gulf times

P6
Community
Professor AC
Grayling will
be delivering
a public lecture titled “A
Philosophical Perspective
on the Future of
Education” at GU-Q today.
P20
Community
Ellucian
delivers
a broad
portfolio of technology
solutions, developed in
collaboration with a global
education community.
Monday, March 7, 2016
Jumada I 27, 1437 AH
DOHA
21°C—25°C TODAY
LIFESTYLE/HOROSCOPE 13
PUZZLES 14 & 15
COVER
STORY
Flying
imagination
10th grader
Syed Maaz
Ali’s poetry
collections
talk even as
he dreams of
flying planes.
P4-5
TALENTED: Maaz has a passion for flying and intends to become a pilot.
Photo by Umer Nangiana
2
GULF TIMES Monday, March 7, 2016
COMMUNITY
ROUND & ABOUT
PRAYER TIME
Fajr
Shorooq (sunrise)
Zuhr (noon)
Asr (afternoon)
Maghreb (sunset)
Isha (night)
4.36am
5.52am
11.45am
3.07pm
5.41pm
7.11pm
USEFUL NUMBERS
Emergency
999
Worldwide Emergency Number
112
Kahramaa – Electricity and Water
991
Ooredoo Telephone Assistance
111
Local Directory
180
International Calls Enquires
150
Time
141, 140
Doha International Airport
40106666
Labor Department
44508111, 44406537
Medical Commission
44679111
Mowasalat Taxi
44588888
Qatar Airways
44496000
Weather Forecast
44656590
Hamad Medical Corporation
44392222
44393333
Qatar General Electricity and
Water Corporation
44845555
44845464
Primary Health Care Corporation
44593333
44593363
Qatar Assistive Technology
Centre
44594050
Qatar News Agency
44450205
44450333
Q-Post – General Postal
Corporation
44464444
Qatar University
44033333
ote Unquote
u
Q
If we did all the
things we are capable of,
we would literally astound
ourselves.
— Thomas A Edison
Community Editor
Kamran Rehmat
e-mail: community@gulf-times.com
Telephone: 44466405
Fax: 44350474
Bachaana
GENRE: Action, Romance
CAST: Adeel Hashmi, Sanam Saeed, Mohib Mirza
DIRECTION: Nasir Khan
SYNOPSIS: Vicky is a Pakistani settled in Mauritius
who drives taxi to earn his living. Aliya plays the role of an
Indian girl married to Jehangir (Adeel Hashmi). Aliya being an
Always Be My Maybe
GENRE: Romance
CAST: Gerald Anderson, Arci
Muñoz, Tirso Cruz
DIRECTION: Dan Villegas
Mall Cinema (1): Zootropolis:
Zootopia (2D) 2.30pm; Action
Hero Biju (Malayalam) 4.30pm;
Zootropolis:Zootopia (2D) 7pm; Jai
Gangaajal (Hindi) 8.45pm; London Has
Fallen (2D) 11.30pm.
Mall Cinema (2): Jai Gangaajal (Hindi)
2.15pm; Zootropolis: Zootopia (2D) 5pm;
London Has Fallen (2D) 7pm; Race (2D)
9pm; 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers Of
Benghazi (2D) 11.15pm.
Mall Cinema (3): Kalyana Vaibhogame
(Telugu) 2.15pm; Kings Of Egypt (2D) 5pm;
Always Be My Maybe (2D) 7pm; London Has
Fallen (2D) 9pm; Pokkiri Raja (Tamil) 11pm.
Cinema Land Mark (1): Pokkiri Raja
(Tamil) 2.30pm; London Has Fallen (2D)
5pm; Action Hero Biju (Malayalam)
6.45pm; Kings Of Egypt (2D) 9.15pm;
innocent girl who has never been abroad before finds herself
trapped with drugs possession by her husband Jehangir and
Vicky seeing Aliya in trouble makes sure he helps her out. As
the story progresses, Aliya and Vicky are on the run to save
their lives.
THEATRE: Royal Plaza
SYNOPSIS: The film tackles
a prevalent setup in relationships
these days, the no-label kind as
more and more people seem afraid
to commit. They are represented by
Gerald Anderson and Arci Munoz’s
characters, who both came from failed
relationships.
THEATRES: Royal Plaza, The Mall
Zootropolis:Zootopia (2D) 4pm;
Zootropolis:Zootopia (2D) 6pm; Jai
Gangaajal (Hindi) 8pm; Jai Gangaajal
(Hindi) 11pm.
Royal Plaza Cinema Palace (2): Race
Pokkiri Raja (Tamil) 11.15pm.
(2D) 2.30pm; London Has Fallen (2D)
Cinema Land Mark (2):
5pm; Bachaana (Urdu) 7pm; Always Be My
Zootropolis:Zootopia (2D) 2.30pm;
Maybe (2D) 9pm; London Has Fallen (2D)
Zootropolis:Zootopia (2D) 4.30pm;
11pm.
Zootropolis:Zootopia (2D) 6.30pm; 13
Royal Plaza Cinema Palace (3): 13
Hours: The Secret Soldiers Of Benghazi
(2D) 8.30pm; 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers Hours: The Secret Soldiers Of Benghazi
(2D) 2pm; Bachaana (Urdu) 4.30pm; The
Of Benghazi (2D) 11pm.
Revenant (2D) 6.30pm; 13 Hours: The
Cinema Land Mark (3): Kalyana
Secret Soldiers Of Benghazi (2D) 9pm;
Vaibhogame (Telugu) 2.30pm; Race (2D)
Race (2D) 11.30pm.
5pm; Always Be My Maybe (2D) 7.30pm;
Asian Town Cinema: Action Hero Biju
London Has Fallen (2D) 9.30pm; London
(Malayalam) 5.30, 7, 8.15, 9.45 & 11pm;
Has Fallen (2D) 11.15pm.
Jai Gangaajal (Hindi) 6, 8.45 & 11.30pm;
Royal Plaza Cinema Palace (1):
Pokkiri Raja (Tamil) 6, 8.45 & 11.30pm.
Zootropolis:Zootopia (2D) 2pm;
Monday, March 7, 2016
EVENTS
Spring Exhibition MIA
DATE: March 14-July 16
TIME: 10:30am- 5:00pm
VENUE: QM Gallery Al Riwaq
An exhibition of 15 contemporary Chinese
artists, curated by internationally acclaimed
New York-based Chinese artist Cai GuoQiang, will be on view at the QM Gallery
Al Riwaq. The exhibition will be the major
highlight presented in the context of the
Qatar China 2016 Year of Culture. Artworks
exemplifying each and every artist’s unique
artistic language and methodology will be
displayed in individual galleries.
Chinese Silk Art
DATE: March 24-May 9
VENUE: QM Gallery in Katara
The second major exhibition of the Qatar
China 2016 Year of Culture, ‘Silks from the
Silk Road – Chinese Art of Silk’, presents silk
as a theme, and as a special local product
of Zhejiang that played an important role
in trade along the Silk Road. The exhibition
highlights ancient and modern Chinese silk
works, with around 100 pieces due to be
showcased at the QM Gallery in Katara over
a period of 6 weeks.
Lighting Tech Qatar 2016
DATE: May 9-10
VENUE: Intercontinental Hotel
The third annual Lighting Tech Qatar
will provide a platform for interacting,
exchanging ideas and learning about the
challenges and opportunities of Qatar’s
rapidly developing lighting industry. The
event will feature a high level advisory
board with representatives from Ashghal
(Public Works Authority), Amey and Parsons
Brinckerhoff. It will address the latest
government regulations, industry standards
and certifications, the impending needs
and requirements of the lighting industry in
Qatar, and how they can be addressed.
Reduced Shakespeare Company
DATE: March 11
TIME: 1-8pm
VENUE: Katara Drama Theatre
Join and enjoy the fun and laughter and
see 37 Plays in 97 Minutes! An irreverent,
fast-paced romp through the Bard’s
plays, The Complete Works of William
Shakespeare (abridged) was London’s
longest-running comedy having clocked a
very palpable nine years in London’s West
End at the Criterion Theatre! Join these
madcap men as they weave their wicked
way through all of Shakespeare’s Comedies,
Histories and Tragedies in one wild ride that
will leave you breathless and helpless with
laughter.
Baby & Kids World Qatar 2016
DATE: March 21-23
VENUE: Doha Convention Center
Elan Events and Fira Barcelona announce
the very first Baby & Kids World exhibition
taking place in Doha from the March 21-23
3
COMMUNITY
ROUND & ABOUT
Much Ado About Nothing
DATE: March 15
TIME: 7pm-8:30pm
VENUE: Katara
The Great British Festival Qatar and
Katara Cultural Village are pleased to present
Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing as
a tribute to Kenneth Branagh’s extensive
creative abilities, as well as arguably one
of the best Shakespeare adaptations ever
filmed. Display: Movie will play in English
with Arabic subtitles. Parental Guidance,
suitable for general viewing but some scenes
may be unsuitable for young children.
GULF TIMES
at Doha Exhibition & Convention Center
(DECC). Baby & Kids World Qatar will be
held as a business-to-business platform
with a full range of children’s needs: child
care, maternity, children’s fashion, toys,
education and food, in addition to a festival
dedicated to families giving companies an
opportunity to interact with end consumers
directly.
The Great British Festival Qatar
DATE: Until March 19
The Great British Festival Qatar 2016 will
celebrate UK culture, education, tourism and
business. The festival will feature a number
of events organised by the British Council,
the British Embassy and others, including
an inter-school football competition, an
education fair and a pop-up science event.
