CEO, top economist, welcome prospective Carnegie Mellon Qatar students

Press release

Published April 22nd, 2012 - 05:06 GMT

Al Bawaba

Mr. R. Seetharaman, group chief executive officer of Doha Bank, and former chief economist at the Amiri Diwan, Mr. Majid Al-Khulaifi, both have one thing in common they are proud parents of current and former students of Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar.

Mr. Seetharaman and Mr. Khulaifi joined Robert Monroe, associate dean at Carnegie Mellon Qatar, to welcome newly admitted students and their parents to Carnegie Mellon Qatar at the annual Marhaba Tartans reception held Thursday.

“Carnegie Mellon Qatar is at the forefront of creating the new technologies and innovations necessary to sustain economic growth and develop a knowledge-based society that will improve human dignity,” said Mr. Seetharaman.

“This university played an integral role in the educational development of my daughter Shweta, a business administration alumna. And, I am extremely proud to see my other daughter, Shruti, at Carnegie Mellon as a current student,” Mr. Seetharaman added.

The newly admitted students had the opportunity to meet faculty and learn more about one of the five top-ranked programs offered at Carnegie Mellon Qatar biological sciences, business administration, computational biology, computer science, and information systems. They met with current students, alumni and parents to get a sense of what it will be like to be a part of the Carnegie Mellon community.

"We are delighted to have not only such prominent Doha figures Mr. Seetharaman and Mr. Al-Khulaifi but proud Carnegie Mellon parents to welcome our prospective students. Their presence demonstrates the commitment of our students’ parents to the continual success of the Tartan family,” Monroe said.

During Marhaba Tartans, the university announced a record 826 applicants for the 2012-2013 incoming class, representing an increase of 25 percent over last year. This year’s applicant pool also saw a 20 percent increase in Qatari nationals.

The number of international applicants grew by 14 percent, with applicants representing 63 nations. These increases are a reflection of the university’s focused admissions recruiting efforts in cooperation with Qatar Foundation’s promotion of Education City. Carnegie Mellon’s presence in the Middle East is becoming more well known among the international community through its outreach programs, distinguished lecture series and growing alumni base. The university’s highly selective undergraduate programs are known throughout the world for their academic excellence a top priority among both parents and prospective students.

Background Information

Carnegie Mellon University Qatar

For more than a century, Carnegie Mellon University has challenged the curious and passionate to imagine and deliver work that matters. A private, top-ranked and global university, Carnegie Mellon sets its own course with programs that inspire creativity and collaboration.

In 2004, Carnegie Mellon and Qatar Foundation began a partnership to deliver select programs that will contribute to the long-term development of Qatar. Today, Carnegie Mellon Qatar offers undergraduate programs in biological sciences, business administration, computational biology, computer science, and information systems. Nearly 400 students from 38 countries call Carnegie Mellon Qatar home.