Newcastle
Business School has celebrated the graduation of its first cohort of students
from its partner institution the Qatar Finance and Business Academy (QFBA).
And following an
official ceremony in Qatar, a number of students and their families also made
the trip to the UK to visit the Business School, meet fellow graduates and mark
their success in Newcastle.
Northumbria’s Newcastle Business School
began working with QFBA in 2016 to offer a range of professional and academic
programmes. The partnership comes as Qatar progresses its strategic Vision 2030
to become an international centre for finance and a leading player in the
Middle East.
This year the first cohort of more than 20 students graduated in International Banking and
Finance. As well as strengthening Northumbria’s international reputation for
academic and teaching excellence, the students’ success will help drive Qatar’s
growing profile as a global financial hub.
Commenting at the time of the partnership
announcement, QFBA’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Khalid Al Horr, said: “The
partnership with Northumbria will help power the financial sector in Qatar and
the region with a generation of well qualified professionals, capable of
elevating the profile of their organisations as well as Qatar as a financial
hub that attracts investments and businesses.”
Professor John Wilson, Pro Vice-Chancellor for the Faculty of Business
and Law at Northumbria, said: “This is an exciting time for both Qatar and QFBA
as the country establishes itself as a global financial hub. We are extremely
proud to be working alongside them and with such talented students who are now
ready to make their mark – and we were equally delighted to welcome some of these
first graduates to Newcastle Business School.
“While this is our first cohort of
graduates, the programme continues to grow. We already have more than 150
applicants for next year, which is a clear measure of success. But it’s not
just about teaching at QFBA - we now have a growing doctoral community, and
academics engaging in joint research projects. In collaboration with QFBA we
are also developing professional development courses so that we can work with the
business community in the region as well.”
As well as Qatar, Northumbria’s global
footprint includes operations in London, Malaysia, Singapore and Amsterdam.