Also, as the UK is marking 400 years since
Shakespeare’s death, the best of Shakespeare
will be celebrated through a number of film,
music and theatre events. For more details,
please visit: https://www.facebook.com/
britfestqa/
01 Mall Novo Cinemas 3×3 Basketball
Tour
DATE: March 10-12
VENUE: Ain Khalid
QSports and Qatar Basketball Federation
invite you to participate in the eagerly
awaited 01 Mall Novo Cinemas 3×3
Basketball Tour 2016 to be held inside the 01
Mall in Ain Khalid. As part of QSports Mall
Jam programme, exciting cash prizes of over
QR22,000 will be awarded to top three teams
in each division. The venue is a specially
constructed FIBA approved court inside the
01 Mall!
Spring Fest
DATE: March 11
TIME: 1pm-6pm
VENUE: Gems American Academy
Delicious food, weekend bazar, art display
and much more. Come one, come all and be
a part of this exciting spring festival at Gems
American Academy. To top it up you can also
enjoy outdoor cinema under the twinkling
stars, at 6in the evening. Please get Qatari Id
for adults and children over 12 years.
Symbols of Latin America and
Caribbean
DATE: Until March 15
TIME: 7pm-10pm
VENUE: Katara Art Studio Bldg 19
Documentary photographs that
represent 11 Latin American countries in
five categories which are the capital of the
country, the national animal, the national
plant or flower, the national dish; and the
historical monument.
Aspire Tennis Cup – Men
DATE: March 11-19
VENUE: Aspire zone
Aspire Zone will organise the first edition
of Aspire Tennis Cup - Men for four days
(two weekends) on March 11, 12, 18, 19, 2016
from 4pm to 8pm. Registration fees: QR100
per participant (paid during technical
meeting). The tournament is open for men
aged 18 years and above and will include
two categories: First category: doubles
match for 12 teams of participants aged 18
to 39.
Qatar International Food Festival
DATE: March 22-28
VENUE: MIA Park
Qatar Tourism Authority will organise the
seventh edition of Qatar International Food
Festival under the theme “a different side of
food”. This year’s festival will be extended to
seven days and expanded to other landmarks
and eateries, including: the Pearl-Qatar and
Katara Cultural Village. Chinese food lovers
will also have plenty to look forward to, with
Chinese cuisine featuring as part of “QatarChina 2016 Year of Culture” celebrations.
Pakistan Cultural Festival
DATE: March 31-April 3
VENUE: Katara Cultural Village
Biggest made in Pakistan expo, ethnic
food street, huge kids zone, live musical
concert by Pakistani singers, folk dancers,
performances and more.
their experiences through lectures and
discussions on bariatric and metabolic
surgery techniques. The summit will feature
live sessions to provide technical knowledge
from experts around the world and support
specialists to adopt new techniques in their
practice for revisional and complicated
bariatric surgeries.
Economic Development Forum
DATE: Today and tomorrow
VENUE: Sheraton Doha Hotel
The Entrepreneurship in Economic
Development Forum forum aims to
further highlight the importance of
entrepreneurship as a vital element in
economic development and an engine for
private sector growth and diversity. It will
bring together officials, policy makers,
academics, educational institutions,
universities, businessmen, bank leaders,
financial institutions and economists from
all over the world.
Childhood Cultural Center
DATE: Until March 31
TIME: 9am-10:30am
VENUE: Katara
Childhood Cultural Center participation
in ‘Schools Enrich our Culture’ programme
includes a variety of educational and artistic
workshops.
Shrek the Musical!
DATE: March 9-19
TIME: 7:30pm
VENUE: QNCC Theatre
Shrek the Musical! tells the touching story
of a hulking green ogre who, after being
mocked, feared his entire life by anything
that crosses his path, retreats to an ugly
green swamp to exist in happy isolation.
Cultural Diversity festival
DATE: Until May 31
TIME: 7:30-9pm
VENUE: Katara Beach
Over 20 countries from all over the world
are showcasing their traditions and heritage.
Al Gannas
DATE: Until Oct 30
TIME: 9am - 11:30 am
VENUE: Al Gannas Society
Al Gannas Association is participating in
the ‘Our culture is a school’ programme by
organising many activities for the students
every Monday and Wednesday of the week.
These activities include explanations on
hunting and related tools, kinds of falcons
and preys, in addition to workshop on how
to carry a falcon, set a traditional tent (made
of goat & camel hair), prepare traditional
Arabic coffee, etc.
Winter Weekends at Aspire Zone
DATE: Until March 24
TIME: 4pm-9pm
VENUE: Aspire Park
Aspire Zone Foundation invites you to
come along with your family and friends,
and to bring your kids every Thursday for
outdoor sport fun activities, including
football, volleyball, competitions and games
for boys and girls, from 4pm to 9pm.
Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery
Summit
DATE: March 10-12
VENUE: Hajar Auditorium
Hamad Medical Corporation will organise
the Third Qatar International Metabolic
and Bariatric Surgery Summit with the
participation of distinguished keynote
speakers and panelists who will share
Art Exhibition
DATE: Until April 18
VENUE: Porto Arabia, Pearl
Diffusion by Peter Zimmermann — A
mesmerising solo exhibition of colourful,
futuristic works. Anima Gallery, Parcel 17,
Porto Arabia, The Pearl-Qatar. Contact:
40027437
Qatari Agricultural Product Yards
DATE: Until June 30
VENUE: Al Mazrooa, Al Zakheera, Al
Khor, Al Wakrah
The Ministry of Environment has opened
the 4th season of Qatari agricultural product
yards for selling locally produced fruits,
vegetables, poultry, fish and livestock.
Work in these yards will continue for seven
months. The yards will operate three days a
week on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays
from 7am to 5pm, with livestock vendors
in Al Mazrooa operating at the same times
throughout the week.
Pottery workshop for kids
DATE: Every Monday
TIME: 5pm-6pm
Kids will learn a new hand building
technique for creating and finishing
artworks in clay. For more, call 44865201.
Hip Hop for kids
DATE: Every Sunday
TIME: 5-6pm
VENUE: Hilton
Join our Hip Hop classes instructed by
Beats and Bytes every Sunday at 5pm @
Hilton Hotel, Efora Spa. For more info, call
on 33003839
www.salsancandela.com
FOODIE CHOICE
RESTAURANT: Sridan
LOCATION: Shangri-La Hotel Doha
Ibn Battuta- Friday Brunch at Sridan.
Follow in the footsteps of the legendary
Arabian explorer and enjoy 10 action
stations from around the world and live
entertainment starting at QR285. ShangriLa Hotel Doha, Sridan Restaurant, Level 2,
Conference Centre Street, West Bay, Email:
sridan@shangri-la.com, Phone: 4429 5295.
Compiled by Nausheen Shaikh. E-mail: gtlisting@gmail.com, Events and timings subject to change
4
GULF TIMES Monday, March 7, 2016
COMMUNITY
COVER STORY
A verse scenario
‘When it (verse) is open, you are able to express yourself more freely. You
don’t limit yourself,’ aspiring poet Syed Maaz Ali tells Umer Nangiana
PASSIONATE: Syed Maaz Ali believes poetry is the easiest and most effective way to express oneself.
She walks in despair;
Face down, she is disgraced;
Humiliated, she is ashamed.
Not all endings end up,
Being fairytales;
Not everything imagined is real.
W
ho is she?
“She is just the
society’s constant
thought of being
perfect,” replies
Syed Maaz Ali, the author of above
lines, taken from one of his poems,
Ugly. He is just 17 and has already
written three books of poems.
It is not however, about the
magnitude, it is the clarity and
profundity of thought that makes
this Grade 10 Pakistani student of
American Academy School stand
out. Finding an expert hand to
guide him, he can easily get his
work published. His thoughts are
worth sharing.
I think about a thousand
possibilities,
Day and Night,
How many more are there like
me…
In another life?
So says Maaz in his poem titled
Almonds.
As a beginner, the teenager
prefers free verse. He does not
sweat over rhyming it.
“My favourite ones are where
you do not have to rhyme, where
the subject is more important than
rhyme,” Maaz tells Community in
a chat about his poem collection,
inspiration and the kind of subjects
that move him.
“When it (verse) is open, you are
able to express yourself more freely.
You don’t limit yourself,” Maaz says
to explain why he does not focus
much on rhyming even if he has
tried both forms.
In a way you can say it is harder
when you have to sit down and
make them rhyme because you have
to think of certain words that can go
along, not all words would do that,
believes the young poet.
“For this one (December), I
worked harder than I would have to
work for a piece of abstract art,” he
says, pointing to a collection that he
has compiled in the form of a book.
These days, he is writing abstract
ones that do not have an end but
at the end of the day, the ones that
have rhymes get more audience.
People like them. They sound better
and look better, he says, adding that
he isn’t shy of doing them, but the
Photos by Umer Nangiana
THE FLIGHT OF IMAGINATION: An untitled poem from his upcoming
collection.
Monday, March 7, 2016
GULF TIMES
5
COMMUNITY
COVER STORY
“I have a poem
inspired by
National
Geographic. It
is a romantic
poem. It was
inspired by
how Albatross
migrate over
oceans. They
keep one mate
for their whole
life. That thing
was just really
beautiful”
SAYING IT WITH CARDS: Maaz has compiled his second collection in the form of book of cards.
ones that are easier for him to relate
to are abstract.
Maaz wants to fly planes once he
grows up. It is an interest which he
has taken probably from his father
who is associated with the aviation
industry. However, he says his love
of poetry is a never-ending one.
“It is like a stress reliever.
