akhbar Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar | Summer/Fall 2008
Hats Off The Class of 2008 graduates in Doha
akhbar
A publication of Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar A member of Qatar Foundation P.O. Box 24866 Doha, Qatar www.qatar.cmu.edu Dean
Charles E. Thorpe
Marketing & Public Relations Department D. Murry Evans director of marketing & public relations
Business Administration Computer Science Information Systems
Noha Al Afifi media relations manager Cristina Mules departmental coordinator Kara Nesimiuk events coordinator Andrea L. Zrimsek writer/editor
Editorial Board Nikki Krysak librarian
Aaron Lyvers planning analyst Anqi Qian, Ph.D. director of strategic initiatives John Robertson assistant dean for academic affairs Dave Stanfield director of student activities
Copy Editors
Ruth Gaus Abby Ross Teresa Thomas Bette A. Zrimsek
Mission
Akhbar is the official publication of Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar. The mission of the magazine is to tell the interesting and innovative stories that highlight the university and its role in the Gulf Region and the world. Articles and photographs contained in this publication are subject to copyright protection. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission of the university.
Editorial inquires or reprints Contact the Marketing & Public Relations Department at +974 454 8492
the Class of 2013 Application deadline
March 1, 2009 for information or to apply +974 454 8500 www.qatar.cmu.edu
table of contents
akhbar In this issue Features 3
Hats Off Carnegie Mellon Qatar graduates its first class
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Turkey Students take a cultural excursion
10 A Home of Our Own Carnegie Mellon moves into its permanent home in Qatar 14 Technology Consulting in the Community Using technology to help charities in Doha
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16 Playing the Market Students develop a simulation of the Doha Stock Market 18 Striving for Peace Campus hosts a weeklong PeaceMaker event 20 CLIP Teaching computer literacy to workers in Education City
Departments 2 22 24
page 22
26 28 29 30 31 42 44
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dean’s column Change is everywhere in Qatar alumni corner Tepper graduate turns entrepreneur faces of carnegie mellon Raj Reddy, Ph.D., Mozah Bint Nasser University Professor research spotlight Hala the robot receptionist focus on business administration Management Game focus on computer science Team captures second place in the IEEEXtreme competition focus on information systems Students collaborate in a global course campus news Read about all of the activities on campus pittsburgh connection Al Gore gives keynote address at graduation in Pittsburgh around Education City Northwestern University opens its doors in Doha
dean’s column
A WORD FROM THE DEAN...
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ohandas Gandhi once said, “be the change that you want to see in the world.” As I look around Education City today, I feel that Carnegie Mellon, Qatar Foundation and all of the other universities that have made homes in Doha are living his words. Every day, our universities are changing, Qatar is changing, the Gulf Region is changing and the world as a whole is changing. The most obvious changes are physical construction. In Education City alone, Al Shaqab is quickly rising from the sand into an elite equestrian center; Qatar Science and Technology Park is almost complete; the Convention Center is showing its impressive outlines; site preparation is under way for the hospital and the Georgetown building; and the foundation is being laid for a multiversity student center. With each passing year more and more educational facilities will be built. And of course our own home is still under construction, but finished to the point where we are able to move in. After four years and two temporary homes, Carnegie Mellon Qatar is finally able to unpack and settle in to its own building. The beauty and elegance of this building create the perfect atmosphere for our students, staff and faculty to continue learning and growing. This will help us continue to be a vital component in the rapidly changing face of Qatar. But there are many more changes than just new buildings. Northwestern University has joined Education City as our next partner institution. Adding a sixth world-class university to Doha increases the level of education for our students and adds another new layer to the opportunities and careers that abound in Qatar. The Foundation is also building a world-class symphony orchestra, and moving ahead with graduate programs and research. And, of course, the biggest change Carnegie Mellon has seen this year is the graduation of our first class. When the Class of 2008 entered Carnegie Mellon, we didn’t know quite what to expect from them, and they didn’t know quite what to expect from us. But we joined together with hope and hard work, and the results, four years later, have been spectacular.
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Now that they go into the world of graduate education and careers, they again face the unknown: but they go forth with the confidence that they have the skills, background and abilities to change the world. We look forward to the excitement of welcoming our fifth class of students. They have the advantage of being able to see the whole cycle, from incoming students, to upper class mentors, to our recent alumni making their way in the world. I commend Qatar Foundation and Her Highness Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser al Missned for identifying the change they wanted to see in their homeland, and taking on the monumental task of making it happen. But most of all, I’m thrilled that Carnegie Mellon University is part of that change. My best wishes to you all,
Charles E. Thorpe, Dean
The Class of 2008 Carnegie Mellon Qatar graduates its first class
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ay 5, 2008 was an historic day for Carnegie Mellon University. Thirty-five students – 23 in Business Administration and 12 in Computer Science – graduated from the university’s first international, undergraduate campus in Doha, Qatar. More than 800 family members, friends, faculty, staff and members of the Doha community attended the celebration. Also in attendance was the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, whose daughter, Lulwa, was among the Tepper graduates.
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“It has been a great delight to work side by side with you, and to watch you learn,” said Charles E. Thorpe, Dean of Carnegie Mellon Qatar, to the Class of 2008. “It’s been wonderful to watch your hopes and dreams come true as you finish your studies and graduate. And now it’s time to turn our thoughts toward the future and wait with great anticipation to see how you will apply the education you received at Carnegie Mellon.” The graduation ceremony is the most special occasion for Carnegie Mellon because it engages the entire community in the history, life and future of the university. It’s an event that commemorates the university’s heritage, celebrates its achievements and heralds the promise of a bright future. In the Scottish tradition of Car4 akhbar Summer/Fall 2008
negie Mellon, a bagpiper clad in full regalia led the formal procession of graduating students, Carnegie Mellon faculty, deans, university provost, keynote speaker and university president into the posh ceremony tent. Students donned traditional black graduation gowns and mortarboards bearing a tassel and 2008 pendant. Many wore their graduation gowns over their traditional dress. Faculty members also wore traditional graduation robes and caps. The ceremony began with a declaration by faculty marshal G. Richard Tucker, who led the procession carrying a traditional Qatari sword. The sword was used in place of the customary mace as a way to meld together university traditions with Arabic culture. The Qatari National Anthem and the United States National
Anthem were both played, and a poem about farewells, families and the future was read in Arabic. Jared Cohon, Carnegie Mellon University President, then addressed the graduates and the guests. “This is a day to honor and recognize the accomplishments of the outstanding members of the Class of 2008 – young men and women who, with their own vision, enrolled when our program was more dream than reality,” Cohon said to the packed tent. Ray Lane, managing partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers, and member of the Board of Trustees, gave the keynote address. He championed the Qatar “pioneers” for venturing into uncharted territory and emerging successfully. Computer Science senior Nora Al Subai was selected as the student speaker and gave a moving speech
that encapsulated the initial four years of Carnegie Mellon Qatar. “Carnegie Mellon will always be a home we can return to. The family ties we have formed will always unite us no matter how far we travel. Our struggles as a group, and as individuals, have helped define us and shape us into the people we are today,” she said. “We walk away from Carnegie Mellon with many skills and leave behind a legacy of memories: being a family; spending exciting times as the first students at Carnegie Mellon Qatar; sharing the loss of a loved one; and now, setting out into the world united by a common past and a shared vision of a successful future.” One of the most touching moments of the ceremony was when His Highness The Emir led a standing ovation for graduating computer science student Anirban Lahiri.
“It’s been wonderful to watch your hopes and dreams come true as you finish your studies and graduate. And now it’s time to turn our thoughts toward the future and wait with great anticipation to see how you will apply the education you received at Carnegie Mellon.” - Charles E. Thorpe Dean Carnegie Mellon Qatar
The Indian national has muscular atrophy, which has confined him to a wheelchair in a country where wheelchair accessibility is far from the norm. Dean Thorpe along with President Cohon and Randy Bryant, dean of the School of Computer Science, stepped down from the stage to present Lahiri with his diploma. Graduation is a tradition born of Carnegie Mellon’s earliest days more than a century ago. It is deeply rooted in the past, yet a step toward the future. Carnegie Mellon has held more than 100 graduation ceremonies since its founding in 1900. Any doubts that this event was not a true Carnegie Mellon graduation were put to rest just moments into the ceremony when the first rain to fall in Doha in more than three months tapped against the roof of the tent. Summer/Fall 2008 akhbar 5
About the Class of 2008
Tepper School of Business senior Anum Bashir is all smiles as she receives her diploma from Charles E. Thorpe, Dean of Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar.
The Class of 2008 was often described as the “pioneers.” These were the first students to enter Carnegie Mellon Qatar in August 2004 when the Business Administration and Computer Science programs were just getting off the ground. Unlike most graduating classes in Pittsburgh, the class in Qatar had more females than males. Twentyseven young women and eight men graduated. Of the 12 Computer Science majors, nine were women and three were men. In the Tepper School of Business, 18 women graduated and five men. The Class of 2008 had 15 Qatari nationals, seven in Business Administration and eight in Computer Science. Non-Qataris numbered 20, with 16 in Business Administration and four in Computer Science. Eleven nationalities were represented in the class. They include: Canada, Egypt, United States, Jordan, New Zealand, Qatar, Syria, Belize, Lebanon, United Kingdom and India.
Members of the Carnegie Mellon Qatar Class of 2008 Business Administration
Carnegie Mellon President Jared Cohon presents senior Jinanne Tabra with the Andrew Carnegie Scholar sash.
Senior Celebration The celebration for the Class of 2008 kicked off on Sunday, May 4, with a Senior Celebration, which was a night of awards, accolades and remembrances. Students, along with their parents, faculty and esteemed guests from Pittsburgh, attended the event. John Robertson, Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs, presented awards such as College Honors, University Honors, Dean’s List and Andrew Carnegie Scholars. Business Administration seniors Jinanne Tabra and Yasmine AbdelRahman gave a multimedia presentation on the four-year journey of the Class of 2008.
