ExxonMobil Qatar and Qatar University (QU) have signed an agreement for the exclusive three-year sponsorship of an academic chair in science and technology education at the university.
The agreement was signed by Alistair Routledge, president and general manager of ExxonMobil Qatar, and Dr Hassan Rashid al-Derham, president of QU, in the presence of faculty members and university administrators at a ceremony held on the QU campus.
The agreement is a “significant milestone in the long history of collaboration between the two organisations”, according to a statement.
The ExxonMobil Chair in Science and Technology will work closely with QU’s College of Education to explore methods that provide teachers with an improved educational experience in science and technology, in addition to increasing the number and quality of Arabic science and technology teaching and learning resources.
The chair will also collaborate with various QU faculty members in encouraging a larger number of students to enter science, technology, engineering and maths career pathways, among others.
“The ExxonMobil Chair in Science and Technology Education is a crucial position that involves strategising and identifying opportunities for development, and we are honoured to support the university in developing Qatar’s next generation of scientists and engineers,” Routledge said.
“The ExxonMobil Chair in Science and Technology Education will bring added value and expertise to our faculty body, enriching not only Qatar University’s interdisciplinary approach to science and technology but also the region’s academic resources in this area,” Dr al-Derham said.
ExxonMobil’s Outlook for Energy predicts that by 2040, the world will need 35% more energy than consumed today, which means a corresponding increase in demand for professionals in fields such as the energy sector, which work to meet this demand.
“To help address this upturn, ExxonMobil Qatar has made it a priority to reinvigorate students’ interest in science and maths at all ages – the key to building a competitive workforce and ensuring students get the education needed to become the engineers and innovators of tomorrow,” the statement notes, adding that for many years, ExxonMobil Qatar has partnered with QU and other local entities to support this mission.