Without talking much in detail, you
can still talk it in a way that a lot of
people can relate to it,” says Maaz.
At 17, what stress do you have?
“Usually, it is just different
interactions with people which just
leave you questioning yourself and
how others treat you, especially if
you are an ‘over-thinker’. I think a
lot at the end of the day. I am always
thinking,” he says.
The way it works for him is that
he would think about a phrase or a
line and would write it down. To be
able to write, you need to get into
the mood and find the right kind of
environment, says the 17-year-old.
“You need to be serious. You
need silence for some reason. When
there is solitude, you are able to
find more ideas. It is in this state
that you are able to get most out of
yourself,” says the aspiring poet.
“Usually, I don’t sit down and
think for hours about something
that I want to write about. It is just
that I am thinking a lot and if I have
a phrase or word or something that
I am inspired by, I want to write
about it and I do that,” he explains.
Maaz says he does not stress out
writing. It is going to happen or
else he is not going to force himself.
He never learned anything about
writing poetry but has read a lot.
However, he says he does not take
after particular poets or writers.
“I would read anyone. I like
Robert Frost and I also like William
Shakespeare, some of his work of
course, which I can understand
(smiles).”
He says he started writing
regularly only two years ago, and
before that it was just a habit for
him to write, just write anything.
“In short stories, it takes longer
(to write) but with poetry you can
express the subject really easily
like a couple of lines can do it. So
I focused more on poetry,” says
Maaz, referring to his love of
poetry.
I write something down first and
if I am happy with it, if I am able
to say that it conveys the message
that I wanted to talk about, then,
I am okay with it. But sometimes,
I change them a lot of times. His
inspiration and ideas vary.
“For instance, I have a poem
inspired by National Geographic. It
is a romantic poem. It was inspired
by how Albatross migrate over
oceans. They keep one mate for
their whole life. That thing was just
really beautiful. And the thought of
the ocean, I just wanted to capture
it and show that as a metaphor
in people,” he refers to one of his
poems in the collection.
The subjects of his poetry
also vary dramatically. It can be
romantic, it can be something
sad or happy, and it just varies
depending on what is the
inspiration.
December (his second collection)
has a lot of negative energy to
it. It is intensely melancholic. It
highlights the fact that often times
people get too lost in happiness
forgetting that a part of life is also
being sad and that there is nothing
INSPIRATION AT HOME: Syed Maaz Ali, with his father Ejaz Ali, who is associated with the aviation industry.
wrong with it, it is just a feeling,”
says Maaz.
Maaz says he learned from his
own mistakes in his first book that,
he jokes, is not “worth sharing.”
He took courage from showing
his work to some of his friends
and received encouragement. And
he wants to show his work to the
world in the form of books because
he feels sometimes “you are not
the only person going through a
certain feeling. You share it with
people.”
6
GULF TIMES Monday, March 7, 2016
COMMUNITY
Prominent
philosopher to
deliver lecture
at GU-Q today
T
he master and
founder of London’s
New College of the
Humanities, Professor
AC Grayling will be
delivering a public lecture titled
“A Philosophical Perspective on
the Future of Education” on the
campus of Georgetown University
in Qatar (GU-Q) today at 5:30pm.
Casting a global perspective,
the scholar and prolific writer will
discuss why education should
be adapted to the condition of
the twenty-first century and its
complex future.
Professor Grayling, who has been
called “Britain’s most eminent
publicly engaged philosopher,”
is visiting Education City as part
of a region-wide tour. His public
Georgetown event will be paired
with a separate visit to Doha College
where he will engage students in
a discussion on philosophy and
where he is scheduled to present a
lecture to their faculty on The Value
of Humanities in Modern Society.
His last stop will be at the Emirates
Festival of Literature in Dubai, where
he will talk about his new book titled
The Age of Genius.
Grayling is also a Professor of
Philosophy at the London-based
New College of the Humanities,
which launched as an institution
of higher education in 2012, and
the author of over thirty books of
philosophy, biography, history of
ideas, and essays. He is a columnist
for Prospect magazine, and was
for a number of years a columnist
on the Guardian and Times. He
has contributed to many leading
newspapers in the UK, US and
Australia, and to BBC radios 4, 3, 2
and the World Service, and he has
often appeared on television.
He is a Vice President of the
British Humanist Association, a
Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts,
and a Fellow of the Royal Society of
Literature. Anthony Grayling was
a Fellow of the World Economic
Forum for several years, and a
member of its C-100 group on
relations between the West and the
Islamic world.
AC Grayling
Discussing the
evolution of US culture
in the Middle East
N
Cover of the book that Professor Brian Edwards will discuss.
orthwestern University professor
and founding director of its
Program in Middle East and North
African Studies will be speaking
at Northwestern University in
Qatar on March 9. Professor Brian Edwards
will discuss his new book, After the American
Century: The Ends of US Culture in the Middle
East, which investigates the heritage of
US culture in the Middle East and how it’s
evolved in the digital age. The public and Qatar
Foundation community are invited to attend
the lecture taking place at 3pm on March 9
in room CMU 3069 in the Carnegie Mellon
University building.
In his book, Edwards examines the
emergence of new forms of culture in
circulation and their geopolitical implications.
When Henry Luce announced in 1941 that
we were living in the “American century,” he
believed that the international popularity of
American culture made the world favourable to
US interests. In the digital twenty-first century,
the American century has been superseded,
as American movies, music, video games, and
television shows are received, understood, and
transformed.
Edward challenges those who talk about
a world in which American culture is merely
replicated or appropriated, he focuses on
creative moments of uptake, in which Arabs
and Iranians make something unexpected. He
argues that these products do more than extend
the reach of the original. They reflect a world in
which culture endlessly circulates and gathers
new meanings.
Building on a decade of fieldwork in Cairo,
Casablanca, and Tehran, Edwards maps new
routes of cultural exchange that are innovative,
accelerated, and full of diversions. Shaped by
the digital revolution, these paths are entwined
with the growing fragility of American “soft”
power. They indicate an era after the American
century, in which popular American products
and phenomena — such as comic books, teen
romances, social-networking sites — are
stripped of their associations with the United
States and recast in very different forms.
Monday, March 7, 2016
GULF TIMES
7
COMMUNITY
Doha College learning
garden flourishes
A
Doha College primary
school project has
officially blossomed
into life with the
launch of the West Bay
Campus Learning Garden.
The Learning Garden was made
possible through the sponsorship
of Occidental Petroleum of Qatar
Limited (Oxy Qatar) and has been
in development for more than a
year.
Doha College Principal Dr
Steffen Sommer said the garden
is a valuable outdoor addition to
the campus, providing a site for
children to relax but also to learn.
“The garden is designed to
stimulate the student’s senses
– there is everything from cacti
to carrots. Our staff is using the
garden to bring lessons to life for
our students,” Dr Sommer said.
“I would like to extend my sincere
thanks to Oxy for their support as
the Learning Garden is well-loved
by the students and the broader
Doha College community.”
To celebrate the official launch,
Oxy Qatar President and General
Manager Stephen Kelly, Doha
College Principal Dr Steffen
Sommer and students from the
Doha College Gardening Club
buried a time capsule in the garden.
The capsule is filled with
messages from the students talking
about their hopes and dreams in 50
years’ time, a pin badge and a USB
with the college’s prospectus and
images of the garden, the school
and Qatar plus a copy of the Gulf
Times paper from the day.
Kelly said, “On behalf of Oxy
Qatar, we congratulate Doha
College on the inauguration of the
Learning Garden. We know a lot
of effort has gone into bringing it
to life and now the Doha College
community can enjoy plants,
vegetables and herbs right here
FOR POSTERITY: The time capsule contents.
in its own school, bringing to the
students first-hand experience of
the things they learn in class.
“At Oxy Qatar, we strive to
be a partner of choice. We are
committed to being a valuable
contributor in each of our
operating locations.”
Primary Class Teacher and
Curriculum Enrichment Coordinator Darragh Shanahan
said students, staff and parents
had spent many hours planting,
weeding, watering and painting
over the months.
“As the garden has grown it
has become a focal point for
the campus and the students,”
Shanahan said.
“Students have picnics in the
grassed area, our after-school
gardening club spends time tending
Students from the Doha College Gardening Club burying the time capsule in the garden.
The vegetable plot.
it, and parents use it as a place
to relax when collecting their
children.
“I would also like to thank Paige
Tantillo for her support throughout
the project; it would not have
possible without her vision and
skills,” Shanahan added.
Doha College is one of the
oldest British curriculum schools
in Qatar providing education for
1,914 students, between the ages
of 3 and 18, who represent over 72
nationalities.
Established in 1980, the college
was proud to celebrate its pearl
anniversary in 2010. Originally
opened to meet the demand for
a British-style education, the
institution continues to operate
under the sponsorship of the British
Embassy on a not-for-profit basis.
8
GULF TIMES Monday, March 7, 2016
COMMUNITY
Nepalese team beats Japanese in Asian Community Tournament
The Nepalese Football Team (NFT) won its first game in the Asian Community Tournament by beating the Japanese team 2-0. Both goals were scored in the second half, by Aakash Chaudhari and Amir
Shrestha. Twelve Asian teams are participating in this year’s tournament, where each team is set to play five matches in the group stage. A total of 37 matches will be played this year, all on Thursdays
and Fridays. The semi-finals are scheduled for May 6 and the final will be played on May 13. The teams playing in Group A are Lebanon, India, Jordan, China and Thailand; while the teams in Group B are
Nepal, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, South Korea, Philippines, Japan, and Singapore. The Nepalese Football Team is sponsored by City Express. Text and photos by Usha Wagle Gautam
Filipino expats attend session on skills
training and development
A total of 55 leaders and members of various Filipino organisations participated in the first free seminar-workshop
organised by H.E.R.O. Qatar on “Skills Training and Development: Interpersonal Skills, Writing for Specific Purposes
and Strategic Plan Development.” The speakers were Dr Alvin Abainza, a faculty member of Qatar University and the
Quality Assurance Coordinator of the College of Arts and Sciences; Ailyn Agonia, senior reporter and senior copy editor
at Qatar Tribune; and Nerieza Dimalao People Learning Specialist at Qatar Airways.