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Hala Abbas Yasmine AbdelRahman Adib Nabil Abu-Saba Noora Al-Ansari Noor AlAthirah Mohamed Al-Mahmeed Rooda Al Neama Maha Al-Shirrawi Amna Al-Thani Lulwah Al-Thani Anum Bashir Lina El Menshawy Syed Mustafa Hasnain Ibrahim Hassan Samiha Kamel Imran Karim Salma Kayali Reem Khaled
Mona Maher Rasha Mkachar Maha Al-Obaidan Wesam Said Jinanne Tabra
Computer Science Maha Abdeen Ameer AbdulSalam Eiman Ali Al-Emadi Fatima Al-Mansoori Noora Al-Saad Nora Al Subai Noura El-Moughny Aysha Fakhroo Maryam Khalil Anirban Lahiri Amer Obeidah Noof Al-haj Salem
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TURKEY Students take a cultural excursion
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Fourteen students from Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar spent their spring break on a first-of-its-kind cultural excursion trip to Turkey. “Most of our students are only exposed to Gulf and western cultures. So we decided it would be beneficial for them to see cultures they may not see otherwise,” says Dave Stanfield, director of student activities. “We picked Turkey because it’s a Muslim country but the government is secular, which is highly unique.”
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At far left, students enjoy taking hikes around Cappadocia, Turkey. This was the first foray into hiking for many students, and it ended up being one of their favorite things. Left, Carnegie Mellon Qatar student Mohamad Abu Zeinab takes in the expansive view.
Turkey was also chosen because students would be forced out of their comfort zones in a country where neither English nor Arabic is the primary language. Stanfield chaperoned the trip, along with Student Development Coordinators Caryl Tuma and Greg Smith. While the main focus of the trek was cultural, the eight-day experience ended up being much broader for the group. The students visited two regions of Turkey. The first was Cappadocia, a city in the central part of the country that is known for unique geological features and ancient historical sites. A hot air balloon ride allowed everyone to see the country from an angle typically reserved only for creatures of flight. Students even went on hikes and climbed through underground cities. The hiking ended up being the favorite activity, Stanfield says. The group also visited churches, stayed in a cave hotel and hit the capital city of Ankara, where they stopped by the Mausoleum of Ataturk, who was the Republic of Turkey’s first president. “I was personally fascinated with the vast history of Turkey that we came across during the trip. It was
not just the museums and monuments that exhibited ancient history but I feel that even the ordinary houses and buildings in Cappadocia and Istanbul portrayed the rich culture of Turkey and had some sort of ancient history attached to them,” says Nasreen Zahan, sophomore Computer Science major. The second part of the journey began with a short flight to Istanbul, where everyone stayed at the Blue House Hotel beside the famed Blue Mosque. Then a visit to Koç University was on the agenda. Koç is a private university funded by a large foundation that enrolls mostly students from privileged homes. “The visit to the Koç University was one of the most significant parts of the trip. It gave me insight into the lives of students in Turkey and how they were similar and different from us in Doha,” Zahan says. The trip rounded out with a scenic cruise down the Bosporus, a strait that separates the European and Asian sides of Turkey. Of course, a trip to Turkey would not be complete without a final trip to the Grand Bazaar where students loaded up on gifts for family and friends. Q
“Something I value very much about these trips is how far they stray from the norm, whether it is the nature of activities, the people you are with, the places you see or even the food you eat. The cool thing about discovering one’s self is that there is more than one way to do it. - Mohamad Abu Zeinab Business Administration junior
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A place of our own Carnegie Mellon moves into its building
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After more than four years and two temporary locations, Carnegie Mellon finally moves into its permanent home in Qatar. However, just because the university is taking occupancy of the expansive 460,000-square foot teaching and learning facility does not mean construction will be 100 percent complete. “Initially it will be part challenge and part adventure for the Carnegie Mellon Qatar community,” says Kevin Lamb, Assistant Dean for Planning. “Due to the rapid growth in Education City and the tremendous pressure for space, Qatar Foundation asked that we take partial occupancy before the fall semester. We agreed under the condition that the building will be safe and that disruption from noise and continuing construction not interfere with classes and the operation of the campus. So, the building will still be under construction and there will be some dust and noise. But we will have everything we need.” Construction on the building, which is being built by Qatar Foundation for Carnegie Mellon, began in August of 2006. Crews have been working nearly nonstop for two years to meet the aggressive July deadline. Most days there are some 2,000 workers on the site. Plus the crew has faced various problems such as concrete shortages and weather issues. “They have been making an extraordinary effort to meet the deadline,” says Lamb. “It’s represents Qatar Foundation’s vision of getting the all of the branch campuses into world-class facilities.” Staff and faculty are moving into the building in plenty of time to prepare for the fall semester. The needed classrooms, offices and lavatories are all ready, however 12 akhbar Summer/Fall 2008
some functions, such as the prayer rooms and the student club space, will not be ready until later in the semester. Lamb says it will take several more months for all work to be completed. Classes will begin in the new building on Sunday, Aug. 17. When complete, the Carnegie Mellon building will have three floors. For the next few years Carnegie Mellon will occupy the ground and first floors. Starting in fall 2009, Northwestern University will make temporary quarters on the second floor. By the end of the fall 2008 semester, Carnegie Mellon will have some 130 offices and workstations, a library, six lecture halls, five classrooms, three seminar rooms, two computer classrooms, an interdisciplinary lab and a robotics lab. The building, which was designed by Mexican architects Legoretta+Legoretta, will revolve around a threestory atrium and walkway that sits on one of the main
green spines in Education City. This design was purposeful in that people walking around campus would have to walk through Carnegie Mellon. This interaction will foster a greater sense of community and collaboration between everyone in Education City. With a Subway sandwich shop, Coffee Cottage and juice bar in the spacious atrium, it’s sure to be the hub of campus. “This is tremendous facility,” says Lamb. “It’s beautiful and inspiring, and it has been custom designed to offer all of the support needed to help our students succeed.” Having a permanent home in Education City will also help increase Carnegie Mellon’s profile and give students, staff, faculty and alumni a place to call home. The formal dedication of the building is Q slated for February or March 2009.
Construction on the Carnegie Mellon building will be underway for many months (top photo). Above, Andrew Carnegie’s famous words are being etched in stone in the three-story atrium that will serve as the heart of the building. Summer/Fall 2008 akhbar 13
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Technology Consulting in the Community
Course allows students to use technology to help Doha charities
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echnology is often thought of as something reserved only for those with money and privilege. A new class at Carnegie Mellon Qatar is showing students that high tech solutions can help even the most underserved communities. Technology Consulting in the Community is a special universitycommunity learning partnership that pairs up tech-savvy students with non-profit organizations, schools and government agencies that are in need of technological solutions but lack the funding to pay for them. “We are able to provide a valuable service to these organizations,” says Joe Mertz, who teaches the course along with Bernardine Dias. “Carnegie Mellon students possess the knowledge that allows them to identify problems and find ways in which technology can be used to alleviate them.” The goals of the course are to expand the capacity of the community partner to use technology; create an opportunity for students to learn a variety of new skills; provide the community partners with valuable assistance that addresses gaps in technical knowledge; and present the community partner with a final consulting report at the end of the semester. “What’s great about this course is that students get to expand their education and the community gets to reap the benefits,” says Mertz. Mertz and Dias contacted many charity organizations in Doha in the fall of 2007 in hopes of finding a handful that were interested in the course and willing to put in the time needed to work with a student consultant. “It’s a big commitment for an organization to become a community partner and not everyone can spare the staff,” Mertz says. Qatar Charity, Reach Out to Asia, Qatar National History Group, American School of Doha, Sri Lankan School and Al Noor Institute
At the beginning of the Spring 2008 term, students were matched with charities in Qatar to identify ways in which technology could benefit them. The students spent the semester working with the organization’s officials to implement the solutions all jumped at the chance to be part of the course. At the beginning of the Spring 2008 term, Dias and Mertz matched each charity with students who could provide them with the solutions they needed. For the duration of the 12week course, students would go on site for three hours per week to work with organization leaders. This way students can be part of the process of identifying underlying problems that technology can help them solve and begin planning for sustainable solutions. “Working on site helps students develop their technical consulting and management skills, while organizations get to improve their technology use, management and planning by working closely with Carnegie Mellon students who understand the latest technology,” Mertz says. Senior computer science major Anirban Lahiri was partnered with Qatar National History Group, an all-volunteer organization that brings together people interested in the natural history of Qatar and the Gulf. “QNHG had limited funds, kept all records on paper and didn’t have a Web site,” Lahiri says.
