Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q) is preparing to inaugurate its new building in Education City with a series of events on 1 May. 

NU-Q’s new home embodies the facilities and dynamics of a modern media and communication school and will allow NU-Q to increase programming at NU-Q, enhance its quality of teaching, and support a progressive agenda shared with Qatar Foundation.

On 1 May, NU-Q will host a symposium –  Shaping Our Future – featuring a series of conversations, discussion panels and a showcase of student research and short films and documentaries. The symposium is open to the public. NU-Q will also host a tour of its new building beginning at 8:30 am prior to the symposium.

The symposium, which will start at 10 am, will commence with NU-Q Dean and CEO Everette E Dennis joining Architect Antoine Predock in a discussion about the building. The session – A New Home for Northwestern in Qatar: A Conversation with Antoine Predock – will address the conceptualisation process of the new building and the architect’s ambition in its design.

This will be followed by a panel discussion – Pushing the Boundaries: Making the Building Work for Us— which will explore NU-Q’s numerous technology features and cutting-edge facilities. The session will be moderated by Associate Professor Banu Akdenizli, and will include panelists Associate Professor Scott Curtis, Director of Communication Programme; Geoffrey Cannaby, Director of Production and Digital Media Services; and NU-Q alumna Rawda Al Thani, Film Programming Assistant at Doha Film Institute.

The third session will be NU-QF Partnership: Fostering Freedom and Respecting Cultures—featuring Northwestern alum and NU-Q Class of 2017’s graduation speaker, Derek Thomspon. Thompson, best-selling author and senior editor at The Atlantic, will be joined by NU-Q alums Ismaeel Naar, Najwa Al Thani, and Ibrahim Al Hashm to discuss the evolving media landscape in the region and across the globe. The panel will be moderated by Craig LaMay, associate professor in the Journalism and Strategic Communication Programme.

For more information, visit the NU-Q website at qatar.northwestern.edu.