Monday, March 7, 2016
GULF TIMES
9
COMMUNITY
Netherlands embassy receives
CSR leadership award
T
he Netherlands
Embassy in Doha
recently received a CSR
leadership award at a
ceremony to launch the
“Qatar CSR Report 2015 – Leaders’
Visions.” The prestigious award
is devoted to private companies
and NGOs for their leadership in
the field of social responsibility
in Qatar. The ceremony was held
at Qatar University on March 2, in
the presence of HE Sheikh Joaan
bin Hamad al-Thani, President of
the Qatar Olympic Committee, the
CSR person of the Year 2015.
Ambassador Yvette van Eechoud
received the award from Dr Hasan
al-Derham, President of Qatar
University.
An article in the CSR Report
2015 highlights Netherlands
Embassy’s contributions to
the community over the past
year, bilateral relations between
Qatar and the Netherlands are
characterised by their business,
social and cultural exchanges.
Both parties are keen to
strengthen this relationship by
promoting ties between Qatar
and Dutch universities and other
institutions.
The Embassy of the Kingdom of
the Netherlands says it considers
social responsibility one of its
major priorities in the State of
Qatar.
This is reflected in its activities
in the field of environmental
sustainability, human rights and
intercultural co-operation.
The embassy conducted
meetings with government
representatives and nongovernmental institutions in
Qatar, such as the National
Human Rights Committee, Doha
Centre for Media Freedom, and
various Think Tanks on the issues
of international human rights,
freedom of expression, worker
welfare and ways to co-operate on
these important matters.
The embassy is a keen supporter
of the sports and health sectors, and
has engaged in numerous sports
events, raising awareness how
sports and fitness are fun, but also
crucial for improving public health.
High officials at the embassy
held meetings with Qatar’s
Minister of Youth and Sports, the
Minister of Health, Aspire, The
Supreme Committee on Delivery
and Legacy, the Qatar Olympic
Committee and others to discuss
concrete actions to address the
health issues in Qatar.
The embassy actively supports
engagement of the ‘orange’
community in Doha with
the numerous international
sports events like the world
championships for swimming,
para-dressage, para-athletics,
RECOGNITION: Ambassador Yvette van Eechoud receiving the award from Dr Hasan al-Derham, President of Qatar University.
boxing, show jumping and many
other sports events.
In the field of environmental
sustainability, the embassy
works to enhance ties between
Dutch and Qatari institutions
and universities on renewable
energy, energy efficiency and
clean technology. The nexus
between water, food and energy
is one of the promising areas of
co-operation. The ambassador
presented green and sustainable
start-up initiatives on Youth
Environmental Day and to
students of the International
School of London.
Diversification of the economy
by fostering entrepreneurship and
education is one of the areas which
receives ample attention. The
embassy encourages initiatives
like Enterprise Challenge, Qatar
Business Incubation Centre,
Bedaya, Silatech and others.
The exchange between
universities is key to contributing
to high quality academic research
and education. Universities and
academic centres of Maastricht,
Leiden, Groningen, and Rotterdam
and Stenden have excellent
relations with their Qatari
counterparts.
The embassy also organised
a TEDx event on Global
Challenges /Dutch Solutions,
a high level leadership session
that emphasised the importance
of sustainable, smart urban
planning and design as well and
linkages between modernity
and tradition in architecture.
An event on 3D printing was
organised with VCU, Katara and
the Ministry of Culture, Arts and
Heritage, highlighting the creative
and sustainable solutions this
technology can provide to many
challenges.
The embassy uses culture as
a means to foster intercultural
ties and understanding between
societies. A mini exhibition of
Vincent van Gogh paintings was
organised during the Doha Flower
Exhibition and the national day
celebration was dedicated to the
memory of this famous Dutch
painter. One of Europe’s best
jazz pianists performed during
the Katara European Jazz festival
and Holland’s most famous tango
composer performed during the
National Day in 2013.
One of the highlights was ‘The
Beauty of Islamic Manuscripts
– The Leiden Collection’, held at
Qatar University under auspices
of the Ministry of Culture,
Arts and Heritage in Qatar. The
exhibition showcased 40 Islamic
manuscripts collected and
preserved by Leiden University in
The Netherlands. The exhibition
was a significant milestone in
Qatari-Dutch relations on the
academic and cultural level, based
on the notion that academic cooperation is important not only
on the scientific level but also as
a link among civilisations and
peoples.
Co-operation in the field of
international law, peace and
justice took off successfully, with
a group of students from QU Law
College visiting the international
courts and institutions like the
Peace Palace, International
Criminal Court, and various
tribunals as well as law colleges in
the Netherlands.
Netherland’s Human Rights
Ambassador visited Qatar and
held meetings with the QU College
of Law and many other actors in
this field.
Social media plays a big role in
the outreach to the community.
The ambassador held an
interactive session with QU
students of the College of Arts
and Sciences about ‘twiplomacy’
and modern diplomacy, free
expression and the dissemination
of ideas.
An orange ‘tweet-Up’ with the
Doha Twitter community was
organised at the ambassador’s
residence. A meeting was also
held with the Doha Shapers on
international diplomacy, the need
for multilateral co-operation
and the various mechanisms for
conflict resolution and prevention.
10 GULF TIMES Monday, March 7, 2016
COMMUNITY
DESS students
celebrate
World Book Day
DESS students celebrated World Book Day in “style”.
The children paraded their themed costumes for the
parents, and then settled into a Book themed day,
including a Mad Hatter’s tea party in the school’s
Jubilee Gardens. Cross-curricular learning has included
reading to younger children, creating and writing
potions, book reviews, book swap and a variety of agerelated activities.
EMS Doha celebrates countries, culture and diversity
EMS Doha enjoyed a week of celebrating its community and a mesh of countries and cultures. In a statement, the school said, “We all grabbed our custom made passports and took a weeklong trip around
the globe.” Students got to dress up in their national attires and tasted foods from all over the world. The students were told about the variety of weathers, countries’ traditional music, and storytelling
traditions. The students were also told about flags, national symbols, and animals.
Monday, March 7, 2016
GULF TIMES
11
COMMUNITY
Isipathana Greens Touch Rugby 7’s 2016 tournament this weekend
The Isipathana College Old Boys Association Qatar will host its first Greens Touch Rugby 7’s tournament in Doha this weekend. The tournament will take place on Friday at the Mesaieed Sports Complex from
8am to 8pm. The teams that have confirmed participation in the tournament are: Royal, St Peters, Kingswood, Dharmarajah, Trinity, Mahanama, St Anthony’s, St Syvester’s, DS Senanayake, Zahira, Wesley, Carey
and Isipathana College. The draw for the tournament took place last Thursday at the Mercure Hotel Doha (pictured). The organisers have said that they have arranged for food and drink stalls for spectators.
MOTORING
2017 Corvette Grand
Sport has racing roots
T
he all-new 2017
Corvette Grand Sport
is a pure expression of
the car’s motorsportsbred pedigree. It
was introduced at the Geneva
International Motor Show.
Like the 2015 Le Mans-winning
Corvette C7.R GTE Pro race car,
the new Grand Sport combines a
lightweight architecture, a trackhoned aerodynamics package,
Michelin tires and a naturally
aspirated engine.
The 2017 Corvette Grand
Sport offers an estimated 1.05g in
cornering capability – and up to 1.2g
with the available Z07 package.
Heritage-inspired design cues
and exclusive features acknowledge
the historic Grand Sport legacy,
established in 1963 to take on the
world’s best sports cars. Only
five were built before a corporate
decision suspending direct
motorsports involvement ended the
project.
“Racing has been part of
Corvette’s essence for more than 50
years and that track experience has
helped us build better, more capable
cars,” said Mark Reuss, Executive
Vice President of Global Product
Development and Global Purchasing
and Supply Chain. “The global
acclaim for the seventh-generation
Corvette validates that direct link
and the 2017 Grand Sport takes its
HONED FOR THE TRACK: The new 2017 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport combines a lightweight architecture, a
track-honed aerodynamics package, Michelin tires and a naturally aspirated engine to deliver exceptional performance.
track-bred technology to a new,
exciting threshold.”
Engineers adapted the chassis
tuning, upgraded cooling systems,
and performance technologies of the
Corvette Z06 to give the new Grand
Sport capability commensurate with
its racing-derived history.
“We didn’t hold back with the new
Grand Sport,” said Tadge Juechter,
Corvette chief engineer. “For the
first time, buyers can equip the
Grand Sport with a Z07 performance
package – which adds carbonceramic brakes, Michelin Sport Cup
2 summer tires, and carbon-fibre
aero package that delivers true
downforce.”
The result is a potent track car.
In fact, the Grand Sport with the
Z07 package is less than 1 second off
the track record for the previousgeneration Corvette ZR1 on the road
course at GM’s Milford Proving
Ground.
In addition to track-focused
aero elements, the Grand Sport
also features specific front fender
inserts, a ZO6-style grille and wider
rear fenders – a distinctive design
package that gives the car a trackready attitude.
