Georgetown University: School of Foreign Service in Qatar

Five members of Congress visited Georgetown’s Qatar campus on Thursday as part of a Congressional delegation looked at issues of American universities operating abroad.

The delegation included Ruben Hinojosa (D-TX) who is the chairman of the House Subcommittee on Higher Education, as well as Grace Napolitano (D-CA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Ed Pastor (D-AZ) and Henry Brown (R-SC). Having previously visited university campuses in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the congressmen were interested to learn what sets Education City apart from the other American colleges around the world.

This has been one of the best dialogues we have had,” Hinojosa said. “We have been very impressed by what we have seen and heard today.”

“You can read a lot about the globalization of education, but you have to come to Education City really see the magnitude of this project,” said Scott Fleming, Georgetown’s Associate Vice President of Federal Relations.

The delegation spent the afternoon meeting with representatives and students of the 6 university campuses, as well as leadership of the Qatar Foundation, the non-profit organization that supports the Education City project.

“For the first time in history, universities are establishing themselves offering the same degree they offer their own degree program away from their home campuses,” James Reardon-Anderson, Dean of the School of Foreign Service in Qatar, said. “That is what makes this program unique.” Georgetown’s Qatar campus has 145 students representing 28 countries from around the world.

The delegation was also interested to learn that International students are eligible for financial aid money from the Qatar Foundation. International students applying to schools in the United States find that there is very little money available to help finance their education. “This helps guarantee that the benefits of a high-quality education aren’t limited just to the elite,” Liz Kepferle, Director of Admissions at the Qatar campus said. “The Foundation is helping us guarantee that we can provide students of all economic backgrounds with the opportunity to go to college.”

Representatives also focused on the value that these campuses can provide back to the campuses in America. The campuses provide resources for exchange and a platform from which faculty can do research. Georgetown’s library in Qatar has a diverse print collection and online resources that are available to students in Washington.

“We don’t want Education City to be just an island benefitting a few in Qatar,” Dr. Fathy Saoud, President of Qatar Foundation, said.

The Center for International and Regional Studies, located on Georgetown’s Qatar campus, have produced a variety of publications and conferences funded by grant money from sources such as the Qatar National Research Fund and the Qatar Foundation. These projects, like a 2007 conference on regional education policies and reforms, have involved close collaboration between Georgetown’s research centers in Doha and in Washington, DC.

After learning about the selectivity and high academic standards of the campuses at Education City, the delegation took an opportunity to meet with students of the schools at Education City. The visit was helpful in showing the Representatives the quality of students being admitted to the programs.