The British Council announced the recipients of the Study UK Alumni Awards 2020-21 in Qatar during an awarding ceremony held at the British Embassy in February.
In total, two UK alumni in Qatar were recognised for their outstanding achievements as business professionals and community leaders, and for their important contribution to strengthening collaborative ties between the UK and Qatar.
For the third time in Qatar, the awards are hosted at a national level to celebrate the achievements of alumni in Qatar across two award categories this year: Professional Achievement and Social Impact.
Read: Application for Study UK Alumni Awards Closes on 30 October
Professional Achievement Award
The Professional Achievement Award, which recognises alumni who have distinguished themselves through exemplary leadership in their professional field, was presented to Dr Marc Owen Jones, a graduate from Durham University (PhD, MSc) and Cardiff University (BA Hons) specialising in Government and International Relations.
Dr Marc Owen Jones is an Assistant Professor in Middle East Studies at the Hamad Bin Khalifa University College of Humanities and Social Studies who specialises in tackling the growing scourge of digital disinformation. His award-winning research and groundbreaking investigative work has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post and on BBC.
Social Impact Award
The Social Impact Award, which acknowledges alumni who have made an exceptional contribution to creating positive social change, was presented to Hamad Alyafei, a graduate from the University of Derby with an MA in Business Administration Global and with a B Eng in Electronics and Communications Engineering from London Metropolitan University.
Hamad Alyafei was the first Qatari to test and deploy DWDM technology in the Middle East working with Ooredoo, helping rural areas by deploying a British technology in microwave connection to Stritch telecommunications to Qatari houses anywhere in Qatar with affordable and sometimes free services. Hamad also launched the first full-time MBA programme with the University of Derby, designed based on the British curriculum and directed to global business administration requirements leading to a CMI certification.
People’s Choice Award
For the second time in Qatar, the public was able to vote for their favourite inspirational story by nominating online one of the finalists for the People’s Choice Award. The campaign ran for seven days, with the winner receiving 1,402 votes (64.6% of total votes).
To mark the occasion, British Ambassador to the State of Qatar, HE Jon Wilks said they are delighted to celebrate the achievements of the third batch of the Study UK Alumni Awards winners in Qatar. He said that the alumni stories are a testament to what the UK and Qatar are continuing to achieve through partnership in the field of education, and to the impact and value of a UK higher education on tomorrow’s leaders.
I would like to congratulate the three winners, as well as all the finalists for their success. They have used their experience of studying and living in the UK to make a positive contribution to Qatar National Vision 2030 and the wider society. They are an inspiration to us all.
According to British Council Qatar Country Director Sam Ayton, each winner has achieved something incredible and the idea behind the awards is to share their stories as widely as possible in order to inspire the next generation.
She said that the stories demonstrate the innovation and creativity of the UK education sector, which welcomes over half a million international students today.
It’s fantastic to see how the finalists have all taken the knowledge and experience from their studies and used it to actively drive positive change here in Qatar.
Qatar is one of the first countries to host the awards physically this year. It will be followed by awarding ceremonies in twelve other countries including Azerbaijan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
Visit britishcouncil.qa to read more about this year’s inspirational winners and finalists.
More information on Qatar’s various sectors available on Marhaba’s FREE e-Guides.