Grand Sport models are offered
with the Stingray’s full exterior
and interior colour palette. An
available Heritage package includes
hash-mark fender graphics in six
colours, with the hash-mark detail
carried onto the interior’s brushed
aluminium trim. Full-length stripes
are also offered. “The choices
are almost endless,” said Harlan
Charles, Corvette product marketing
manager. “The packages take
personalisation to an unprecedented
level, enabling customers to create
their own Corvette Grand Sport
statement like no other.”
The Grand Sport Collector Edition
features an exclusive Watkins Glen
Gray Metallic exterior with Tension
Blue hash-mark graphics, satin black
full-length stripes, black wheels and
a unique Tension Blue full leather
and suede-wrapped interior.
The Tension Blue colour is a bold,
modern take on the hue historically
associated with the Grand Sport.
Inside, a three-dimensional
representation of an original Grand
Sport race car is embossed in the
headrests and that shape is also
used on an instrument panel plaque
that carries a unique build sequence
number.
12 GULF TIMES Monday, March 7, 2016
COMMUNITY
INFOGRAPHIC
Monday, March 7, 2016
GULF TIMES
13
COMMUNITY
LIFESTYLE/HOROSCOPE
Five unbelievably yummy,
better-for-you breakfast ideas
B
reakfast may be the most
important meal of the
day, but it can often be
the one that’s hardest to
fit into busy schedules.
Even if you have time for breakfast,
you may find yourself trading
wholesomeness and quality for
speed and convenience. However,
having better-for-you breakfasts
need not require a lot of time or
effort. It can be as simple as making
better and smarter choices.
Here are five wholesome, yet easy
breakfast options that can start
your day off on the right nutritional
foot:
Better-for-you bagel and
cream cheese
Who doesn’t love a good bagel?
They’re quick, convenient and
delicious. If you’ve been shying
away from this traditional favourite
thinking you don’t need all the
carbs of bagels and the additives
in most cream cheeses, it’s time to
rethink your view. A whole grain
bagel topped with a better-for-you
spread, is a satisfying and delicious
start to the day.
you slow-cook yourself. However,
be wary of flavoured versions that
may have a lot of added sugar.
A better breakfast burrito
Classic breakfast burritos are
filling, satisfying and nourishing,
but unless you go the frozen route,
you may not have the time to whip
up a morning burrito. A faster,
wholesome option awaits — simply
top a whole-grain tortilla with your
favourite cream cheese, add freshsliced fruit such as kiwi, apple or
banana, fold in half and enjoy!
Terrific toasts
A slice of toasted white bread
slathered in butter isn’t sufficient
for a good breakfast, but you can
take toast to the next level and
create a morning meal that’s tasty,
wholesome and toasted. Start
by toasting a slice of whole grain
bread. Next spread on some protein
— this could be a sugar-free peanut
butter, almond butter or better-foryou cream cheese. Top with your
favourite fruit or veggies.
Outstanding oatmeal
As breakfast cereals go, oatmeal
is a nutritional champ. A 1-cup
serving of plain oatmeal has
about 150 calories, and it’s loaded
with nourishing fibre, protein
and vitamin A. Add flavour with
wholesome toppings like fresh
berries, chopped apples, raisins or
nuts. Here’s even better news —
plain instant oatmeal has the same
basic nutritional value as the kind
ARIES
March 21 — April 19
Now that your ruler Mars, the planet of passion and energy has
settled into Sagittarius, your fellow fire sign and ninth house of
overseas travel and education, it’s a great time for you to start
thinking about your next big travel odyssey.
CANCER
June 21 — July 22
You’re a Moon baby and with tomorrow’s New Moon/Solar Eclipse/
Super Moon in Pisces tomorrow, you will definitely be feeling more
emotional and open to whatever the World has to offer.
LIBRA
September 23 — October 22
Uranus the planet of the unexpected remains in Aries, your
relationship zone for the rest of the year. If you tend to hang out with
the same people, it might be time for you to branch out and find
some new and interesting and different people to fill your life with.
CAPRICORN
December 22 — January 19
Pluto the planet of life, death and rebirth — regeneration and being
born again in a way is in your sign and has been for some time.
Hopefully you are open to trying new things and changing your
ways if you know you need to.
Easier eggs
Everyone knows eggs are a
breakfast staple, but who has
the time to prepare them in the
morning when you’re trying to get
everyone out the door? You do! The
microwave is your morning best
friend, from reheating your coffee
to whipping up delectable, easy and
wholesome egg breakfasts. You can
make scrambled eggs in minutes.
Just crack an egg into a microwavesafe cup, add a tablespoon of water
or milk, a dash of cayenne pepper
and some salt, and a teaspoon or
two of your favourite veggie finely
diced, such as scallions, tomatoes
TAURUS
April 20 — May 20
Unless you simply have to stand up and say something or defend
someone today, try your best to keep out of it bulls. It’s not like you
to get involved but with Mercury in your conversation zone, you are
more opinionated than usual.
LEO
July 23 — August 22
Mars the planet of passion and energy is currently transiting your
fellow fire sign of Sagittarius, your fifth house of romance and fun.
And that’s exactly what you should be having today Leos.
SCORPIO
October 23 — November 21
Tomorrow’s the big day Scorpios! A Super Moon is slowly but surely
making its way to Pisces, your fifth house of romance and creativity
and lights up your life tomorrow. It’s a great night for a date Scorpios.
AQUARIUS
January 20 — February 18
Mars and Saturn are presently transiting sassy Sagittarius, your
eleventh house of hopes, wishes and friendship. It’s the perfect
cosmic pairing for you and a friend to do something together that
you have always wanted to do.
or mushrooms. Top with a generous
spoonful of shredded cheese
and microwave everything for 45
seconds. Stir and microwave for
another 45 seconds until the eggs
are set.
© Brandpoint
GEMINI
May 21 — June 20
There is nothing better than ticking something off your ‘to do list’,
is there? And that’s exactly what you can do today, with the Sun,
Mercury and Neptune all transiting your tenth house of career as
well as tomorrow’s Super Moon.
VIRGO
August 23 — September 22
With a Super Moon getting ready to light the sky tomorrow night in
your relationship zone, it’s a wonderful time for you to reach out to
everyone you love and even those people you aren’t really that fond
of as well.
SAGITTARIUS
November 22 — December 21
Don’t worry about coming off as too strong or passionate today
Sags. You have a great way of being full of love and supporting
people around you and you definitely don’t come off as being too
OTT.
PISCES
February 19 — March 20
The eve of your Super Moon is here Pisces. It’s a very feminine Moon
and of course being a feminine sign, it’s a great time to do girly
things — maybe take a bath, get a mani/pedi, swan around in silk
lingerie.
14 GULF TIMES Monday, March 7, 2016
COMMUNITY
Wordsearch
Adam
Pooch Cafe
Lip Service
BLIPS
CALIPER
CALIPH
CLIPBOARD
CLIPPER
COWSLIPS
ECLIPSE
ELLIPSE
FILLIP
FLIPCHART
FLIPFLOP
FLIPPANT
FLIPPER
HELIPORT
LIPSTICK
LOLLIPOP
MILLIPEDE
SLIPCASE
SLIPKNOT
SLIPPAGE
SLIPPY
TULIPS
Codeword
Puzzles courtesy: Puzzlechoice.com
Every letter of the alphabet is used at least once.
Squares with the same number in have the same letter
in. Work out which number represents which letter.
Garfield
Sudoku
Bound And Gagged
Sudoku is a puzzle based
on a 9x9 grid. The grid is
also divided into nine (3x3)
boxes. You are given a
selection of values and to
complete the puzzle, you
must fill the grid so that
every column, every anone
is repeated.
PUZZLES/CARTOONS
Monday, March 7, 2016
COMMUNITY
PUZZLES
Quick Clues
ACROSS
1. Electoral area (12)
7. Trim (5)
8. Lid (5)
9. Employ (3)
10. Fluency (9)
11. Winding-sheet (6)
12. Gorge (6)
15. Repellent (9)
17. Fuel (3)
18. Carousal (5)
19. Gradient (5)
21. Vice versa (12)
GULF TIMES
Colouring
DOWN
1. Enclose (12)
2. Fasten (3)
3. Dread (6)
4. Urge (9)
5. Group of witches (5)
6. Irrevocable (12)
7. Daub (5)
10. Exuberant (9)
13. Fireside (5)
14. Festival (6)
16. Piebald horse (5)
20. Japanese sash (3)
Cryptic Clues
Answers
Wordsearch
ACROSS
1. How a handyman might exert pressure?
(4,3,5)
7. Fed up and drilled down (5)
8. Keep rodent I love in proportion (5)
9. Follow the animal (3)
10. Runners seen on court at the double
(4-5)
11. Melancholic with regret before terrible
flu (6)
12. More appropriate workman? (6)
15. Half this stealing is pulsating (9)
17. Ate horrible meal (3)
18. Dance with odd graduate (5)
19. Bird of prey in windy Eastern gale (5)
21. Ben, Ginger and owl at play where
Jack’s on top (7,5)
DOWN
1. Cracking time for inclement weather?
(7-5)
2. Seaman visible in abstract art (3)
3. Arouse affection in listener after finish
(6)
4. Xmas pursuit of girl with fish (9)
5. Consumed at school, say (5)
6. Liberal nations cover protection of the
landscape (12)
7. Listen in on the French horn (5)
10. Sketch of human bit improved by
beginner (9)
13. Rank tile fell around thatcher’s head (5)
14. High-flyer to nip ego trip (6)
16. Casanova with capital love (5)
20. Choke at joke (3)
Codeword
Yesterday’s Solutions
QUICK
Across: 4 Amplify; 8 Remark; 9 Prosper; 10
Funnel; 11 Trance; 12 Churlish; 18 Denounce;
20 Morale; 21 Vigour; 22 Variety; 23 Circus; 24
Perfidy.
