QF Launches “Rasekh” Platform

For Sheikha Noof Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani preserving the Qatari identity is at the core of Qatar Foundation’s mission, noting that the "Rasekh" platform was created to promote knowledge and innovation in Qatar. Rasekh, she explained, is a comprehensive educational platform with the goal of connecting the various institutes of Qatar Foundation with other academic institutions in Qatar. She added that the platform was created to assist students in establishing new connections between knowledge of global and local issues, while preserving and valuing religion, and local identity, heritage, and the Arabic language.

+ You are preparing to launch the Rasekh platform at Qatar Foundation. What is the significance of this step for pre-university education? What impact will this have on Qatar's academic landscape?

Rasekh aims to support and advance Qatar Foundation's (QF’s) strategic objectives, particularly those related to pre-university education. We aim to promote the Arabic language, national identity, and Qatari heritage. The impact of this initiative on Qatar's educational landscape will not be felt right away, but we hope to measure it in the coming years. We hope that high-quality education that incorporates both local and global perspectives will produce generations that are both firmly rooted in their local context and deeply connected with the world at large.

+ What is Rasekh? How did you come up with the concept for this platform? What is the inspiration and purpose behind its creation?

Rasekh is an educational platform that aims to connect the various entities of QF with other educational institutions in Qatar. This concept was inspired by Qatar Vision 2030, Qatar's Sustainable Development Goals, and the strategic objectives of both Qatar Foundation and Pre-University Education. We have contemplated how to link all these objectives in order to accomplish them and benefit future generations academically and intellectually. The motivation and impetus for establishing this platform is to assist students in forging new connections between various types of knowledge that are global and local, all while preserving and cherishing religion, local identity, heritage, and the Arabic language.

Is it fair to say that the COVID-19 pandemic and distance learning provided two of the primary motivations for this shift to virtual learning?

There's no denying that the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted a paradigm shift in education and stimulated innovative approaches to the classroom. There is no longer any way to separate education from the ubiquitous presence of digital learning. In light of this, we had to consider the educational platforms that learners can access as well as how much of an impact they have on students and how their content can help. For this reason, we set out to make Rasekh both a regional and international platform for educators and students alike.

How long did it take to put the platform into action, from conception to launch? What were the main difficulties you ran into as the project was being implemented? Do you anticipate any future challenges as this site becomes more widely used?

From inception to launch, the platform's implementation took almost two years. Given that this project is aimed at school students, there were inevitably going to be difficulties, just like with other initiatives and projects. Challenges in and of themselves included choosing the appropriate resources, creating educational resources in two different languages, and working toward the desired goals. But thanks to the efforts of an integrated work team and a number of educators from both inside and outside QF, we were able to get through it all. However, I do not believe that using the platform will lead to any new difficulties; rather, I believe that it will give us recommendations from its users, which will enrich the platform and keep it constantly updated based on the suggestions and feedback we get from users.

What are the benefits of the current partnership between Pre-University Education and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education?

Since the Pre-University Education division was founded at QF, there has been a constant and ongoing partnership between it and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education. Rasekh is not our first initiative. It was preceded by several initiatives and projects, some of which included the Ministry of Education and Higher Education as a partner. 

The platform has a focus on preserving the Arabic language and local Qatari heritage, but it also has students from other countries as its target audience. What Gulf and regional entities are being targeted?

Since its inception, the platform has been aimed not only at Qatari students, but also at students from other countries. It is aimed at every educational institution concerned with preserving the sense of belonging and identity, as well as assisting students in forging new connections between various types of global and local knowledge and facts.

One of the main objectives of the Qatar Foundation is to promote Arabic. What were the sources you used to compile the texts and resources on the platform in order to accomplish this? Do you anticipate that in addition to the mandated curriculum, the platform will become a vital tool for teachers and students to teach and learn Arabic?

Yes, one of the main objectives of the Qatar Foundation and its Pre-University Education division is to promote the Arabic language. There are many sources that have been acknowledged and cited, and each one is listed in the resource plans that are accessible on the platform. Our sources are diverse, some of them in Arabic and some are not, but they are all well-documented, helpful to our objectives, and they support the specific content.

I want to emphasize that promoting the Arabic language does not only entail teaching Arabic; it also involves using Arabic in other subjects to serve as a language of instruction and learning for a variety of subjects, including social sciences, science, and others. The integration of the Arabic language with other materials is explained at the beginning of each plan if you look at the plans of the sources.

How many schools and teachers will this platform benefit?

The number of schools and teachers that will benefit is unlimited. The platform is accessible to everyone, including schools, teachers, students, and parents. I would like to point out that the platform is available in both Arabic and English, making it accessible to Arabic speakers and non-Arabic speakers alike.

How does the Rasekh platform align with Qatar Foundation’s values, particularly those that concern upholding ethics and sustainability, preserving Qatari identity, and fostering collaboration and integration between various parties?

The mission of Qatar Foundation is to preserve Qatari identity. Many years ago, a Qatari heritage curriculum for Grades 1 through 9 was developed to support and preserve heritage and identity. The Rasekh platform and the "Akhlaquna" initiative also serve the aforementioned objectives. All of this is intended to promote rich knowledge and innovation within the State of Qatar, and to foster a sense of belonging and of being a nation that is proud of its ethics, culture, values, and Arabic language.

Rasekh is a comprehensive platform that links local knowledge, innovation, language, culture, heritage, and values to the global context. It is crucial for building bridges of collaboration between various organizations and creating multidisciplinary projects, both inside and outside Qatar. Additionally, it aims to assist students in making new connections between various fields of knowledge as well as between local and international facts, topics, and issues.

Are there any similar initiatives in Qatar Foundation’s pipeline?

Qatar Foundation has always been a trailblazer. Rasekh wasn't QF's first initiative, and it certainly won't be its last. For the sake of our beloved country, the Arabic language, our students, and the preservation of our Arab identity and Qatari heritage, we eagerly anticipate the launch of new initiatives.