University of Calgary signs collaboration agreement with Qatar for nursing education

DOHA — The University of Calgary has signed a new five-year collaboration agreement with Qatar’s Ministry of Education and Higher Education to educate nursing professionals at the University of Calgary in Qatar (UCQ). The agreement extends a successful, 10-year relationship between the State of Qatar and the university.

Elizabeth Cannon, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Calgary, signed the agreement with His Excellency Mohammed bin Abdul Wahid Al-Hammadi, minister of education and higher education for the State of Qatar.

“The University of Calgary is extremely pleased to be able to support the health and wellness of the people of Qatar by educating nursing leaders,” said Dru Marshall, vice-president (academic) and provost of the University of Calgary. “The State of Qatar has demonstrated great leadership and also a concern for the well-being of its citizens. We are proud to be a part of the progress we see in education and health care in Qatar.”

"We are delighted with this new agreement that advances the goals laid out in the Qatar National Vision 2030 and the National Health Strategy,” said Ibrahim Al-Naimi, the under-secretary of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education. “Our longstanding partnership with the University of Calgary has had a positive impact on both the education and health-care systems in Qatar, and we look forward to even more success.”

UCQ has been operating in Qatar since 2007 with the goal of educating nursing leaders for the Qatari health-care system. To date, approximately 450 nurses have graduated from UCQ and are using their advanced skills to improve the wellness of the Qatari community. The university also conducts research into areas that align with the university’s research priorities and Qatar’s health-care needs.