Down: 1 Preface; 2 Ominous; 3 Ordeal; 5
Marathon; 6 Lascar; 7 Fierce; 13 Indebted; 14
Invoice; 15 Regress; 16 Homage; 17 Tariff; 19
Origin.
CRYPTIC
Across: 4 Shatter; 8 Amiens; 9 Storage; 10
Mitten; 11 Eyeing; 12 North Sea; 18 Instance;
20 Afters; 21 Ice-axe; 22 Balloon; 23 Fliers; 24
Address.
Down: 1 Raiment; 2 Bittern; 3 Enmesh; 5
Hotheads; 6 Turner; 7 Edging; 13 Scissors; 14
Untamed; 15 Reverse; 16 Afraid; 17 Teller; 19
Tackle.
15
16 GULF TIMES Monday, March 7, 2016
COMMUNITY
BOLLYWOOD
A possible tie-up
HITCHED: Both Preity and Urmila have gotten married in low-key events.
Two Bollywood
marriages
T
wo weddings of Bollywood personalities
happened recently, one expected and the
other a bit of a surprise. That Preity Zinta
would be marrying her American boyfriend
Gene Goodenough had been on the cards
for sometime. Speculation had been rife as to when
the wedding would be with multiple rumours giving
different dates.
Ultimately, she went ahead and got married secretly
in Los Angeles with family and close friends present.
Her husband is a finance executive. Interestingly he is
said to be a witness in the police complaint that Preity
filed against former boyfriend Ness Wadia, who was
also co-owner of a cricket team with her.
It was during a match that Ness and Preity had
had an ugly war of words sparked off by Ness not
finding seats for his group at the owner’s box. Preity’s
decision to finally tie the knot is attributed to her
mother who had been keen to see her settling down.
But while Preity’s marriage didn’t catch anyone
unawares, the other Bollywood wedding did come as
a bit of a bolt out of the blue. And that was because
it had been a long time since Urmila Matondkar had
been in anyone’s consciousness when it came to
Bollywood.
There had been a time two decades ago when under
the aegis of Ram Gopal Varma she had suddenly burst
on the scene as one of the hottest and ablest actresses
in the industry, with movies like Rangeela and Satya.
But then her career had waned off and by about the
mid-2000s it was well into terminal decline.
News has just come in that she too has tied the knot.
Her husband is a businessman and her wedding too
had been a private affair. It was reported that the only
personality from Bollywood to attend was the fashion
designer Manish Malhotra. These weddings indicate
that the generation of popular actresses who ruled the
roost in 1990s have now well and truly moved on in
life. On the other hand, many male actors of that time
are still very much in the game.
The marriage of Arbaaz Khan and Malaika Arora seems to be in trouble.
Split rumours
For some time now it was being
been said that the Arbaaz Khan and
Malaika Arora marriage is going
through some troubling times.
There have been numerous
reports of their estrangement. One
said that she had moved out from
their house with their son and was
living in her parents’ home.
Another said that they weren’t
speaking to each other at the set of
a television reality show they were
hosting together.
Different reasons are also
given for this alleged split. One
attributed it to Arjun Kapoor
getting increasingly close to
Malaika and another said that she
was in a relationship with a UKbased businessman.
With such a surfeit of rumours,
chances are there could be some
kernel of truth to the separation.
On the other hand, she was spotted
at a family dinner of the Khans,
once again puzzling people.
Both Arbaaz and Malaika have
refused to comment on their
personal lives. Malaika put up a
photo-comment on her Instagram
account lambasting those who
were speculating about them. The
image said, ‘Hey, I found your nose.
It was in my business again.’
Meanwhile, it is also said that
Salman Khan, Arbaaz’s brother,
is trying to patch the two up.
As a veteran of many failed
relationships, it is debatable how
much he will be of use here.
One of the things that success
does is it makes you many friends.
Even those who should be enemies
look at you in a different light.
Just a few years ago, Sanjay Leela
Bhansali, under the shadow of
multiple failures, had found himself
being ridiculed for his extravagant
productions.
But a few superhits later, he is
now the talk of the town, feted and
in demand by all actors. Bhansali
had made Devdas with Shah Rukh
Khan in 2002 and the movie had
done well.
He and Shah Rukh had a good
equation but then last December
the latter’s Dilwale and Bhansali’s
Bajirao Mastani released on the
same day. Against all expectations
Bajirao easily beat Dilwale by a mile
in both critical and commercial
acclaim.
While everyone thought that
Shah Rukh would not take such a
drubbing well, there was a surprise
in store when he came across
Bhansali at an awards function.
Instead of ignoring Bhansali,
Shah Rukh went up to him. He
paid his respects to Bhansali’s
mother seated nearby. The actor
and director talked at length and,
if reports are to be believed, even
carried on with their conversation
at home after the event got over.
It is rumoured that Shah Rukh
mooted the idea of doing a movie
together. If it works out, it will most
probably be one of those grand
opuses that Bhansali is famous for
and Shah Rukh being part of the
cast will make it an even bigger
spectacle.
NO HARD FEELINGS: Shahrukh Khan and Sanjay Leela Bhansali seem to be
on good terms despite their movies going against each other recently.
Present for self
It must be great being Alia Bhatt.
She is about to celebrate her 23rd
birthday, an age when most people
are only starting off on their career
while Alia seems to have already
touched a few crests.
And to celebrate the birthday in
style, she is making a gift to herself
— an apartment. The house is close
to her parents in the expensive
suburb of Bandra, which means,
considering real estate prices there,
she must have paid a fortune.
But Alia, despite her young
age, charges a fee appropriate to
her standing as an actress who
almost invariably delivers a hit
with a rare exception like the recent
Shaandaar.
She is right now at a peak and
given her talent and foundations in
the industry will probably continue
being a successful actress for quite
a few years. As with all famous
stars, she does get dragged into
controversies.
There were rumours recently
that she was a trigger for the Ranbir
Kapoor and Katrina Kaif split.
When asked about it at a media
interaction, she replied that it was
so ridiculous that she had decided
not to issue any clarification.
Send your feedback to
bollywood.eye@gmail.com
INDULGENCE: Alia Bhatt has given herself an expensive flat as a gift for her
23rd birthday.
Monday, March 7, 2016
GULF TIMES
17
COMMUNITY
BOLLYWOOD
Riteish Deshmukh to
co-host TOIFA 2016
Bollywood actor Riteish
Deshmukh is all set to co-host
the upcoming second edition of
the Times of India Film Awards
(TOIFA), to be held here on March
18.
TOIFA 2016 Dubai, presented by
Gulf Air and Splash, will take place
at the Dubai International Stadium
in Dubai Sports City.
The awards gala will witness
performances by Bollywood
celebrities like Shah Rukh Khan,
Varun Dhawan, Jacqueline
Fernandez, Kareena Kapoor Khan,
Yo Yo Honey Singh and many
others.
The first edition of TOIFA was
held in Vancouver, British Columbia
in 2013. The event will be promoted
across India, Bahrain, Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman and
Britain, and fans are expected to
travel from these countries into
Dubai, creating tourism receipts
over the weekend for the city.
To this end, TOIFA has already
partnered with Thomas Cook in
India and Dadabhai Travels in
Bahrain as its travel partners. —
IANS
Ram Charan wants to
buy home in Mumbai
PACKING A PUNCH: John Abraham
Real action heroes
missing: Abraham
A
ctor-producer John
Abraham, who is
likely to take action
in Bollywood to an
altogether new level
with his film Rocky Handsome,
says that the country is missing
“real action heroes” of the caliber
of Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis,
Arnold Schwarzenegger and
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
“We really wanted to take
action to the next level. What
the country was missing was
real action heroes... If you see
internationally, the best action
heroes are Stallone, Bruce Willis,
Schwarzenegger, Dwayne Johnson
The Rock,” John said at the trailer
launch of Rocky Handsome.
“It’s not as much about the
action, but it is about the attitude,
and that’s what we tried to
maintain in the film,” he added.
The trailer of Rocky Handsome
sees John in an intense action
avatar to save the life of a young
girl. He is seen in an array of
action sequences with guns and
knives while also showcasing his
toned physique.
About the kind of preparation
required for the film, John said:
“I went off to Thailand for a
little less than a month to train,
especially the knife action
I feel cured, says
Amitabh Bachchan
QUICK RECOVERY:
Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan, who is
recuperating from a mild ailment,
says a good night sleep helps in curing
ailments, while adding that now he
feels “cured”.
The 73-year-old thespian also
credited superstar Shah Rukh Khan,
who once mentioned to him that a
good night’s sleep helps in curing
“many ailments”.
“Shah Rukh once mentioned a good
night’s sleep cures many ailments,
body mind... All true. I feel cured
today!” Amitabh tweeted on Saturday.
Big B also underwent some medical
tests last month. The iconic actor had
earlier shared details about his tests
on Twitter with his well-wishers,
whom the Piku star fondly calls “EF” or
that you see. Even if the knives
are blunt, they really hurt. I
remember when I was going for a
shower in the evening, I used to
remember the action in the day,
because the whole body was black
and blue during training”.
However, the Welcome Back
actor said that the hard work paid
off because the director of Rocky
Handsome wanted to achieve
realism with the action scenes.
Directed by Nishikant Kamat,
Rocky Handsome features John
with Shruti Hassan in the lead.