Throughout the semester Lahiri worked to develop a Web site to give the group more presence, created an online database and provided them with tools they could use to improve information management. “It was a challenge, but it was also very rewarding to be able to use what I’ve learned at Carnegie Mellon to help them,” he says. Technology Consulting in the Community was created in 1998 at Carnegie Mellon Pittsburgh as a way for students to apply the skills they learn in the classroom to real world problems. This was the first time the course was taught in Doha. “We brought a program that is already well established to a community where we felt there was a need,” Mertz says of offering the class in Qatar. Since its inception a decade ago, Technology Consulting in the Community students have worked with more than 200 organizations through 300 partnerships. Mertz and Dias plan to teach the course each spring in Doha. To learn more about Technology Consulting in the Community, visit www.qatar.cmu.edu/tcinc. Q Summer/Fall 2008 akhbar 15
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Playing the Market Business Administration and Computer Science students work together to create virtual stock market competition
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ortunes were made – and lost – at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar this spring. Virtual fortunes, that is. Twenty-two teams, made up of 67 students, faculty and staff, traded stocks, made money, lost money and tried to figure out how the stock market works in a first-ofits-kind Virtual Doha Stock Market. “We wanted to give Carnegie Mellon students what they deserve – something new, interesting and fun,” says junior Business Administration major Siddharth Arora, who came up with the idea with classmate Saad Al-Matwi. “There are a lot of games that simulate the U.S. Stock Market, but we wanted to make it more relevant to our classmates and that’s why we created the first virtual simulation of the Doha Stock Market.” Arora and Al-Matwi took their idea for a local stock market competition to Business Administration professor J. Patrick McGinnis. He encouraged them to collaborate with Computer Science students to bring their idea to fruition. “When we put Business Administration and Computer Science on the ground together in Qatar, this was this kind of realworld collaborations that we hoped would form,” says McGinnis. “This original idea grew out of need and interest. It’s an excellent opportunity for students from two different disciplines to collaborate in a way that approximates a situation they could encounter in their professional lives. This is what the Carnegie Mellon education is all about.” When Arora and Al-Matwi pitched their idea 16 akhbar Summer/Fall 2008
to Mark Stehlik, assistant dean for undergraduate education in the School of Computer Science, he immediately decided it would be the perfect final project for his Web Applications class. Arora and Al-Matwi gave a presentation to the class on what the scope of the project was. The six teams then designed a project they felt would best satisfy the needs of Arora and Al-Matwi. The design created by the “deadrat 5” team, comprised of sophomores Kaleem Rahman and Khalid Al-Sooj, was chosen and implemented at the end of the eight-week course, the. Then the game began. It was based on the actual Doha Stock Market, which consists of 42 local companies. Teams were given initial capital of QR 150,000 ($41,095) to buy or sell stocks in real time. “We felt that was a reasonable amount of money for a team to start with,” says Arora. Though the real Doha Securities Market is only open from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., stocks in the virtual game could be traded 24 hours a day on the Web site. Exactly like on the real Doha Securities Market, each trade was subject to a QR 30 ($8.21) commission. “We did that to make it as real as possible and so that people would take it seriously,” Al-Matwi says. Interest in the game was so overwhelming that it was extended from two weeks to more than one month. As an incentive, the team who had the most money and used the best strategy was awarded prizes. In addition to their usual course work, students who took part in the game were sending
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Business Administration juniors Saad Al-Matwi (left) and Siddharth Arora (second from left) conceived of the idea for the Virtual Doha Stock Market. They partnered with Computer Science sophomore Kaleem Rahman (second from right) and sophomore Information Systems student Khalid Al-Sooj (right) to create a Web site where teams could trade virtual stocks. More than 20 teams signed up to participate in the monthlong stock trading competition that was based on the Doha Stock Market. their teammates text messages about their holdings, and they were also truly studying the Doha Stock Market and how it works, which was the real goal of the project. “Everyone who played the game gained a whole new realization of the value of money and what it takes to earn and maintain a lucrative stock portfolio,” Arora says. “People were studying the Doha Securities Web site and began taking a more active interest in the local economy.” Team Mystery took home the first place trophy with a net worth of QR 176268 ($48,292). “We learned a lot from this competition. It gave us a feeling of what Carnegie Mellon Qatar really is and we really felt that we are doing business,” says Mystery team member Eman Tag, sophomore. “We also learned a lot about the Doha Stock Market and more specifically about each company's shares. Basically now we know, it is not just a random guess. You should study the market and then start investing.” The Doha Stock Market game had a scoreboard so that all teams could keep track of their earnings and see how they stacked up against the
other teams. To make it more interesting, the scoreboard was turned off one week before the close of the competition to create suspense. Arora and Al-Matwi, who are both members of cmBA, the Carnegie Mellon Business Association club, kept data on the competition and hope to make it an annual event. They are even considering offering the program to other universities in Qatar and using it as a tool to teach local high school students about stock trading. “The Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University is where business and technology intersect, and this is the perfect example of that. Students took the initiative to create a new idea that would not only be fun but would also provide them with an opportunity to expand their education in a way that has local impact,” according to McGinnis. “They had the idea, sought out the people with the right skills to do the job, gave them good guidance and made good decisions. The students were excited because it’s been so well received. And I hope this is the first of many collaborations between Computer Science and Business Administration students.” Q Summer/Fall 2008 akhbar 17
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Striving for Peace Carnegie Mellon Qatar hosts weeklong PeaceMaker event
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s the granddaughter of Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, senior business administration student Hala Abbas has intimate knowledge of the inner workings of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Yet she faced many challenges while playing PeaceMaker, an educational video game inspired by real events in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that challenges players to succeed as a leader on both sides. “This game is really hard. People are blowing up things and I can’t control them. If I’m nice to people, they react negatively,” Abbas says the Carnegie Mellon senior. “PeaceMaker shows you that there are a million factors to take into consideration and that every move you make has consequences.” Abbas was one of many people in Doha who took part in a five-day PeaceMaker event this spring. Anyone over the age of 18 was invited to campus to play. Students, staff, faculty and members of the Doha community, all turned out to see if they could achieve peace. PeaceMaker tests skills, assumptions and prior knowledge, and challenges the player to bring peace to the region before his or her term in office is up. Not only did the PeaceMaker event provide an opportunity for people to try to reach peace and understanding in the long conflict, the special version of this game also captured how each person played. “We are able to track every single action people make during the game,” says Cleotilde Gonzalez, associate research professor in the Dynamic Decision Making Lab at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh. “That allows us to see the sequence of actions taken to achieve peace.” In order to do this, gamers entered general demographic information such as gender, age, race, religion, political affiliation and nationality before they began playing. Once the study was over, researchers in the Dynamic Decision Making Lab took
PeaceMaker is an educational video game that challenges players to find peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Players must play as both sides and deal with the consequences of their actions. this information and began analyzing it to see how roles and environmental events impact dynamic decision making in international relations. One interesting factor about PeaceMaker is that all participants had to play the game from both sides: once as the Palestinian President and once as the Israeli Prime Minister. Each side requires different techniques and strategy in order to achieve peace. Gonzalez says this is done because players are usually in one of three camps: pro Israel, pro Palestine or neutral. By playing both sides, many young people who play the game walk away from it with a different view of the conflict. Abbas, who has played the game before, walked away from this experience with a new perspective after achieving peace as the Israeli Prime Minister, but failing in the position held by her grandfather. “I have a whole new respect for what my grandfather does,” she says. “This game really shows how hard some of us are suffering. It teaches you that solving the conflict is not that easy. I know it’s not easy, but not everyone else does.” Gonzalez says video games are excellent tools for the study of dynamic decision making. Data collection with PeaceMaker can help researchers understand behavioral and cultural issues that influence
the perception of the “self” and the “other.” She conducted research with the game on Pittsburgh’s campus and found that the players were very similar demographically. She brought it to Doha to capture a more diverse population. While many players were American and European expatriates, several were Arabs and many were Palestinians who have a vested interested in the conflict. Past data shows that the closer people are to the situation, the more passionate they are about reaching peace. Once emotional content is removed, players win better and more consistently than those who get involved emotionally. Gonzalez also says that personality, political affiliation and religion make a difference in how people plan the game. Carnegie Mellon University graduates Eric Brown and Asi Burek conceived of and designed PeaceMaker with the idea that everyone can make a difference. “We wanted to create a game on social issues,” Brown says. “Video games get a lot of bad publicity so we created one that would be emotionally engaging and give people a chance to see what transpires from the decisions they make.” To learn more about PeaceMaker, visit www.peacemakergame. com. Q Summer/Fall 2008 akhbar 19
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CLIP
Students volunteer to teach computer literacy to the workers in Education City
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ith such technology as Skype, e-mailing and instant messaging, it’s easier than ever to stay in touch with friends and family. But what about people who don’t have access to computers or don’t know how to use them? Recognizing that this is the case for many of the immigrant laborers in Doha, students in the Neomotion community service club at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar decided to do something about it. “When we started Neomotion in the fall of 2007, one of the goals was to find ways in which we could help the workers,” says Ramsey Ramadan, junior Business Administration major. “We thought about raising money to buy them Hala cards to call home. Then we realized that by teaching them computer literacy they can keep in touch with their families though various means.” Neomotion began working in the fall with Silvia Pessoa, professor of English and Modern Languages, and Dave Stanfield, director of student activities, on designing the courses. More than 25 Carnegie Mellon Qatar students signed up to be part of the program. “The students are really excited about this. We try to teach them the value of giving back and service in the community. They want to interact with 20 akhbar Summer/Fall 2008
the workers inside Education City who are giving them a lot, and they want to give something back,” Stanfield says. CLIP, or Computer Literacy Information Program, began in the Spring 2008 term with classes for some 50 cafeteria workers, security guards and custodians. Classes were held evenings and weekends, with separate classes for women. Attendance was strong and the laborers were all eager to learn.
“When we started Neomotion in the fall of 2007, one of the goals was to find ways in which we could help the workers.” - Ramsey Ramadan Junior Students in the classes had varying levels of proficiency: some with moderate computer skills and some with no technical skills at all. Carnegie Mellon student volunteers worked with each student to develop a broad set of computer literacy skills that would be most beneficial to them. Hazem Al Satari, a Jordanian national, works as a security guard. While he uses a computer to file reports at
work, he had little knowledge of the Internet and ways in which he could use the machine to communicate. “My supervisor encouraged me to come so I could learn about Word, Excel and more about the Internet and how to e-mail,” Al Satari says. Al Satari is also taking English classes offered by Georgetown University School of Foreign Service at Qatar. Georgetown was the first university to reach out to the workers, which is what helped spark the interest at Carnegie Mellon. “Once we saw they were doing it, we started thinking about what we can bring to the table. Computer literacy was an obvious option,” Stanfield says. Ramadan says all of the Carnegie Mellon students who took part in CLIP were excited about the program because it gave them a chance to use what they’ve learned at school to give something back to the community. “These people are brought here to help this economy flourish yet they often suffer severely because they are not given the opportunities they deserve. Our ultimate aim is to reach out to Qatar as a whole.” Neomotion hopes to continue offering the CLIP program in the fall and even aims to set up a computer cluster specifically for laborers either in Education City or at their residential communities. Q
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alumni focus
Tepper graduate turns entrepreneur
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rowing up in Scotland, Carnegie Mellon senior Jinanne Tabra struggled to learn the Arabic language. Like most Arab children in non-Arab countries she had limited access to Arabic books, games, toys and other learning materials. The daughter of an Iraqi father and Scottish mother, Tabra went to an English-speaking school during the week and spoke Arabic in her home. On weekend her parents sent her to an Arabic school that was run by their small Arabic community. 22 akhbar Summer/Fall 2008
“I complained every weekend. It wasn’t fun at all,” Tabra says. “The books we had were given to us from an Arabic country’s government’s curriculum so they weren’t that interesting. They didn’t make learning the language fun.” After moving to Qatar and being immersed in an Arab environment, Tabra’s Arabic fluency increased. However, it never left her mind that there were millions of Arabs around the world who were still struggling to learn the language. Tabra had what she called a light bulb moment when her mother,
Dawn, a library technician at The Learning Center, told her that parents in Doha were always complaining that there were not enough quality Arabic books here. “I thought, if there aren’t enough books here in Qatar, then there are definitely not enough in the U.S. and other countries,” she says. And so ARABOH.com was born. Founded to promote the education of the Arabic language, particularly among Arabs living outside the Arab world, ARABOH.com is an online community for educational books with an Arabic theme that
alumni focus
“This is a movement. This is about teaching our children to embrace their Arab pride. This is about giving the gift of the Arabic language to your family, to your friends and to the world.” -Jinanne Tabra Business Administration senior
At left, Araboh and his camel Jameela are the mascots of ARABOH.com. Together they are trying to encourage young Arabs to read in their mother tongue. Above, Jinanne Tabra selects books to sell on the Web site. will allow future Arab generations to grow up reading, writing and thinking in their mother tongue. “I saw the need and decided to do something to fill it,” Tabra says. “I knew exactly what I wanted to do.” But it was not that easy. Tabra contacted many publishing houses across the world and began hand picking more than 700 titles to carry. Book are categorized by age range, and can help anyone from a preschooler to a senior citizen learn the language. Some books are solely in Arabic, while others are in English and Arabic, French and Arabic, or all three. Books can be shipped anywhere in the world. “We have everything from baby books to novels,” she says. “We even have Shakespeare in Arabic.” Because most of the publishing houses didn’t have summaries of the books, Tabra had to read each book and write summaries in both English and Arabic. To make her Web site lively and informative, she also began scanning book jackets and excerpts from the stories to post to the site. She decided to set up in Sharjah, U.A.E., because there is a free
zone there where she can import and export her products without paying a duty. Qatar is setting up a similar zone but it’s not yet up and running. She is also donating a portion of her profits to charities that aid children in the Arab world.
