News Updates

New Academic Year at the ABP: Orientation Days for Students

On Sunday, 28th August, the Academic Bridge Program of the Qatar Foundation began its three-day orientation period for its new students. As part of the induction schedule, students were taken on guided tours round the ABP facilities and participated in seminars and workshops on university culture, cultural success, student policies, opportunities and activities. During orientation, students were also invited to join the ABP faculty and alumni for less formal gatherings, lunches and talks, thus getting to know each other and build the ABP community.

As in previous years, this fall, many of the Program's students have been offered the chance to study in the ABP, thanks to generous sponsorships and grants from the Higher Education Institute and from Qatar Petroleum. In order to qualify for a scholarship, students must score at least 80% in their final high school results and have at least 400 in TOEFL.

The Academic Bridge Program is a unique institution in the country. As part of Qatar Foundation, it provides a crucial transitional step between high school and university. Most of its students, selected from among the best high school graduates in Qatar, intend to study at top-class western universities, some of which have already established campuses in the Education City, such as Weill Cornell Medical College, Carnegie Mellon, Georgetown University, Texas A&M and Virginia Commonwealth University. It is therefore vital that bright young Qataris are provided with the right tools to achieve academic success and the Academic Bridge Program aims to do just that.

The Program offers pre-university courses in English, mathematics, science, computers, and study skills for university success. According to many of the ABP former students now studying at some of the most prestigious English-medium universities in Qatar and abroad, the Program made it a lot easier for them to adapt to new academic demands and requirements.

The Program also strongly promotes personal and social development of students through their active participation in various activities, workshops and research projects. Students are encouraged to take full responsibility for their own learning and are taught necessary techniques and strategies to develop their time management skills, enhance their motivation and build realistic self-esteem. They are also expected to become actively involved in researching and debating topics related to democratic developments in Qatar, environmental issues and other public life areas.

The Academic Bridge Program is firmly committed to standards of academic quality and excellence and strives to ensure that each student becomes sufficiently motivated to reach their full intellectual potential. Academic honesty is especially highly valued and its importance is frequently stressed and scrupulously observed.

The Academic Bridge Program constitutes a vital step in Qatari students' transition between high school and university. ABP students are taught to understand, appreciate, and participate in western academic culture. Those accepted into the Academic Bridge Program have an exceptional opportunity to develop and master their academic, personal and social skills, thereby paving the way for future university success.