John also took training for martial
arts in Thailand for the actionpacked film. — IANS
“extended family”. “Begging apology
again tonight... I have had some
medical tests and need to rest. Ok? so
see you later,” Amitabh had tweeted.
Amitabh and Shah Rukh have shared
screen space in films like Kabhi Alvida
Naa Kehna, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie
Gham..., Paheli and Mohabbatein.
Big B, who was last seen on the
silver screen in Wazir will next be
seen in Ribhu Dasgupta’s TE3N. He is
also preparing for filmmaker Shoojit
Sircar’s next project.
The Darr actor, who was last seen
in Dilwale is currently waiting for the
release of his forthcoming film Fan,
which is slated to his the screens on
April 15 release.
Directed by Maneesh Sharma and
produced by Aditya Chopra, Fan also
features Shriya Pilgaonkar among
others. — IANS
Actor Ram Charan, who
owns a sprawling mansion in
Hyderabad, wants to expand his
base to Mumbai as he’s looking
for properties to set up an estate
to shuttle between the cities with
family and friends.
The star, who keeps flying to
Mumbai on business and wife
Upasana, who is in the process
of expanding the Apollo chain
of hospitals in the city, think
it’d be ideal to have a residence
in Mumbai as it would be
convenient.
“While the couple have
already purchased a property in
a building in Mumbai, they are
on the lookout for a nice estate
where they can build a mansion,
on the lines of what they have
in Hyderabad,a a source close to
Charan told IANS.
“Ram and Upasana stay at
Banjara Hills in Hyderabad, one of
the most luxurious and expensive
properties and hope to create a
similar kind of living space in
Mumbai, making it convenient
Priyanka’s Quantico
to have second season
Bollywood actress Priyanka
Chopra’s international TV series
Quantico has been renewed for a
second season. ABC handed out
15 renewals last week, picking
up dramas like Grey’s Anatomy,
Scandal, How to Get Away With
Murder, Marvel’s Agents of
S.H.I.E.L.D, Once Upon a Time and
even Quantico, reports ew.com.
Comedies like Modern Family,
The Goldbergs, black-ish and Fresh
IN DEMAND: Priyanka Chopra
HOMING IN: Ram Charan
for the two especially since they
travel to the city so often on
business”.
Currently, Ram Charan is busy
shooting for the Telugu remake of
Tamil blockbuster Thani Oruvan.
— IANS
Off the Boat, and alternative shows
like America’s Funniest Home
Videos, The Bachelor, Dancing With
the Stars, and Shark Tank have also
been renewed.
After shining in the world of
Hindi showbiz, Priyanka made
headway abroad as a singer
and even made her debut in the
international TV fiction space with
ABC action-thriller series Quantico
last year. She received praise and
global visibility.
Priyanka plays Alex Parrish, a
rookie FBI recruit with a mysterious
past in the season one, which will
return from hiatus from March 12
on Star World.
According to showrunner Josh
Safran, much like Alex being on
the run gave us a drive for the first
half of the season, Alex is tasked
into doing something that she’ll
be forced to do for the rest of the
season.
The only shows that have not
landed pickups and remain on the
bubble are The Muppets, Agent
Carter, Castle, Nashville, Dr. Ken,
Last Man Standing, Galavant,
critically acclaimed anthology
series American Crime, plus allbut-dead freshman series Wicked
City and Blood and Oil, which both
had their episode orders trimmed
earlier in their first runs. – IANS
18 GULF TIMES Monday, March 7, 2016
COMMUNITY
HOLLYWOOD
Downton bids farewell
after half-a-decade run
By Verne Gay
A
s great characters
sometimes do, Violet
Crawley, Dowager
Countess of Grantham
— Dame Maggie Smith
— seemed to speak for an entire
world’s Downton obsession in the
most recent episode two weeks
ago.
Consoling Lady Mary (Michelle
Dockery), she said quietly, firmly
and for once with no intention of
completing a well-turned phrase
with a well-turned zinger: “I
believe in rules, and traditions
and playing our part. But there is
something else ... “
She paused, as if about to
confide the secret of the universe
or perhaps even a classic TV show,
then added: “I believe in love.”
Ah, love.
Makes the world go round, and
prime-time soaps, too. Everybody
believes in love, Lady Violet.
But what’s love got to do with
television anyway? Ending Sunday,
what specifically has love got to do
with Downton Abbey?
After a five-year, six-season
run — by far the most successful in
American public television history,
and yielding one of the most
popular series on the planet — it’s
fair to say love has had everything
to do with Downton. But reducing
matters of the heart to a word, even
that word, is never quite so easy.
Downton’s pull has been
enigmatic, even counterintuitive.
Its magic is subtle. The words
— specifically those of creator
Julian Fellowes — along with the
actors saying them have gone
a long way toward shaping the
specific alchemy. The beauty and
elegance of Downton has possibly
completed it.
Nevertheless, British period
dramas have never exactly scaled
the heights on this side of the
Atlantic. Downton was even
essentially an Upstairs, Downstairs
revival for a generation that
never caught the Jean Marsh and
Eileen Atkins classic that aired on
Masterpiece in the early ’70s. But
Upstairs — an obsession in its own
right — was seen by a few million
each week. Ten million have
reliably watched Downton.
So why Downton?
“Why, why, why,” said Rebecca
Eaton, the longtime chief of
Masterpiece who has done more
to introduce — or indoctrinate
— American audiences to British
costume drama than anyone else in
history. “We all have our answers,”
she said in a recent interview.
“Except that we don’t have the
END OF AN ERA: Michelle Dockery as Lady Mary and Matthew Goode as Henry Talbot in Downton Abbey.
answer. If we did, we wouldn’t tell
anybody else and just go out and
get the same team and do it all over
again.”
Downton arrived with
impeccable credentials and
pedigree. Fellowes, an established
novelist, had already won an
Oscar (best original screenplay)
for Gosford Park a decade earlier.
Directed by Robert Altman,
Gosford in fact was an easily
recognisable template for what
he imagined here — except for the
murder part, Gosford’s key plot
point.
According to Gareth Neame,
executive producer of Downton
and Fellowes’ longtime Downton
collaborator, Fellowes’ 2004 debut
novel, Snobs, was an even more
direct link to what Downton was to
become — the to-the-manor-born
aristocracy alongside their peculiar
rituals. “I thought it a very witty
and interesting comedy of manners
and social observation,” Neame
recalled in a recent interview. “He
had never created a show, but I felt
very confident he could.”
What came next he says he could
not predict. “It was an instant hit
when the first season came out,
and at the time I suppose I thought
it was going to have to count on
that quite small but perfectly
formed Anglophile audience in the
United States and other countries
that tend to like British dramas,”
Neame said. “The real surprise
was that it was not just a popular
show but had twice the audience
we predicted.” Neame noted that
the show was subsequently sold
to 250 countries and territories
— “everywhere it is possible to
license a show” — and “may have
more viewers in China than the
entire population of Britain.”
Neame, like Eaton, admits that
he has no answers “why,” but
he does have theories. Among
them: “The romance is key, and
the way we have done numerous
love stories. It’s romantic love,
not sexual love, which is what all
television is about.”
That, he says, has attracted
female viewers around the world
who wanted precisely that. Eaton
says, “My personal theory is that
this is about a community. There’s
a scarcity of community in our
lives, a little bit of a sense of maybe
being let down by your community.
Julian, being who he is, filled this
community with an enormous
amount of goodwill, which is
another thing you don’t see a lot of
in the world of television.”
Downton’s spectacular success,
of course, comes down to so much
else — a brilliant cast, certainly,
and perfectly formed characters,
and a carefully crafted sense,
carried across the seasons, that
the world of Downton was both
illusion and reality.
Neame says a future movie
may one day sustain the glorious
illusion — “all I can tell is that
we are having conversations”
— although he says the cast
has been in demand, and gone
on to other projects, including
television, movies and the stage.
Reassembling the large cast
is almost certainly the largest
challenge, along with securing
Fellowes, who is developing a
period drama (about the Gilded
Age) for NBC.
And so after the last episode, all
fans will be left with are memories
— and mysteries of the heart that
have guided this particular love
affair. As Violet — clearly also an
astute TV critic — once long ago
observed: “I’m not a romantic, but
even I concede that the heart does
not exist solely for the purpose to
pump blood.” — Newsday/TNS
Monday, March 7, 2016
GULF TIMES 19
COMMUNITY
HOLLYWOOD
Amy Adams wants Star Wars role
Actress Amy Adams says she wants a role in Star Wars: Episode VIII
or Episode IX. The 41-year-old actress is obsessed with the latest movie
in the sci-fi saga Star Wars: The Force Awakens and is willing to play
anything in one of the upcoming next instalments, reports femalefirst.
co.uk.
“We’d figure it out. I’ll play a creature! I don’t care. Put the dots
on my face and I’ll crawl around. (A Wookiee?) I think more an Ewok,
considering my stature,” Adams was quoted as saying by Britain’s GQ
magazine. The Enchanted actress would also love to be a Bond girl but
doesn’t think she has the physical characteristics to be “mysterious”
enough. “I mean, I’d love to be a Bond girl. But it would depend. I don’t
see myself like Eva Green, she’s so gorgeous and mysterious, I don’t see
myself like that,” she added.
However, Adams is planning to slow down her workload for the sake
of her family. “I made my career a really big priority when I was younger,
and I don’t regret the work I did, but I really regret the time that I
missed. So maybe I don’t do four films a year now. Maybe I can take a
step back,” she said. — IANS
PARTING WAYS: Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
opts out of Sandman
RARING TO GO: Amy Adams
A
ctor Joseph GordonLevitt has opted out
of Sandman project
due to disagreement
with New Line studio.
