Doha, October 10 (QNA) – Qatar University (QU), in cooperation with Qatar Development Bank (QDB), launched an intensive pre-incubation program to nurture future entrepreneurs from its undergraduate students community.
The program comes in line with the QU Innovation and Entrepreneurship Strategy, and with QDBs approach to strengthen bridges between various institutions in the national ecosystem, as well as providing training programs that qualify young people to actively participate in the national economy. The program is also one of the outcomes of a strategic alliance memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Qatar University and QDB, signed in November 2021.
The program aims to build a young generation of talented and skilled entrepreneurs needed for the national and international market and to disseminate entrepreneurial culture among university students in preparation for their entry into the labor market. The program aims to blend the academic and research side with commercial aspects together with the needed skills and techniques, as well as strengthening partnerships with members of the national ecosystem.
Secretary of the Board of Directors of QU Holding Company and Director of the Office of Strategic Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development (SIEED) at QU, Dr. Mahmoud Abdulwahed, emphasized the importance of close cooperation with QDB and its role in contributing to financing and launching the program with the University design team.
He thanked the QDB leadership and management, adding, “The program comes within the framework of QUs strategic transformation, focusing on the third new pillar of sustainable economic development alongside with the two core pillars of education and scientific research. Its the first of four stages to transfer the ideas and knowledge of undergraduate students into successful and high-growth startups, the best of which will be supported later by the QU Holding Company, in strategic cooperation with QDB to contribute to stimulating a knowledge-based sustainable economy in Qatar in line with Qatar National Vision 2030 priorities.”
Ibrahim Abdulaziz Al Mannai, Executive Director of Advisory at QDB, stressed the importance of these joint projects in the context of enriching the Qatari business ecosystem and developing young entrepreneurs.
He added, “We launched the program in cooperation with QU, one of our most important academic partners, especially since QU has a long history of providing the State of Qatar with competent and talented graduates that contribute effectively to our national economic development. The program complements a number of other training programs offered by QDB to achieve its strategy in developing entrepreneurs and their business environment, which is positively reflected in achieving the goals of Qatar National Vision as a whole.”
Dr. Lotfi Belkhir, Associate Director of Entrepreneurial Transformation in the SIEED Office, said, “The registration numbers in the program were remarkable as tens of students joined the training, including teams from most university majors. Nearly half of the participants are coming from engineering and computing backgrounds, indicating growing interest of QU students new generation in technology startups, which usually generate higher economic returns. Our team worked on designing the program according to the Universal Innovation Framework (UIF) methodology that we developed specifically to increase the quality and chances of success of technology startups.”
The program includes many specialized workshops and accompanying activities in addition to regular coaching sessions. At the end of the program, teams that meet the completion criteria will be admitted to the second phase where they will be incubated in the SIEED Office at QU.
The training program complements a number of educational and training programs organized internally by QU or those of which QDB cooperates with members of the national ecosytem in various fields and sectors, in continuation of its strategy aimed at equipping entrepreneurs with needed knowledge and finance.
(QNA)