CNA-Q highlights importance of TVET and STEM education in nation building
THE College of the North Atlantic–Qatar (CNA-Q), in collaboration with the Qatar National Commission for Education, Culture and Science (QNCECS), observed World Teachers Day with a hybrid conference focusing on Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education as well as Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in Qatar.
The ceremony held at CNAQ was attended by Dr Anna Paolini, director of UNESCO Regional Office in Doha and UNESCO Representative in the Arab States of the Gulf and Yemen; Dr Hamda Al Sulaiti, secretary-general of QNCECS, Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE); Dr Salem Al Naemi, CNA-Q’s president; Ahmed Jusaimani, director of Teachers Affairs at MoEHE representing Fawzia Al Khater, assistant undersecretary for Educational Affairs at MoEHE, alongside the college faculty members and more than 100 teachers from TVET and STEM schools across Qatar.
The conference aimed at providing teachers with valuable information on applied teaching and learning, in addition to highlighting the vital role of STEM and TVET in skills development and nationbuilding.
Commenting on the event, Dr Hamda Al Sulaiti said that World Teachers’ Day held annually on October 5 commemorates the anniversary of the adoption of the ILO/UNESCO recommendation concerning the status of teachers.
“It is an occasion to recognise teachers and the efforts they put into preparing generations who lead the country’s development. A teacher is a role model that we value and respect. Today, we thank them for their passion and unconditional giving that shaped our students year after year.”
She praised the strategy that Qatar adopted during COVID-19, especially that the technological and communication infrastructure has been put in place years before the start of the pandemic, in addition to the efforts that have been deployed by the government and MoEHE to train the teachers on the latest information technology and the right way to use it in pedagogical practices.
Dr Sulaiti saluted all teachers for their great role in shaping rooted modern citizens with a global mindset.
She also thanked Dr Salem Al Naemi and all those who worked on organising the special event, including teachers and UNESCO-associated schools.
On his part, Dr Naemi discussed the efforts that the college in raising awareness about TVET as a driving force in an ever-evolving economy.
He said, “Investing in TVET is very important for the socio-economic development of our country. TVET is a necessity and will generate a strong workforce that can easily accompany any technological progress and the rapid industrialisation. CNA-Q offers more than 50 programmes and has more than 150 state-of-theart workshops and labs to help develop such a workforce. “We also build many partnerships with industrial companies and we work through our Applied Research and Innovation Office to strengthen technical and vocational learning, policy and practice.”
He added, “We would like to thank MoEHE and UNESCO for their trust in our educational institution. We wish all participants a happy World Teachers’ Day and we promise them to keep our efforts going and work towards developing their skills and promoting TVET as an educational solution for the modern world challenges.”
The event saw the participation of many researchers and scholars from CNA-Q, including Prof Rachid Benlamri, vicepresident Academic Affairs; Prof Michael Phillips, academic manager - Applied Research & Innovation; Dr Ziad Said, professor at Applied Research and Innovation; Dr Bradley Johnson, academic manager - Applied and Experiential Learning; and Dr Awni Al-Otoom, dean, School of Engineering Technology & Industrial Trades, who discussed many STEM/ TVET education related topics.