The announcement came a day
after New Line confirmed that The
Conjuring 2 writer Eric Heisserer
had come on board for the project.
Gordon-Levitt announced his
decision last week via a post on
his Facebook page, saying that
the disagreements emerged after
Warner subsidiary New Line took
over the project, variety.com.
The Sandman was set up at
Warner Bros in 2013 with GordonLevitt coming aboard to produce
with The Dark Knight screenwriter
David Goyer for an adaptation of the
DC Comics title.
“So, as you might know if you
like to follow these sorts of things,
a while back, David Goyer and
I made a producing deal with
Warner Brothers to develop a
movie adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s
Sandman,” Gordon-Levitt wrote.
He added: “Neil himself came on
as an executive producer, we hired
the excellent screenwriter, Jack
Thorne, and we started in on the
ambitious task of adapting one of
the most beloved and boundarypushing titles in the world of
comics. I was pleased with the
progress we were making, even
though we still had quite a ways
to go. “Recently, as you also might
know if you like to follow these sorts
of things, the sorta ‘ownership’
(for lack of a better term) of the
Sandman material changed hands
when Warner Brothers shifted
the entire catalogue of Vertigo
comics (an imprint of DC) to their
subsidiary, New Line.
“And a few months ago, I came
to realise that the folks at New Line
and I just don’t see eye to eye on
what makes Sandman special, and
what a film adaptation could/should
be.
“So unfortunately, I decided to
remove myself from the project. I
wish nothing but the best for the
team moving forward.” — IANS
Drug lord interview was
a good failure: Sean Penn
Actor Sean Penn, who previously referred his interview with Mexican
drug lord El Chapo as a failure, says his words were taken “very literally”,
and he actually wanted to say that it was “a very good failure”.
Penn clarified his comments regarding his article about the interview
at the RSA cyber-security conference in San Francisco last week, reports
variety.com.
“I have found throughout my life — and it well be by me — that I am
taken very literally, and I don’t know if I mean anything literally. What
I really meant by ‘failed’ was to get them to say, ‘Oh, it failed’, and to
keep talking about it. I sit back at home and I watch them talk about the
drug war every $$$*** day. It was a very good failure,” Penn said. The
actor, who set the internet ablaze after his controversial interview with
the drug lord, during an interview with Charlie Rose on 60 Minutes had
said he considered his article a failure because it failed to ignite a bigger
discussion about the war on drugs. — IANS
I’m a coconut oil fanatic: Pamela Anderson
Actress-model Pamela
Anderson has confessed that she
is a coconut oil “fanatic”. The
Baywatch star has also shared
her top beauty tip for youthful
looking skin: coconut oil used as
a moisturiser, an emollient and
for haircare.
“I’m a coconut oil fanatic ...
I think it’s really good for your
skin, good for your hair, good for
everything, from the inside out,”
Anderson was quoted as saying
by Harper’s Bazaar magazine.
“I just use coconut oil that
you buy at the store to cook
with, and I leave it in the
shower or I soak it when I’m
in the bathtub so it melts and
I’ll use it all just as moisturiser
for my face, my body, my hair,
everything. I don’t think those
really expensive products do
anything better than household
products,” she added.
Anderson also said that she
is not a “product person” and
believes in everything natural.
“I’m not a big product person.
Just be as natural as you can
get, and then have fun with hair
and make-up... whatever your
version of pretty is, as long as
you feel confident.
The Barb wire actress added:
“Everyone wants natural beauty,
but natural beauty still takes an
hour and a half.” – IANS
DiCaprio running
high on Oscar win
NATURE'S BOUNTY: Pamela Anderson
It has been a week since
Leonardo DiCaprio grabbed his
first Oscar, but the Hollywood
star is still in ebullient spirits, and
celebrating the win by hitting the
night clubs.
According to a source, DiCaprio
has been in the best mood since the
win, reports people.com. DiCaprio
has been stepping out with his
friends and living it up.
PARTY TIME: Leonardo DiCaprio
“Since his Oscar win, Leo keeps
celebrating with friends. He has been at several LA clubs since the
Oscar nite. He has been in the best mood,” said the source. DiCaprio
finally broke the jinx and took home his first Academy Award in
the Best Actor category for his power-packed performance in The
Revenant at the 88th Academy Awards. — IANS
20 GULF TIMES Monday, March 7, 2016
COMMUNITY
Using technology to
empower education
aligned strategies from institutes and
government bodies are impacting
the way students make their choices,
creating a more motivated and
connected community of learners
that is constantly striving for
success, thus improving the role that
education plays in their future career
path.
By Anand Holla
W
orking with a range
of institutes in
Qatar, including the
Community College
of Qatar and Qatar
University, Ellucian delivers a broad
portfolio of technology solutions,
developed in collaboration with a
global education community.
By providing strategic guidance
to help education institutions of
all kinds navigate change, achieve
greater transparency, and drive
efficiencies, Ellucian has more than
2,400 institutions in 40 countries
around the world look to it for the
ideas that will move education
forward.
Community caught up with
Mathew Boice, Vice-President
(Middle East & Africa), who has
extensive experience in Qatar and
works closely with universities
to ensure they are meeting their
intuitional goals, to know more.
Excerpts:
In what ways can technology
solutions improve the education
system and facilities in Qatar?
Higher education in Qatar
has continued to thrive, develop
and grow in recent years, and the
increased adoption of technology
has helped to ensure that institutes
are delivering educational
experiences that are not only of
world-class standards, but also
help students engage while learning
and successfully complete their
studies. Today’s students are
entering higher education with high
expectations for their future careers
and development, and are looking
for an experience that’s personal and
leverages their native use of smart
technology. Most students inherently
“look” to smart mobile devices and
online resources when learning,
which means that universities need
to have solutions in place to interact
through these platforms. The right
solutions not only help students with
their learning experience, they help
institutes streamline administration
activities, track student success
and assess the performance of the
institution by leveraging data insights
and analytics.
From your experience of
working with institutes in Qatar,
what sort of changes do you feel
are needed to equip the students
for the increasingly competitive
market outside?
Education is one of the leading
forces behind economic growth. It’s
Could you share some of the
top trends to be expected in the
region’s education sector in the
coming 12 months, such as the
move towards competency-based
education, and what they could
cause?
Ellucian believes that there
will be multiple trends in higher
education over the next 12 months,
as a result of institutes in Qatar
taking proactive steps to stay abreast
of education best practices and
their commitment to delivering the
best possible experience to their
students. Many of the trends that
are forecast revolve around the
student experience.
Firstly, the modern student of
today is tech savvy and is looking
for a personalised experience.
These requirements mean institutes
will be looking at technology that
facilitates better student connections
and tracks their developments
throughout the length of their
learning. Technology solutions
such as analytics allow real-time
monitoring of student information
and performance, which can be
leveraged by institutes to deliver
feedback and guidance.
VIRTUAL LINK: Mathew Boice, Vice-President (Middle East & Africa), Ellucian.
important that institutes implement
solutions and strategies that respond
to the current needs of the country,
but also help students enter gainful
employment on completion of their
studies.
Qatar, like many countries in the
region, has developed a skills gap
as a result of the speed of economic
development and emerging
economic development priorities.
Higher education can help to resolve
this issue by creating a talent pool of
graduates that have the specific skills
and a capability to adapt and learn
that meet the needs of the current
and emerging jobs available in the
market.
For universities to better equip
students with the right knowledge
base, there is a pressing need to
continue to deepen the connection
and the collaboration between
industry, institutions, students
and graduates. Communication
from these different perspectives
helps facilitate discussion on
the skills needs, connect alumni
with possible job prospects,
define feedback on the curricula
of programmes and courses, and
determine where specialist training
and skilling is required to meet
workplace requirements.
In Qatar, higher education is an
active partner and participant in
this process, with both the national
university, the specialist provision
within Qatar Foundation and the
innovative work of The Community
College, all providing important parts
of the overall national needs.
Of course these requirements
need to be exposed to students
in an effective manner that helps
them define a clear learning path
to success. This helps students
understand the importance and
relevance of their studies, as well as
the needs of their future employers.
The right solutions can allow
institutes to intervene pro-actively
to help promote student success,
alert staff to student difficulties for
early resolution and create a more
personalised learning experience for
the students.
What is unique about the
university scenario and student
scene of Qatar?
The Qatar higher education
landscape is one of constant
improvement, with the presence of
leading global universities, a wellregarded national university and a
booming community college sector.
The sector is constantly pushing to
innovate the way that they deliver
learning to improve outcomes for
students and for society.
This proactivity is backed by
impressive commitment from
the leadership of the country and
through multiple government
initiatives including the National
Development Strategy, the Qatar
National Vision and an overarching
goal by all government bodies to
make Qatar a knowledge-based
society. This ongoing support and
Can you elaborate more?
We predict that this will manifest
in two discrete areas of needs for
institutions in Qatar, better CRM
systems for recruiting and student
success and also through specific
tools that support student advising
and guidance. Secondly, there will
be a rise in competency-based
education (CBE) models in the
country. The CBE approach moved
the focus from the traditional
learning approach of grades and
hours spent in the classroom, to
a more skills based approach that
incorporates existing competencies
that students may already possess.
This new style of learning that has
taken off across Europe and the
US responds to the skills required
by specific industries, and makes
sure that students can enter the
workforce with the right knowledge
base. Finally, the growing popularity
of cloud-based solutions and
benefits of a virtual approach will
see multiple institutes looking to use
the cloud to also support university
administration tasks.