Two articles in the Washington Post of December 6, 2015, by the same author capture the accomplishments and challenges of one of the world's most ambitious higher education projects. The first of the articles includes several references to Her Highness Sheikha Moza who provided the vision and inspiration for what many thought would be impossible. The second article describes Education City as an educational oasis and quotes a number of the faculty and administrators who are presently involved in pushing/pulling the project forward to fruition.
Both articles are balanced, recognizing the difficulties that are present when advocating educational practices in different cultures where the core principles and values of learning may diverge. Having been involved in the formative years of Qatar Foundation's Education City efforts, it stirs a lot of pride that the project has achieved so much already. Many of those who were involved in the early days, particularly Dr. Abdulla Al-Thani, the Qatari national leader who worked tirelessly to fulfill Her Highness' dreams, are no longer at Qatar Foundation. Others who are now gone were part of the original Education Division that blazed trails in new facilities, programs, and perspectives of how higher education could look if based on best practices from Western institutions but adapted those practices in ways that were more effective in the local context.
Both articles are balanced, recognizing the difficulties that are present when advocating educational practices in different cultures where the core principles and values of learning may diverge. Having been involved in the formative years of Qatar Foundation's Education City efforts, it stirs a lot of pride that the project has achieved so much already. Many of those who were involved in the early days, particularly Dr. Abdulla Al-Thani, the Qatari national leader who worked tirelessly to fulfill Her Highness' dreams, are no longer at Qatar Foundation. Others who are now gone were part of the original Education Division that blazed trails in new facilities, programs, and perspectives of how higher education could look if based on best practices from Western institutions but adapted those practices in ways that were more effective in the local context.
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