustainability and encourage individuals to be more aware of their digital footprint. He served as a student leader for the Palestinian Identity Club and was an active member of CMU-Q’s football team. In his senior year, he led a trip to Spain where students explored connections between healthy behaviors and academic success. Nassar played an active role in Qatar Foundation’s Autism Awareness Initiative while volunteering at Renad Academy.
The Qatar Foundation Convocation ceremony celebrates graduates from across Education City, including Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar. Each graduate from CMU-Q was congratulated by Her Excellency Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, Vice Chairperson and CEO of Qatar Foundation, and Michael Trick, Dean of CMU-Q.