Tabra launched ARABOH, which is slang for Arabs, in December of 2007 while still in her senior year at Carnegie Mellon Qatar. She worked with Communications Professor Patrick McGinnis on developing her logo, vision and mission. And she worked with George White, Professor of Entrepreneurship, on the proper way to go about her venture. “We’re so proud of our newlyminted Tepper grad with her first foray into e-commerce,” McGinnis says. “We know that her Carnegie Mellon education will serve her well as she turns this important service into a successful business.”
Tabra is currently in the process of developing a marketing strategy that will reach Arab communities around the globe. She plans on contacting organizations, schools and other groups that she can leverage to reach her audience. The young entrepreneur credits her years as a Business Administration student at Carnegie Mellon Qatar with providing her the skills necessary to bring her idea to fruition. “The resources available here at Carnegie Mellon were crucial in getting ARABOH.com up and running,” she says. “I wouldn’t have been able to do any of this four years ago. My education at Carnegie Mellon has equipped me to start my own business and fill a need I know is out there.” Tabra sums up her first business venture as a movement to keep Arabic heritage alive all over the world. “ARABOH.com is about teaching our children to embrace their Arab pride. It’s about giving the gift of the Arabic language to your family, to your friends and to the world.” To view the list of available books, log onto www.ARABOH. com. Q Summer/Fall 2008 akhbar 23
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faces of carnegie mellon
Raj Reddy, Ph.D.
Mozah Bint Nasser University Professor
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s the only Mozah Bint Nasser University Professor of Computer Science and Robotics in the world, Raj Reddy, Ph.D., is in a unique position. He is the main faculty liaison for Carnegie Mellon Qatar, is actively involved in research, recruits faculty and teaches a mobile robotics course in Pittsburgh. “I have a lot of freedom and flexibility in my position,” he says. “This gives me the opportunity to think outside the box for ways to attract people to Qatar.” Reddy has such a relaxed demeanor and approachable spirit that few people would suspect that he is the genius behind many of Carnegie Mellon’s major efforts including its presence in Education City. It all began in 2000, when former U.S. President Bill Clinton approved Reddy as a co-chair of an IT advisory committee. This committee was working with Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development and Reddy began meeting with Dr. Muhammad Fathi Saoud, Qatar Foundation Advisor of Higher Education, and Her Highness Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser al Missned, wife of the Emir of Qatar and chairperson of QF. It was through this meeting that Reddy began talking with Her Highness about what Carnegie Mellon could offer to Qatar and its people. He continued these discussions with Carnegie Mellon President Jared Cohon and Provost
Mark Kamlet, and before long the agreement was signed for Carnegie Mellon to offer Business Administration and Computer Science undergraduate degrees. “It was the right thing to do,” Reddy says. “By joining Education City, Carnegie Mellon is building a bridge with the Middle East and the world at large. We have programs that can add so much value to this region.” Reddy is no stranger to introducing new and innovative ideas to the university. He has been a faculty member at Carnegie Mellon since 1969. He was the founding director of the ground breaking Robotics Institute from 1979 to 1991 and the Dean of School of Computer Science from 1991 to 1999. His list of accomplishments, awards and accolades is nearly endless. Though his schedule is packed with teaching, working on numerous research interests, brainstorming for Carnegie Mellon and sharing his ideas with the world, Reddy still manages to get to Doha a few times a year. On his visit this spring, Reddy said it still surprises him how much the campus keeps growing and growing. “I never thought it would get this big. We have so many students, faculty members and staff. There is so much energy,” he says. “Coming to Qatar is something we should all be proud of. In four years we’ve been able to accomplish a lot with very few hiccups. And we strive to continually improve.” Summer/Fall 2008 akhbar 25
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Hala
Robot receptionist will greet people at the new Carnegie Mellon building in Education City
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hen people enter the new Carnegie Mellon building in Education City this fall, they will be overwhelmed with the beauty of the new structure as well as the sense of community and camaraderie among students, staff and faculty. But it will be a new addition to the building during the semester that people will be talking about. After all, it’s not everyday that you can be greeted with a ‘hello’ or ‘marhaba’ from a prototype robot receptionist named Hala. “The first thing you’ll see when you walk up to main reception will be the roboceptionist. Carnegie Mellon will be the only place in Qatar to have anything like this,” says Brett Browning, Senior Systems Scientist at Carnegie Mellon. “She will be able to answer questions in English and Arabic, and we hope she’ll be entertaining, too.” The goal is to develop Hala, which means welcome in all Arabic dialects, to interact with visitors in a culturally appropriate way. Using cameras and recognition software, she will be able to tell if an approaching guest is wearing traditional Gulf dress or western garb. This will determine whether she initiates a conversation in English or Arabic. Of course Hala won’t be 100 percent accurate all the time, and she may mistake a long coat for a traditional Qatari thobe. He also says the hijab, a headscarf worn by Muslim women, has been presenting problems. As he also notes, these challenges will be a major part of the research to improve her performance over time. They are also what makes this project so interesting and culturally relevant. Hala is being developed by Browning, Computer Science professor Majd Sakr, Ph.D., and undergraduate students Hatem Alismail and Keghani Kouzoujian. This is part of a larger project funded by a Qatar National Research Foundation NPRP grant and Carnegie Mellon Qatar. The project is in collaboration with Reid Simmons, professor of research at the Robotics Institute and developer of the original roboceptionist project.
research spotlight Browning, who is a roboticist, saw the interest Alismail and Kouzoujian had in robotics and encouraged them to develop a research project to explore their passion. They chose a robot that would interact with humans in a bilingual environment because of the many concepts it included. “I wanted to learn more about robots and get more involved in research,” Kouzoujian says. “The roboceptionist allows us to put things into action in a way that will have a lasting impact on campus. And it’s pretty cool, too.” Kouzoujian and Alismail are building on existing technology that led to the birth of Marion “Tank” LaFleur, the roboceptionist at the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh. Tank was an interdisciplinary project between members of the Robotics Institute and the Drama Department at Carnegie Mellon University. The goal was to produce a robot helpmate that was useful, exhibited social competence and was compelling to interact with. In addition to helping people, Tank has a personality that slowly reveals itself though his conversations. Hala will have many of the same characteristics of her predecessor, but have a much different personality. She will speak formal Arabic and American English with no local dialect. She will have a background and personality that is drawn from many parts of the Middle East. Talk to Hala and you’ll learn all about her travels, and perhaps something about Qatar and the Middle East in the process. The first Qatar roboceptionist was chosen to be a female robot because most students in Education City are female. Both Alismail and Kouzoujian traveled to Pittsburgh in the summer to work alongside the creators of Tank. Alismail will stay in Pittsburgh for the fall term so he can gain even more experience in the creation and development of robots and artificial intelligence. While Hala will be not be mobile at
Junior Computer Science major Hatem Alismail is one of the students working on building a bilingual robot receptionist. This is the first project of its kind in Qatar. first, Browning envisions that down the road she could be upgraded to have wheels or another means of mobility that would allow her to move freely around the building. “That way not only could she tell people where they needed to go, she could actually show them.” The Hala research project was such an innovative idea that the team captured a $750,000 Qatar National Research Fund grant and a $10,000 grant from the Undergraduate Research Experience Program. They expect to be continuously trying to upgrade and improve her for many years. Browning hopes the Hala project and the monetary support from
the Qatar Foundation research funds will entice other students to join the culture of research that is being cultivated in Doha. “I would love it if this was just the start of introducing robots to the Gulf,” he says. “Down the road we could have robots greeting people at the airport, assisting people at hospitals and guiding people around town. Qatar is a society that is transforming itself in an unprecedented way. It’s a great place for robots and artificial technology to have a huge impact.” Hala should be on the job in the Carnegie Mellon building in Education City sometime during the Fall 2008 term. Q Summer/Fall 2008 akhbar 27
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anagment game BA students put their education to work
“It’s Carnegie Mellon’s way of saying ‘take everything we’ve taught you in four years and use it in the next three months,’” says senior Jinanne Tabra of Management Game. Management Game is a computer-based business strategy simulation used to prepare Carnegie Mellon Business Administration students for success in today’s international business environment. All Tepper seniors are required to take the course in their last semester, and students in Doha were introduced to it this spring. “One of the biggest challenges faced by students in any discipline is learning how to translate the concepts covered in the classroom to real-world situations,” says Dave Lamont, associate teaching professor of business strategy. “Management Game’s purpose is to mimic the real-world experience of negotiation, as well as team and financial management across regional, national, cultural and social borders. It bridges the segmented knowledge of all courses to make students better at solving cross-functional, dynamic and unstructured problems,” he says. The Game began at Carnegie Mellon Pittsburgh in 1958 as an executive training tool sponsored by Proctor & Gamble. It was thought to be a way to teach managers how to sell powdered soap. That model was used until 1986 when it was updated to meet the criteria required of global managers. 28 akhbar Summer/Fall 2008
To play the game today, teams are divided into worlds. Each world is made up of five teams. This year there were five teams in Doha, 12 teams at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh and eight teams at other universities in Mexico. Teams in Doha did not compete against each other. To begin, students vote for presidential nominees, who then draft team members according to their perceived strengths. Players are elected to senior management positions within the company and asked to determine an operating strategy. Each player is expected to take ownership of some aspect of the business — such as research and development or marketing — and to coordinate his or her activities with the other team members. The team’s structure is meant to teach students how to negotiate roles and responsibilities, organize communication and integrate talent. The teams ran companies that manufactured and sold two brands of wristwatches: a high end one and a low end one. The commodity is basically a blank slate in terms of marketing and manufacturing — because no one has worked for a watch manufacturer, there are no biases being brought to the table. “We learned a lot as a team,” says Tabra. “No one was holding our hands so we got to see what it would be like in the business world.” The class is an excellent example of the use of technology in educa-
tion. Using the Internet, students are able to collaborate and make decisions in a global environment without being physically together. Seventy-five percent of the classes were conducted by video conference. In the future teams may be made up of students from the campuses in Qatar and Pittsburgh. It is likely in the future that there will be teams of students who participate in the class but never meet physically. Teams are responsible for running the entire company and, like in most companies, they have a board of directors to whom they must answer. The boards in Qatar consisted of local business professionals. Each team had three board meetings that acted as oral exams. Lamont says this format elevates the performance of the students because they realize that high-level executives are volunteering time to help them learn. Tabra says that while the board’s feedback was tough at times, it was the most invaluable part of the course. Another aspect of having the boards made up of local business professionals, Lamont says, is that it gives them an opportunity to see what Carnegie Mellon students are capable of. Though Management Game was tiring and the faces of the seniors began looking haggard after a few weeks, Tabra said the experience was an invaluable way to cap off her four year undergraduate degree.
