Qatar University Launches the Mobile Science Bus

The College of Engineering at Qatar University launched the STEM Bus, which is a unique and new addition to the promotion of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs among Qatari school students, under the auspices of Qatar Petrochemical Company (QAPCO) and Dolphin Energy Company Limited.

Commenting on this initiative, Dr. Khaled Kamal Naji, Dean of the College of Engineering at Qatar University, said: “This project is a mobile laboratory that motivates students and encourages them to explore the broad possibilities of engineering, mathematics, physics, and science outside the classroom, using modern educational methods away from traditional methods. Which in turn will serve the educational curricula for students in their schools through new and interesting applications that they will see on the educational bus, which will be dedicated to this project.”

He added: "The mobile science bus targets all state schools, which will increase the horizons of cooperation and communication between the various partner institutions, and this is a distinctive example of the relationship between the academic sector represented by Qatar University and the public and private sectors."

He concluded by saying, "The project will also enhance students' academic achievement and increase their demand for science, engineering and mathematics studies, especially as they are materials that support the knowledge economy, which contributes to achieving Qatar Vision 2030."

The College of Engineering at Qatar University includes 3 research centers: the Gas Research Center, the Al-Kindi Center for Computing Research, and the Qatar Center for Transportation and Traffic Safety.

The college provides its students with a variety of postgraduate programs, such as Master of Computing, Master of Engineering Management, and Master of Urban Design.

All undergraduate academic programs within the College of Engineering are academically accredited except for the new programs by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology “ABET”.

The College of Engineering at Qatar University seeks to fulfill the Qatari market’s need for highly qualified cadres in various engineering disciplines and has obtained international accreditation for its scientific programs and specializations.

The number of male and female students at the College of Engineering has increased during forty-two years from less than “40” students in 1980 to more than 4,800 male and female students this year, enrolling in several programs serving various sectors in the country. The College of Engineering includes six departments: the Department of Electrical Engineering, the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, the Department of Chemical Engineering, the Department of Civil Engineering, the Department of Architecture and Urban Planning, and the Department of Computer Science and Engineering.

The college’s programs for undergraduate and postgraduate levels coincide with the Qatar National Vision 2030, which aims to build the Qatari human being who is able to transform the national economy into a knowledge economy. It also supports the state’s aspiration to prepare engineers in various fields to support all projects of Qatar Vision 2030.