Members of an all-female Afghan robotics team evacuated from Afghanistan to Qatar will continue their study through scholarships at Qatar Foundation’s (QF) Education City, which is co-funded by the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), according to a QF statement released on Tuesday.
The ‘Afghan Dreamers’ were transported to Doha on a flight organised by Qatari officials when their home country fell under Taliban authority and are now being accommodated in Education City. There they will get scholarships to continue their education thanks to a strategic collaboration between QF and QFFD.
QF Education City is home to the world’s largest education ecosystem of its type, with eight universities – including branch campuses of some of the world’s best universities – and both mainstream and specialised schools, with education ranging from K-12 to postdoctoral level.
The partnership between QF and QFFD reflects the commitment of the both teams to provide education to all. This initiative also shows how supportive is Qatar when it comes to education.
“These talented, creative students have been living through a time of uncertainty and upheaval, and at Qatar Foundation we want to do whatever we can to ease their concerns in the present while also helping them to look to the future,” said HE Sheikha Hind bint Hamad al-Thani, Vice-Chairperson and CEO, QF.
“By providing them with scholarships to study at Education City, their education can now continue uninterrupted. We are currently assessing their specific needs to ensure they receive the learning experience within our schools and our pre-university preparatory program that best suits their abilities and their goals.
“Our priority is to ensure that these students feel safe, cared for, and confident in the knowledge that their education will not be affected by this immensely difficult period in their lives.”
“The educational programme jointly funded by QF and QFFD provides high-quality technical training in the use of modern technologies which will enable Afghani female students to acquire the skills and knowledge that will allow them to be appropriately qualified and in-demand within the labor market.” said Khalifa bin Jassim al-Kuwari, director-general QFFD
“We hope that this programme and the strategic partnership between QFFD, QF and the Digital Citizen Fund will renew hope for a new generation of Afghani girls.”
“The team is excited and grateful for this opportunity to study abroad.” said Roya Mahboob, the founder of the Digital Citizen Fund, the parent organisation of the Afghan Girls Robotics Team.
“Qatar Foundation’s Education City, a remarkable campus made up of leading academic and research institutions from around the world, is a place where the girls can realize their full potential. The children of Afghanistan are eager and ready to continue making great contributions to the world.”
Afghan Dreamers will be assisted at QF and in cooperation with QFFD in continuing their high school studies and preparing for further education, with placements based on educational assessments and aspirations. They will also be able to improve their robotics abilities by taking advantage of the resources and experience available at QF member Hamad Bin Khalifa University, as well as QF partner universities Texas A&M University in Qatar and Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar.
The kids travelled to Qatar thanks to their parent organisation, the Digital Citizen Fund, which worked with Qatar’s government to acquire the required permits.