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Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar captures second place in the IEEEXtreme competition
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team of students from Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar captured second place in the IEEEXtreme worldwide computer programming competition. Computer Science senior Hatem Alismail, Computer Science junior Rishav Bhowmick and robotics Ph.D. candidate Justin Carlson comprised the winning team. IEEEXtreme is a global programming competition that tests the players’ problem-solving abilities to the limit by taking them on a daylong journey of finding the best solutions to various challenges while competing against teams from all over the world. This year 130 teams from 33 countries including Portugal, Canada, Iran, Italy, France and Japan competed. The U.S.-based Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) professional organization holds the event each year. The teams all started the competition at the same time, which was 3 a.m. in Qatar, and worked steadily for 24 hours. Complex contest
problems were released periodically throughout the competition and teams had to correctly solve as many as they could in the 24-hour period. Carnegie Mellon Qatar’s team secured second place by solving 12 of the 16 problems. The team from University of North Texas was the only team across the globe to beat Carnegie Mellon Qatar. “The competition was really fun. It was challenging to try to think of solutions to the various problems,” says Alismail. “Taking part in this type of competition changes the way you think of problems. Sometimes a problem can seem very complex but when you take time to work it through you realize that the best solution is often the most simple.” The entire IEEEXtreme competition was done online and teams had no idea how any of the other teams were doing, which Alismail says added to the excitement of the challenge. “We really never thought we’d win, especially since we are the first students from the Gulf Region to take part in the competition.”
Teams from all over the world took part in a 24-hour computer programming competition
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Students in
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global course
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arnegie Mellon students in both Pittsburgh and Doha had the unique experience of working together on a project that would teach them global collaboration, cultural understanding and technical project management. Global Project Management, an Information Systems elective, was open to all Carnegie Mellon students in Doha as well as students at other Education City universities. Students at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh were also able to sign up for the class. “The purpose of the class is to get students to experience project management within the context of globalization,” says Selma Limam Mansar, who taught the course in Doha. “Project management has its own issues and they are amplified if teams and clients are remote.” Using various technologies such as videoconferencing, Skype, chat rooms and project collaboration, students on both sides of the world 30 akhbar Summer/Fall 2008
were able to work together despite the physical separation. Nine students in Doha took the course along with 30 students in Pittsburgh. In this course, students learned the basics of project management and the challenges of working globally, while working on two projects. First was designing a floor plan for the new Information Systems program in Qatar. This included designing rooms, placement of offices and allotting the budget. The second project was for a private nursery in Doha. Students researched technology that could be used for the preschool and designed an ideal learning environment. Beyond the course learning objectives, this experience worked on further developing bonds between Pittsburgh and Doha students. “I think this was an invaluable experience as it allowed me to work with students from the Pittsburgh campus, whose culture was different from mine,” says sophomore Kaleem Rahman. The Global Project Management course grew out of a need to increase global awareness among undergraduates, says Limam Mansar. “Our students are increasingly likely to find themselves working on global development teams during internships or upon graduation,” she says “So it’s important that they learn these types of skills.” This is the first time that such an experience was offered to students in Doha. The course required major coordination between Limam Mansar in Qatar and Randy Weinberg, who taught the class in Pittsburgh. However, Limam Mansar says it was all worth it. “If our students understand the basics of global project management, teamwork, crosscultural communication and collaboration, they will have a competitive advantage over students who do not. This course is helping prepare them to take on the global marketplace.”
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Inaugural Bill Brown Ride
Bicycle ride to Al Khor was held in memory of longtime professor and avid cyclist
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eventy-six cyclists and nearly 20 volunteers turned out bright and early at the Doha Golf Club Saturday, March 1, to take part in the inaugural Bill Brown Ride. The bicycle ride was held in celebration of Bill Brown, a beloved biology professor at Carnegie Mellon University and avid cyclist who passed away in the summer of 2007. Starting at 8 a.m., cyclists of all ages and riding abilities headed north from Doha, Qatar’s capital city, toward the small town of Al Khor. Cyclists had the option of riding a 16-mile loop to Lusail, a 28.5-mile loop to Simaisma or a 42-mile loop to Al Khor. One-third of the cyclists completed the full Al Khor loop, which is the course Bill rode almost every weekend while in Doha for the Spring 2007 term.
“It was great to see so many cyclists come out and ride the course that Bill enjoyed,” says Majd Sakr, Computer Science professor and cyclist. “We had riders of all ages, and had a mix of serious athletes and recreational bikers. Everyone could join the event, which was something Bill would have wanted.” A strong wind from the north made the outbound journey somewhat challenging for the cyclists, but everyone was able to catch their breath on the cruise back. Several Qatar Traffic Police – in Land Cruisers and on motorcycles – kept a tight patrol on the cyclists and the streets. After the ride concluded, riders, volunteers and several members of the Carnegie Mellon Qatar community enjoyed a relaxing BBQ lunch at the golf course.
Not only was the Bill Brown Ride a way to honor our friend, it was also an opportunity to raise money for the Bill Brown Scholarship Fund. “This was a great combination of fun, friendship and good exercise for a good cause,” says Chuck Thorpe, dean of Carnegie Mellon Qatar. “Bill’s favorite bicycle ride was the MS 150, which is a ride to raise money for charity. The fact that we can remember him and at the same time raise money for scholarships is exactly the kind of thing he spent his own life doing. The ride was the type of event Bill would have loved,” Thorpe noted The ride raised more than QR 14000, or $3,978.03, for the Bill Brown Scholarship Fun. The ride will be an annual event in Doha. Summer/Fall 2008 akhbar 31
campus news
CS4Qatar
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omputers are part of every aspect of our lives, whether we realize it or not. To bring a better understanding of computers and the field of computer science to high school students in Doha, Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar offered two sessions of its highly-successful CS4Qatar program this spring. The workshops are designed to teach high school students about computer science and how essential it is to everything we do. More than 400 high school students from Doha applied for the 120 seats in the first session, and the second session saw 100 students interested in the 40 openings. “CS4Qatar is about introducing students to computer science concepts such as problem solving; creating animation using a programming language; and the world of networks such as the Internet,” says Majd Sakr, Computer Science professor at Carnegie Mellon Qatar. “These basic skills plant the seeds for these students to understand the world of Computer Science and become creative thinkers no matter what field they end up choosing.” The first CS4Qatar consisted of three sessions: Computer Science Puzzles, Programming With Alice and Robotics. The second session interchanged Networks for Robotics. “Technology is a critical ele32 akhbar Summer/Fall 2008
ment of our lives,” says Sakr. “Innovation comes from interest and need. If we start interesting students in technology at an early age, the chance of them becoming innovators is greater. And the more innovative they are, the better Qatar will be.” The CS4Qatar program was held twice for high school teachers in 2007. Sessions for students were added this year and Sakr says the faculty is thrilled at the interest expressed by high school students. Mohammed Hamdouna, a senior at Omar Bin Al-Khattab Scientific Secondary School, was one of the students who came to CS4Qatar to learn more about computer science. “A few people from Carnegie Mellon came to my school to talk about computer science. I became interested in it and wanted to learn more about what computer science is,” says Hamdouna. “These days you have to know computers to be successful. Everything depends on them. So I came this weekend to see if I’m on the right track and if this is what I want to study.”
Japanese Anime
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orld-renowned director and animator Makoto Shinkai paid a visit to Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar to screen three of his Anime films and talk with students about
how he uses computers to create his work. On Friday, Feb. 1, Shinkai screened three of his films: “Voices of a Distant Star,” “The Place Promised in our Early Days” and “5 Centimeters Per Second.” A large audience turned out to view the movies and ask Shinkai questions. He followed his screening the next day with an exclusive Education City workshop in which he discussed his work and the techniques he uses to make animated movies. He also demonstrated to a group of Education City students how software is used to create animation. Following Shinkai’s lecture and demonstration, Producer Kazuki Sunami talked about the process of making animation.
Born in Nagano, Japan, Makoto Shinkai has won numerous awards for his work in Anime, including the grand prize at the 2000 computer graphic animation contest. His unique talents have earned him fans around the world.
Young Entrepreneurs
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jacket with ice packs in it that keep you cool during hot summers in Doha; a Global Positioning System that tells you where traffic is and how to avoid it; a kitchen appliance that freezes food items in a matter of minutes. While these might sound like the latest and greatest items to hit the store shelves, they are actually the ideas from the minds of fourth graders at American School of Doha.
campus news
Fourth graders at American School of Doha learn about entrepreneurship through a program with Carnegie Mellon Qatar. These new products are just some of the ideas that came about as part of ASD’s Entrepreneur Month. During Entrepreneur Month, the capstone of the school’s one-year program on economics, students learn the ins and outs of creating and sustaining an entire economy. During the school year, the 132 students studied everything about economics. Each of the six fourth-grade classes created its own constitution, formed a government, designed currency, received paychecks for their jobs and created a whole economy based on the wants and needs of the people. During the capstone month on entrepreneurship, the students took their newly created economies to another level by forming companies. In doing this, they learned the different roles people play within an organization. Once the companies were formed, each one then had to develop a product. “They surveyed moms, neighbors and friends to find out what type of products they wanted and what would make their lives easier,” says Anita Reilly, fourth grade teacher at ASD. To really make the students understand the meaning of entrepreneurship, ASD teamed up with Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar.
