Qatar Foundation Announces Winners of The Economist Group's Internship Programme

Doha, July 07 (QNA) - Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development and The Economist Group (TEG) have revealed the names of the six exceptional students who topped a nation-wide competition to join a prestigious internship programme at TEGs offices in New York City. The success of the contest is a key milestone in the positive and fruitful relationship between TEG and Qatar Foundation, who share common values and goals. The winners are Maha Al-Meer from Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar, Hamad Al-Naimi from Qatar University, as well as Rouda Alobaid, Asmaa Fikree, Fahad Alkhater, and Natalie Diong from Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar. The students were chosen among hundreds of university applicants for their outstanding ability to "think outside the box" and to present a winning argument in an engaging and analytical format. They will begin their three-week internship programme, entitled Education Connections, on 10 August, with the primary aim of gaining practical work experience with one of the world’s leading media groups. The respected panel of judges consisted of Justin Martin, Professor at Northwestern University in Qatar, Jeremy Cohen, Senior Academic Officer at Northwestern University in Qatar, Bilal Randeree, Managing Director of QatarLiving.com, and Khaled Al Sayed, Editor in Chief of The Peninsula. With the assistance of TEGs event programming division, the interns will benefit from a comprehensive programme that will enable them to get involved in all aspects of media and event management. They will be offered the valuable opportunity to assist on a variety of tasks, including production of written pieces, research, as well as the creation of event agendas, speaker selection, and social media activities. Rashed Al-Qurese, Qatar Foundations Deputy Director of Communication congratulated the students on their excellence and highlighted the importance of making the most of the opportunity to work alongside experts in the field of media and event management. He said, "Qatar Foundation seeks to provide the best vocational training for students in collaboration with reputable institutions across the world. This is in keeping with our ongoing efforts to achieve our organizations mission by fostering and enhancing the abilities of all students, sharpening their skills, and providing them with the necessary expertise to play a leading role in fulfilling the goals of Qatar’s National Vision 2030." Throughout the duration of the internship, students will shadow members of TEGs programming division to learn the most effective ways of producing reliable research material that is essential to event programming and media. This research will include interviews with TEGs journalists and other leading experts. Interns will also be involved in the production of social media content for The Economists events division and will assist in the production of multimedia elements for the groups social media output. Students are expected to gain a wealth of experience by interpreting web analytics data and undertaking research ahead of upcoming events. Qatari student Hamad Al-Naimi said, "An opportunity like this does not come more than once in a lifetime. Qatar Foundation has turned my dreams into reality by offering this unique opportunity, and I look forward to represent the Foundation and our country in the finest way possible, to showcase my countrymen as the respectable, hard-workers they are." Maha Al-Meer, a Qatari student at CMU-Q echoed similar sentiments. She said, "I am excited about interning at The Economist this summer. This opportunity seems to be a wonderful and valuable experience as I’ll get the chance to develop skills and abilities at a training programme provided by one of the world’s largest media groups. I also look forward to coming back, sharing my experience with others, investing the same value in my community, and passing on my knowledge to others." To enter the competition, university students from across Qatar were required to answer the question, How could you contribute to Qatar’s National Vision 2030? Contestants were encouraged to focus on any one of the four pillars of Qatar’s National Vision 2030 Human Development, Social Development, Economic Development, and Environmental Development. Essays were marked based on each student’s ability to sustain a coherent, interesting, and creative approach to the nation’s development goals. The panel of judges also considered other vital elements such as essay organisation, form and grammar in their decision-making. Winners will attend a student briefing session in Doha on 18 July and will travel to New York on 10 August, returning on 31 August. (QNA)