Huddersfield students celebrate Qatar’s National Day 2019

The University annually celebrates Qatar National Day and ambassadors from the Qatari Embassy in London are regular visitors to the event

HUNDREDS of students took the opportunity to sample Qatar’s culture and traditions at a special University of Huddersfield event that was held in the presence of a distinguished visitor from the state’s UK embassy. 

Qatar’s Assistant Cultural Attaché Fahad Al-Kuwari, (pictured at the top of the page delivering a brief speech to students) attended the annual Qatar National Day celebrations which have been held at the University for the past six years.  At the event he took an opportunity to speak to Qatari undergraduates and postgraduates, encouraging them to work hard at their studies and to enjoy their time in Huddersfield. 

He also spoke about the importance of Qatar’s National Day and praised the links forged between the embassy and the University of Huddersfield. 

The National Day of Qatar, as it is also known, is celebrated on 18 December to commemorate the day in 1878 when Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani succeeded his father, Sheikh Muhammad Bin Thani, as the ruler of the country.  

The visit from Fahad Al-Kuwari was hosted by Khalid Hassan Al-Ishaq, who is the President of the University’s Qatar Students Society, who said: “I felt very proud to represent my country and celebrate our national day on campus.  It was especially nice to have so many different students attend and want to learn more about Qatari culture.” 

The Embassy’s Assistant Cultural Attaché was also accompanied by Professor Dave Taylor, who is the University’s Pro Vice-Chancellor, International.

There are currently a large number of Qatari’s studying courses within the areas of business, computing and engineering and many prefaced their degrees by taking foundation courses at the University’s International Study Centre. 

The 2019 Qatar celebrations included an open event that attracted 300 University staff and students. 

They were schooled in the art of Arabic seating, had demonstrations of henna adornment, plus music and dance from the region and sampled Arabian tea.  On display was an array of Qatari art, featuring paintings loaned by the Embassy. 

The Qatari National Day celebrations are part of a busy calendar of global campus events at the University, which has some 3,000 international students from more than 120 countries. 

“We hold these celebrations to allow representation, encourage cultural integration and develop the global mindset of our students on the campus,” said International Student Experience Manager Alan Tobi. 

“They are highly educational with dedicated commitment from the students matched by support from the University in giving students the best experience while studying at Huddersfield.”