George White, a successful entrepreneur and professor at Carnegie Mellon Qatar, introduced the idea of entrepreneurship to the 23 teams in February. White introduced the students to the idea of thinking outside the box. He encouraged them to think of something new - something that people needed - and then create it. Part of his introduction was the showing of a video of a young man who began thinking like an entrepreneur at the age of 10 after going to New York City and meeting Donald Trump. He started his own business making and selling greeting cards and was a millionaire by the time he was 20. “He made the whole idea real to the kids. He’s a college professor and he came and talked to the kids like they were college students. After he left, they realized being an entrepreneur is something they could really do,” says Reilly. White says this age, around 9 or 10, is really the leading edge of how early you can expect kids to have an idea with an ongoing effect. “Kids can get inspired at this age and they are mature enough to be able to follow all of the steps they need to in order to be successful,” he says. Students came up with ideas for all sorts of products including a cup
that never tips, unbreakable sunglasses, a plant watering system and a beeper that will help you find your television remote control. Once the students created their products they had to design a logo, make advertisements, devise a marketing plan and figure out the costs. And since each classroom has its own currency, they even had to come up with money exchange rates. In April, ASD held a fair where all of the students showcased their ideas. In addition to teachers and parents, White attended the fair to see how their ideas grew and give them feedback. “I was impressed with their energy level and creativity,” he says. Votes were collected at the fair and winners were announced a few weeks later. Based on the idea, the presentation and meeting the guidelines of the entrepreneurial spirit, the team who invented the GPS watch took home first place. Members of the top teams were treated to a pizza party and each student received a QR 100 gift certificate to Virgin Megastore. Additionally, a few students were honored for their sportsmanship and spirit. This is the second year ASD had held the Entrepreneur Month, and Reilly says it’s very popular. “Students in the third grade talk about what they will do when they get to become entrepreneurs,” she says. And even if they don’t go on to create their own product or start their own businesses, Reilly says the skills they learn help them tackle projects in a new way. “Money takes on a whole new meaning for them after this project. They learn how wants and needs are what fuel the economy. And they learn how they can be a part of it.”
Programming Competition
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ifty-four students from 11 local high schools participated in the Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar High School Programming Competition this spring. The competition was Summer/Fall 2008 akhbar 33
campus news designed to allow high school students to compete against their peers in a computer science-based contest. The competition challenged 18 teams of three students to work together to solve six computer problems in less than four hours. Students used their knowledge of computer programming languages such as JAVA, C and C++ to solve their problems. A panel of Carnegie Mellon faculty worked as judges to determine if the programming code executed the correct solution. “Competitions like this are not just about computer programming skills,” says Lynn Carter, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon Qatar. “They are about time management, strategy, team work, planning, communication, deadlines and using resources. These are all skills that you need to be successful in life. Competitions such as these are the best way for students to develop their skills because they can compare and contrast themselves against their peers. This helps them know where they excel and where they need to improve.” M.E.S Indian School took home first place, solving all six problems well within the allotted time. The American School of Doha captured second place by solving two problems in the shortest amount of time. This is the second year Carnegie Mellon Qatar held the High School Programming Competition. It’s just one of the many outreach programs between the university and local high schools.
Not That Simple
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n the Fall of 2007, the Office of Personal Development at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar set out to develop a program for its students that would meld together community service and reflective thinking. What grew out of this idea was a program called “It’s Not That Simple.” Designed specifically for a small group of students, “It’s Not That Simple” is both interactive and 34 akhbar Summer/Fall 2008
The “It’s Not That Simple” program gave students an opportunity to work with and learn from children with disabilities. reflective. The overarching goal is for students to think about their lives and why they do what they do. “The program required that we find an organization that was a good fit for our program,” says Jarrod Mock, student development coordinator at Carnegie Mellon Qatar. “We intentionally sought an organization that would put our students among people who live a drastically different life than their own. At the suggestion of ROTA, we connected with HopeQatar, a center for educating children with special needs. The children they serve range in age from 5 to 21. They have 15 students, the majority of whom have autism,” Mock says. Once the program was set up, interested students were asked to complete applications to identify their interests. A panel of staff reviewed six applications and the top four students were chosen. They were Mohammed Abu Zeinab, Fatima Al Rumaihi, Khaled Ziyaeen and Hind Al Khulaifi. “When I was in high school I had other opportunities to deal with children with similar challenges and I enjoyed it,” says Hind Al Khulaifi,
a freshman Business Administration major at Carnegie Mellon Qatar who took part in the program. “When I entered college I thought this program was a great chance to revisit what I did in high school. I love kids and to be able to deal with kids that have challenges gives you a special feeling. It’s kind of unexplainable.” The program began in February with a team meeting briefing the students on the program for the semester. Then weekly visits to HopeQatar began. The visits, which lasted about one hour, gave students opportunities to interact with the children in a variety of different ways. They taught them basic computer skills, made paper kites, created artwork and even went on a scavenger hunt at Family Food Center. “The center was an entirely different world,’ says Al Khulaifi. “The kids were mostly Indian so there were cultural differences. And since the place is small it doesn’t have a lot of funding. But the kids were so happy to see us. You could tell it was the best part of their day.” After each visit, the four students would engage in the reflective
campus news portion of the program. This entailed a group discussion that included questions such as: “For the HopeQatar students, what is their purpose in life? What about you, what’s your purpose? Is it really that simple?” The students were given a journal at the beginning of the program and were encouraged to write down their thoughts during the visits and team reflection times. “The Carnegie Mellon education is so rigorous that students usually don’t take time to sit for an hour and think about their lives and reflect on their future,” says Mock. “This program not only gave students an opportunity to work with people who are much different from them, it also opened up the door to self reflection and the realization that not everyone has the opportunities that you do.” Al Khulaifi says the discussions were very beneficial. Although she worked with special needs kids in high school, she never had the opportunity to engage with her peers and talk about the experience. “Sitting around with other students reinforced what I believed in. We talked about a lot of things and realized that a lot of questions remain unanswered,” she says. The program concluded in April with the Celebration Night where the team of students gave presentations on their experience. They, along with HopeQatar, were recognized for their participation and commitment to the program.
Robot Cars
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ust a few years ago, autonomous vehicles – cars that drive themselves – seemed like something only found in science fiction movies. However, researchers at top universities such as Carnegie Mellon have been steadily working on developing this technology in ways that will have real-world applications. One leader in this field, Chris Urmson, visited Doha this spring to talk about his work with autonomous vehicles and explore ways in
which this technology can be further developed in Qatar. “Carnegie Mellon has the knowledge and experience to create the technology and Qatar has the interest in cars and car racing,” says Urmson, researcher at the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon Pittsburgh. “By working together, we can create technology that can make cars safer and can save lives everywhere.” Part of the reason for Urmson’s visit to Qatar was to work with Computer Science faculty members at Carnegie Mellon Qatar on a plan to bring robot car racing to Doha. Such races drive computer scientists to create new technology such as anti-lock braking systems, object sensors and new safety features that are slowly adapted by large auto manufacturers. “Robot car racing is a shining example of technology,” says Brett Browning, senior systems scientist at Carnegie Mellon Qatar. “A lot of technology we see in new cars today came from car racing. It’s an excellent testing ground for developers because they can spend the time and money on creating and fine tuning new technology.” Doha, along with many cities in the Gulf Region, is full of car enthusiasts and is home to the $58 million state-of-the-art Losail International Circuit racetrack. By having robot car races in Doha, Browning says that Qatar could be a leader in the paradigm shift that is taking place in the auto industry. “Car makers are shifting their focus from accident survival to accident prevention,” he says. “We’ve created seat belts, air bags and antilock brakes to make cars as safe as possible, now we need to shift to
finding more ways to keep cars from having accidents. Qatar is in a prime position to lead this movement.” While in Doha, Urmson gave a talk at Carnegie Mellon Qatar about his work on the Tartan Racing team at Carnegie Mellon University. As the director of technology for the team, Urmson coordinated a project in which a robotic car was able to successfully navigate its way through an urban environment.
The Chris Urmson, researcher at the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, visited Doha to talk about his work on autonomous vehicles and explore ways in which robot car racing can be brought to Qatar. Above, the Boss is one of the robot vehicle projects in which Urmson has been involved. vehicle, named “Boss,” was able to safely handle four-way intersections, parking lots, multiple-lane traffic and merging. Urmson was also a guest speaker in Qatar Science and Technology Park’s TECHtalks lecture series. He gave a dynamic presentation on his research into self-driving cars and how that technology might be applied on Qatar’s roads. Urmson, Browning and other Computer Science faculty members at Carnegie Mellon Qatar are currently in discussions with several local organizations on ways to get the project started. Summer/Fall 2008 akhbar 35
campus news Bill Gates
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ICTD 2009
arnegie Mellon University in Qatar has won the bid to host the third ICTD (International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies and Development) conference in April of 2009. ICTD is the premiere conference for the subject area of innovating technology accessible and relevant to developing communities. It is a multidisciplinary forum for academic researchers designing information and communication technologies for developing economies. “This conference is one of the most important directions for computing. By hosting the ICTD here in Doha we can get the Middle East and Qatar more involved,” says Bernardine Dias, research scientist at Carnegie Mellon. “Qatar is a leader in the knowledge economy and it wants to use technology in a way that can help the entire region. This conference is a great opportunity for Carnegie Mellon and Qatar because it identifies ways in which technology can make a difference in underserved communities and how we can contribute,” Dias notes. The conference presents stateof-the-art research by technical and social scientists, with original, peerreviewed papers and a poster session, as well as keynote addresses by leading scholars in the field. Microsoft founder Bill Gates, who is transitioning from company chairman into a full-time philanthropic role, asked to be part of the conference and will be the keynote speaker. “This conference is exactly what the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is all about,” says Dias. “Using technology to help the global community. Of the six billion people in the world, four billion of them are at the base of the economic pyramid. A lot of these populations are repre36 akhbar Summer/Fall 2008
sented here in Qatar, and these are the people who can benefit greatly from such work.” Scholars presenting at this conference are part of a fast growing new field of research from the application of information and communication technologies (ICT) to addressing the challenges of developing economies. There has been an explosion of public, private and non-profit ICTD projects in the past decade. However, systematic and scientifically sound research is just beginning to emerge. UC Berkeley in California and Microsoft Research in India hosted the first two conferences. Both events attracted more than 200 scholars from around the world. Dias expects that having the conference in the Middle East, as well as having Bill Gates as a speaker, will draw an even larger crowd in 2009. Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser al Missned, wife of the Emir and chairperson of Qatar Foundation, will inaugurate the two-day conference April 17. Gates will give the keynote address April 18. All sessions of the conference are expected to be held at Education City in Carnegie Mellon’s new building. Learn more about the conference at www.ictd2009.org.
Campus Exchange
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hat people in the United States see on TV and read in the newspapers is not the Middle East we live in. Nor is what we see on television here in Doha an accurate reflection of life in America, says Melissa Deschamps, director of international education at Carnegie Mellon Qatar. And that’s exactly why Des-
champs is encouraging all students to consider the Campus Exchange program. This program provides students with the opportunity to spend a semester, academic year or summer at another campus. Students will be challenged personally, socially and academically while developing a deeper understanding and new perspective on other cultures and practices. Students will increase their self-awareness and learn to be more independent and responsible. For the past four years, students from Doha benefited from the rich experiences gained in short-term summer study or a full academic term or year at Carnegie Mellon’s main campus in Pittsburgh, however students from Pittsburgh did not have the same opportunity. Starting this fall, that will all change. Students from Pittsburgh will be able to spend a semester or full academic year at Carnegie Mellon’s first international, undergraduate campus in Doha. “This is a great opportunity for students to study in a country very different from anywhere they may have been,” Deschamps says. “The cultural learning is one advantage, but getting the same Carnegie Mellon education within a different environmental context is a unique benefit other study abroad options can’t offer.” Additionally, Deschamps adds, the campus exchange has provided an excellent opportunity for students from Qatar to experience life as a Carnegie Mellon student among the larger university community. Business Administration junior Dana Hadan is one of 25 students from Qatar who have participated in a campus exchange. Hadan spent the Spring 2008 term studying in Pittsburgh and living in a campus dormitory. Part of the reason she wanted to study abroad was because she knew it would be different and at times difficult; both of which would greatly contribute to her personal growth. “It was a totally unusual environment. The Pittsburgh campus is so big that it felt like a true American
campus news
Students in Doha can spend a semester or summer studying at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (pictured above). Additionally, students in Pittsburgh can now come to Qatar to study for a term. university,” she says. “The courses were the same but the classes were bigger, which did make it harder to get time with professors than in Doha.” These new challenges forced Hadan to change her study habits, which turned out to make her more motivated and ambitious about her education. Not only did spending a semester in Pittsburgh give Hadan a chance to learn about another culture, it gave her a chance to educate people about her own culture. “Everywhere I went people wanted to know more about Qatar. Students in Pittsburgh asked me all the time how they could go to Doha, and I was interviewed by all sorts of media.” Megan Larcom, Business Administration sophomore, was a Pittsburgh student looking for an internship opportunity when she found out there was an opening for a summer position at Carnegie Mellon Qatar. She headed for Doha where she worked in the student affairs department planning a community service trip to Jordan. She enjoyed her time in Doha so much that she decided to spend the fall term of her sophomore year there. In the absence of the campus exchange program from Pittsburgh, Larcom applied for and received a
post as a course assistant, a position that can be hard to come by for sophomores in Pittsburgh. “TAing was an awesome new experience for me. The freshman were quite an interesting bunch, and I had a lot of fun working with them,” she says. While she enjoyed being a course assistant, Larcom would encourage students to come here only to study. She adds that the TA/full course load combination is not ideal. “My experience in Doha was amazing. The benefits of an exchange are endless—new friends, new cultures, new outlooks. I hope to see many other Pittsburgh students take the opportunity to study in Doha, just as I hope to see many of my fellow students [in Doha] study in Pittsburgh,” Larcom says. With nearly a dozen students from Doha studying in Pittsburgh during the Fall 2008 semester, students on the home campus can learn more about the benefits of the campus exchange. Deschamps hopes that Doha students can generate interest in the program and encourage students to come to the Qatar campus. “Having Pittsburgh students here is just as valuable as our students going there,” says Deschamps. Students from Pittsburgh who are interested in coming to Doha
should contact the Office of International Education at either campus. Participants in the Campus Exchange program are able to take courses to continue their program of study, while at the same time choose elective courses that may not be offered at their home campus. The Doha campus offers three majors, Business Administration, Computer Science and Information Systems. In addition to other general education courses at Carnegie Mellon, students who come to Doha are also able to cross register at the other five Education City universities: Weill Cornell, Virginia Commonwealth, Texas A&M, Georgetown and Northwestern universities. Applications for the Spring 2009 Campus Exchange are due by Oct. 15. Learn more by visiting www.qatar.cmu.edu/oie.
Football...er...Soccer
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dozen students from Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar braved a 14-hour international flight to experience a small dose of life in Pittsburgh and play some football… er... soccer… during spring break. A series of soccer games was organized with some of the best intramural teams in Pittsburgh in an effort to promote fellowship between students on both campuses. The opening game was between the Qatari team and the outdoor IM Intermediate soccer champions, Blazing Schnacks. The Qatari team got off to an early 2–0 lead, but then the Blazing Schnacks fought back to eventually tie the game at its final score of 2–2. The first match set an excellent benchmark for the rest of the games. Moving indoors dramatically changed the pace and intensity of the games, overturning the cautious atmosphere of the Summer/Fall 2008 akhbar 37
campus news first game, which was playful yet hesitant. “The games were a good opportunity to get to know the Pittsburgh students,” says Hatem Salem, sophomore business administration student. “The casual nature of the event allowed the students to bond over a love for the game.” Once the students from Qatar moved indoors to face off against Real Mellon and Bend it Like Nacio, they seemed much more willing to play their own style. In addition, there were also no weather issues to deal with. They ended the indoor series with a 3–1 lead over the Carnegie Mellon Pittsburgh teams. Their only loss came against the talented Real Mellon. The series ended outdoors where it began in a rainy Gesling Stadium. A total of four indoor and two outdoor games were played over the course of the week. True to the complete Pittsburgh experience, the temperature was around 40˚F for one game and it rained during another. In addition to the games, the students spent time visiting museums, shows, restaurants and movies. As this was the first trip to the United States for many of the students, the trip provided them with a well-rounded Pittsburgh experience.
“We offer three of the strongest majors that are most beneficial to Qatar’s economic development: Business Administration, Computer Science and Information Systems. Our graduates are qualified to play a major role in Qatar’s economic prosperity and thus it’s pivotal that we establish the bases and opportunities through which they can thrive,” Al-Malki says.
Professional Day
N Amal Al-Malki was named to the Qatar National Competitiveness Council.
Faculty news
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mal Mohammed Al-Malki, has been named to the Qatar National Competitiveness Council. Organized by Qatar Businessmen Association, QNCC will measure Qatar’s competitiveness regionally and internationally through reviews and data. The independent organization will push for reform and transparency in the national economy and seek to communicate and cooperate with partners in the society to create awareness on the topic.
ALUMNI NEWS CAREER NEWS Jinanne Tabra (TPR 08) and Wesam Said (TPR 08) have accepted positions at Carnegie Mellon Qatar... Noor Al Athirah (TPR 08) is working for Q-Tel... Eman El Emadi (SCS 08) is working for Qatar Olympics Committee... Lina El Menshawy (TPR 08) is working for Ernst & Young... Noora Al Saad (SCS 08) is working for Qatar Petroleum. Anirban Lahiri (SCS 08) has accepted a position with Reach out to Asia (ROTA)... Nora Al Subai (SCS 08) and Fatima Al Mansoori (SCS 08) are working for Qatar Petroleum... Yasmine AbdelRahman (TPR 08) is working for HSPC. attention all
Carnegie Mellon alumni in the Gulf Region
Akhbar is interested in publishing class notes. Please send career highlights, promotions, marriages, births and other newsworthy items to alumni@qatar.cmu.edu.
38 akhbar Summer/Fall 2008
ow that Carnegie Mellon Qatar has graduated its first class, the companies that have been providing its students with internships now have the opportunity to reap the benefits of Carnegie Mellon’s worldclass education and experiences. Representatives from 41 of the top companies in Qatar did just that by attending the second Professional Day to talk with students about potential career opportunities. “The relationships we build with these organizations completes the circle of education for these young men and women,” says J. Patrick McGinnis, business administration professor. “We are preparing the premier business administration, computer science and information systems graduates in Qatar. Our Professional Day provides an opportunity for Qatar’s leading companies to attract leading graduates to build the future of their organizations.” At Professional Day, company representatives set up booths and provided information to students about the type of opportunities they have available, both as internships and careers. Students provided their CVs and talked about their skills and desired career paths. “We came here to look for the best suited candidates,” says Waleed Al Bayyari, relationship manager for Commercial Bank. “These students have the skills we need. We came last year, were impressed with what we saw and took on interns. We came back this year to meet more top students who are looking for jobs.”
campus news Meeting of the Minds
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ixty-three students showcased a broad scope of research projects at the second Meeting of the Minds student research and project symposium. Meeting of the Minds is part of Carnegie Mellon University’s Undergraduate Research Initiative, which is a program that supports and encourages undergraduates to participate in innovative research. Some projects grow out of coursework, while others typify Carnegie Mellon’s emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration to solve real-world problems. “Carnegie Mellon is based on research - research on important issues of society, research on how well we teach, research on student outcomes, research on how well we do research,” says Charles E. Thorpe, dean of Carnegie Mellon Qatar. “We encourage our undergraduates to get an early start on research in their classes, through independent studies and on projects funded by the Qatar National Research Fund.” In addition to potentially creating new technological breakthroughs, undergraduate research encourages students to extend themselves beyond structured course material and become independent thinkers and learners. The annual research symposium gives students an opportunity to present their work to a wide audience of faculty, fellow students, family members and industry representatives. At Meeting of the Minds, undergraduate students, graduate students and Ph.D. candidates use posters, videos and other visual aids to present their work in a manner that can be easily understood by those who are not in that field. Through this experience, the students learn how to bridge the gap between conducting research and presenting it to a general audience. “An important part of research training is presenting the results to the world so others can understand and build upon what our students do. Meeting of the Minds is a chance
for students to showcase their work to their peers, faculty and the wider community,” says Thorpe. Meeting of the Minds also helps members of the Qatar community understand the importance of conducting research, and see the numerous ways that research can benefit society. Meeting of the Minds has been held at the end of the spring term at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh for several years, and is an annual tradition in Doha as well.
EECP Wraps Up
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he first group of future entrepreneurs to join the Executive Entrepreneurship Certificate Program, offered in partnership between Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar and Qatar Science & Technology Park, has completed the nine-month course. The team celebrated the success of the program with a congratulatory dinner at the Four Seasons, where they were awarded certificates. Also attending the dinner was Arthur A. Boni, director of the Donald H. Jones Center for Entrepreneurship; and Charles E. Thorpe, dean of Carnegie Mellon Qatar. The Executive Entrepreneurship Certificate Program aims to transform Qatar’s deep investment in research and education into business success stories. The nine-month, parttime program helps aspiring managers and executives build technologybased business, either within their
existing companies or by starting a new enterprise. “Our university has deep experience in the theory and practice of creating new enterprises, particularly in the technology sphere,” says Mohammed Dobashi, director of the EECP. “When our dean, Chuck Thorpe, was a student at Carnegie Mellon, the man who went on to start Lycos was in the class below him. It’s this kind of real-world, ‘been there’ experience that we’re looking forward to sharing with Qatar, and to start building the industry leaders of tomorrow right here.” The Executive Entrepreneurship Certificate Program is run by Carnegie Mellon’s Tepper School of Business and its Donald H. Jones Center for Entrepreneurship. The center, recognized as one of the best in the world, has taught thousands of people to create new businesses. Its students include the founder of iGate Corporation, a global IT company with nearly $400 million market Summer/Fall 2008 akhbar 39
campus news capitalization. This is the first time the program is available to executives in the Middle East. The program benefits companies seeking to create new revenue streams and entrepreneurs aiming to start their own business. Teaching skills and methods for creating technology-based ventures through practical, real-world projects, the course provides students with the knowledge to turn their business ideas into reality. “This course has provided me with important knowledge that I would not have gained through experience alone,” says Mohamed Takriti, iHorizons CEO and graduate of the EECP. “The teaching staff is a great match for the course because, in addition to their academic background, they have extensive hands-on experience in establishing and growing successful high-tech companies” Learn more about the program, now called the Corporate Innovation and Entrepreneur Program, at www. qatar.cmu.edu/exed.
BOTBALL
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mar Bin Al-Khattab Scientific School is the reigning champion of BOTBALL after edging out eight other schools in the action-packed Middle Eastern regional competition. “We worked really hard before the tournament. We didn’t expect to win, we had some tough regional competitors this year,” says Abdullah Abunada, student at Omar Bin AlKhattab. “Thankfully we managed to fix the robots so they could operate under varied circumstances.” BOTBALL is a U.S.-based organization that introduces robotics to high school students. Teams are equipped with a Lego© Mindstorm robot, along with instructions on how to design and program it to move autonomously through a course to complete a specific task. The team of five students along with their teacher headed to America to attend the Global Conference on Education Robotics. The purpose of the conference is to give students 40 akhbar Summer/Fall 2008
Mohammed Dobashi, Director of the Executive Entrepreneur Certificate Program, presents a certificate to Dr. Pascal Derde, senior veterinarian at Al Shaqab. The inaugural session of the program wrapped up in May. a real academic and professional experience that will encourage them to continue studying science and technology. The winning team from last year’s competition won a trip to tour the Robotics Institute at the home campus of Carnegie Mellon in the United States. The trip gave students an insight into the field of robotics and how it impacts many aspects of our daily lives. The goal of the grand prize trip this year was to increase student awareness in robotics and meet other young men and women in the United States who are interested in the dynamic field. “By going to the US, the winning team will bring back an experience that will lift the level of competition for next year,” says Brett Browning, senior systems scientist at Carnegie Mellon University. “Our hope in the next few years is that teams from this region will be serious competitors in robotics world championships. And from there they will go on to pursue careers in a technical field.”
Carnegie Mellon Qatar brought BOTBALL to Doha in 2005. Four teams took part in the inaugural event. In 2006 the competition increased to six teams in Doha, and in 2007 it expanded three fold to include 12 teams in Doha, three teams in Kuwait and three teams in the U.A.E. This year, more teams from around the Gulf Region joined the competition along with three teams from Egypt. “Carnegie Mellon is really excited that the competition has grown so much, and each year the capabilities of the teams are increasing,” says Browning. “BOTBALL engages students in science, technology and engineering. This experience turns these students into creative problem solvers and this, in turn, helps prepare
campus news
Students from Omar Bin Al-Khattab Scientific School won the BOTBALL robotics competition edging out the top teams from Kuwait, U.A.E. and Egypt. Teams members spent several days in the United States in July to see if their robot could beat ones created by students in America. them to make vital contributions to society.” The increased interest in the BOTBALL competitions is paralleling the recent surge in the field of robotics. Browning says there has been a significant increase in the number of consumer robots including the Roomba vacuum cleaner, the Sony AIBO robot dog and the Robosapien humanoid companion. In addition to the entertainment aspect of robotics, more and more people are developing an interest in the practical uses of robotics and the broader field of computer science. “Introducing kids to robotics and computer science through BOTBALL is Carnegie Mellon’s contribution in the Gulf Region,” says Browning. “Seeing the excitement of the students and the energy of the competitions is what keeps us excited about educational robotics.” For more information, visit www.qatar.cmu.edu/botball.
to his work and his students. “It’s important for me to learn new technology so that I can teach it to my students,” he says. This thirst for learning is what brought Lebanan and 15 other professors from Iraq to Carnegie Mellon Qatar for one week of professional development. Through a program initiated by Qatar Foundation, Carnegie Mellon Qatar was contacted about offering a weeklong seminar for the visiting
professors. Khaled Harras, a computer science professor in Doha, was tapped to lead the seminar due to his expertise in computer networks, computer networking and information technology. “The workshop is designed to expose these professionals to the most up to date and new information in the field of computing,” says Harras. “If we can keep them up to date, they can be more effective at their universities. This, in turn, helps improve the education of their students.” Many of the experienced professors have not had any professional development or training in more than 10 years. Many had never used such ubiquitous tools as Google or accessed research materials online free of charge. “One of the advantages of being in Qatar is that we have the power of putting resources and cutting edge instruction together in a way that can have a tremendous impact on peoples’ lives,” Harras says. “By getting these teachers out of Iraq we are able to expose them to new technologies that they don’t have at their disposal yet.” Q
Iraqi Professors
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s a professor at Al Nahrain University in Baghdad, Ahmed Lebanan faces many challenges. There are frequent power outages, limited Internet access and weak infrastructure, not to mention the constant threats of violence. Yet this does not quell his dedication
Sixteen professors from Baghdad, Iraq spent a week at Carnegie Mellon Qatar where they learned about the latest advances in computer technology. Khaled Harras (back row center) taught the five-day workshop. Summer/Fall 2008 akhbar 41
pittsburgh connection
Al Gore
encourages grads to be the next generation of heroes
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ormer United States Vice President and 2007 Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore gave the keynote address at the 2008 graduation celebration at Carnegie Mellon’s home campus in the United States. Gore, a longtime environmental activist, encouraged the graduates of Carnegie Mellon to take their place in history as the generation who will embrace planet earth and use their skills to change the world. Gore encouraged the Class of 2008 to be among the third generation of American heroes in fighting the battle against global climate change. He championed Carnegie Mellon for its environment initiatives such as green roofs, solar array systems and LEED certified buildings, and referenced other new technology innovations that have become important such as recycling. “We have had two special generations of our history that appreciated the promise of the future so much that they overcame all fear to 42 akhbar Summer/Fall 2008
create a new era,” Gore said, referring to the nation’s founders who gained independence in 1776 and “the greatest generation,” who won the struggle against global fascism in the 1940s. “You, I hope and expect, will be called upon to be part of the third hero generation in American history. Because this moment of your graduation, sees the United States of America poised to reclaim its rightful place as the leader of the world as our world confronts this unprecedented challenge,” Gore said in his passionate, yet lighthearted, speech. “We face a planetary emergency. The concentrations of global warming pollution have been rising at an unprecedented pace, and have now given the planet a fever. We have now reached the stage where we can replace every electron, and every BTU from the fossil fuel sources without ever missing a beat. “But, we need one ingredient that you represent. We need political will. We need your dedication. And we need your hearts.”
around education city
Northwestern University joins Education City
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sixth American university will begin offering undergraduate programs in Education City this fall. Evanston, Illinois-based Northwestern University will join Carnegie Mellon, Georgetown, Cornell, Texas A&M and Virginia Commonwealth universities in the 2,500-acre flagship project of Qatar Foundation. NU-Qatar will be enrolling students in two programs: journalism and communications. “Communication in its various forms is a very important part of the glue that holds a society together,” says John D. Margolis, dean of Northwestern University in Qatar. “Through our programs we hope to prepare students to go out into the world of journalism and communications and make a difference.” The bachelor’s degree in journalism, through the Medill School at Northwestern, is a top-ranked program offering undergraduate study in newspaper and broadcast media. In this program students learn by doing. Medill’s curriculum has two related parts: training in the art and craft of journalism and education in the liberal arts necessary to prepare students to be informed journalists. Students at Medill take roughly two-thirds of their classes in the liberal arts. This ensures that graduates have a deep understanding of a field other than journalism. The bachelor’s degree from Northwestern’s School of Communication is a top-ranking program that offers training in
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telecommunications, radio/television/film and interactive media. Courses cover all communication media and technologies from radio, film and television to contemporary digital media including the Internet, Web design and video games. Margolis, a native of Pittsburgh, has been at Northwestern for 40 years. He says the university was very impressed at the initiative represented by Education City and Qatar Foundation’s commitment to invest in human capital. “We were very pleased to be invited to participate in Education City,” he says. “We’re also thrilled to be joining our distinguished partner institutions in this increasingly collaborative enterprise.” Northwestern has approximately 7,500 undergraduate and 5,000 graduate students on its home campus in the U.S. In Qatar, the university plans to enroll 20-25 students in each major of the inaugural class. This is approximately the same size as most other intakes at Education City universities. As with all other universities in Education City, students at Northwestern will be able to cross-register with the five other universities. This means NU-Qatar students will have a access to the highly diverse education found exclusively in Doha. To learn more about Northwestern University in Qatar and its programs, visit www. qatar.northwestern.edu.
For more information +974 454 8500 www.qatar.cmu.edu
Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar A Member of Qatar Foundation P.O. Box 24866 Doha, Qatar www.qatar.cmu.edu