The announcement event was attended by VIP officials from Texas A&M at Qatar and QAPCO as well as His Excellency Dr. Mohammed Bin Saleh Al-Sada, minister of energy and industry. It follows the agreement signed between Texas A&M at Qatar and QAPCO on 29 April in which the corporation endowed a fund for the University to bring a Nobel Laureate to Qatar each year. The fund, comprising QR 274,000 annually, will provide for bringing the chair recipient to Qatar annually under the auspices of Texas A&M at Qatar.

On the occasion of launching the QAPCO Chair of Polymer Science and Engineering at Texas A&M at Qatar, His Excellency Dr. Al Sada welcomed the Nobel Laureate, saying, “I consider this initiative an important milestone for research and development, not only for academic research but also for the future of Qatar, especially its energy industry.”

Grubbs is a world-renowned scientist in the field of chemistry. His research involves design, synthesis and mechanistic studies of complexes that catalyze basic organic transformations. His recent focus has been on olefin metathesis reaction. To optimize the utility of this reaction, new catalysts have been developed that are extremely tolerant of organic functional groups. He has over 500 publications and over 115 patents based on his research.

In his acceptance speech, Grubbs said, “I look forward to interacting with the outstanding groups in Texas A&M at Qatar to further develop the applications of the olefin metathesis technology. The combination of petroleum technology through possible interactions with QAPCO and the basic science at Texas A&M at Qatar will lead to interesting new breakthroughs.”

Dr. Mohammed Yousef Al-Mulla, vice chairman and chief executive officer of QAPCO, said, “I am delighted that Professor Grubbs will be taking up the QAPCO Chair of Polymer Science and Engineering at Texas A&M at Qatar, and I am confident that he will contribute to and expand the scope of research and development in this important area. I believe the oil and gas industry in Qatar has a bright future, but we must continue to invest in it. Especially in research and development, we must continue to be innovative and focus on development of technology so that the industry remains sustainable and continues to be competitive.”

“This industrial-academic collaboration will, in my opinion, play a key role in achieving this sustainability and strengthen Qatar’s global competitiveness,” continued Al-Mulla. “That is why QAPCO invests heavily in research and development as a strategic choice. Through the Qatar Foundation National Priorities Research Program (NPRP), we collaborated with the Advanced Materials Center at Qatar University on plastics recycling and the use of polymers in Nano-composites and energy savings applications. This partnership also resulted in the creation of the QAPCO Polymer Chair at Qatar University. This partnership also extends to environmental research with the College of Engineering and collaboration with the Gas Processing Centre. With the creation of the QAPCO Chair of Polymer Science and Engineering at Texas A&M at Qatar, I firmly believe this will position QAPCO as a pioneer in industrial-academic collaboration and enable us to make a real different in the future of polymer science and engineering in Qatar.”

Dr. Mark H. Weichold, dean and CEO of Texas A&M at Qatar, added the agreement enables both organizations to partner in contributing to the State of Qatar’s development. “This agreement is an example of how Texas A&M at Qatar aims to work closely with industry corporations towards our mutual goal of benefiting and contributing to the State of Qatar,” he said. “We are grateful to QAPCO for their generous endowment of this fund and proud to partner with them in bringing a Nobel Laureate in the field of polymer science and engineering to Qatar.”

Dr. Hassan S. Bazzi, associate professor of chemistry and Science Program chair, concluded the event, saying, “Dr. Grubbs is one of the world’s most renowned scientists and one of the pioneers in the field of designing new catalytic systems. His Nobel prize in Chemistry in 2005 is an indication of the impact of his research accomplishments in the field of metathesis chemistry. Having him spend time performing research and teaching in Qatar is a great milestone in the superb evolution of higher education that the State of Qatar is witnessing.”

His Excellency Dr. Mohammed Bin Saleh Al-Sada, minister of energy and industry and Texas A&M at Qatar Joint Advisory Board chairman, commented on the State of Qatar’s need for engineering expertise, saying, “As the State of Qatar’s economy and industry progresses, its need for highly-trained engineers continues to grow. Graduates of Texas A&M University at Qatar are well prepared to meet the State’s current engineering challenges and lead it toward new developments and achievements. As chairman of Texas A&M at Qatar’s Joint Advisory Board, I am proud of the remarkable contributions and success of the University’s past graduates and look forward to seeing these 87 young engineers make their mark in the local and international field of engineering.”

Dr. Karan L. Watson, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, Texas A&M University, opened the ceremony with greetings from the University’s main campus in College Station, Texas, US. “I am proud of the high quality of engineering graduates in Texas A&M University at Qatar’s class of 2012,” Watson said. “They are strong representations of the excellence for which Texas A&M University is known around the world. The individuals graduating tonight have been through a rigorous engineering education, and they have earned the privilege of being known as Aggie engineers. I congratulate them on this achievement and look forward to witnessing their future successes and contributions to the engineering industry.”

Dr. Nasser Mohammed Marafih, chief executive officer, Qtel Group, offered the commencement address. He challenged the graduating students to pursue their passions, saying, “The key to success is to pursue your passion and the things you love to do. Also, you need to accept the fact that you will have some failures along the way, but these are part of the journey to success.”

Kamal Ariss, director, The Association of Former Students, Texas A&M University, urged the graduates to continue their connection to the University after graduation. ” Today’s ceremony marks the end of one chapter of your life, but it also offers an exciting new beginning—the beginning of your life as a former student of Texas A&M,” said Ariss. “As you join the ranks of our former students, I urge you to do your part in upholding our noble tradition of service and support established and continued by the generations of Aggies who came before us. As you relish in the moment of this evening and feel that incredible pride and accomplishment of a former student, know that it is now your turn to make a difference for future generations of Texas Aggies. Indeed, today is not an ending, but the continuation of a fulfilling journey and affiliation with Texas A&M.”

Mariam Al-Meer, a chemical engineering graduate, gave the student address. She highlighted the journey of the class of 2012, its accomplishments and the graduating students’ goals for the future. “We were led to believe from our first day here that we are the face of the future,” Al-Meer said.

“We were not held together by our nationalities, languages or cultures. We were held together by our common goals in life. These goals are bigger than all of us. Even though our campus is small, and our graduating class is only 80 people, the willpower of our young minds can bring about tomorrow’s much-needed change. I look at the faces of my colleagues here today, and I see the future. I am proud to say that I am an engineer, and better yet, an Aggie engineer.”

Dr. Nasser Mohammed Marafih, chief executive officer, Qtel Group, will deliver the commencement address to graduates and guests. Dr. Karan L. Watson, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, Texas A&M University, said, “I am proud of the high quality of engineering graduates in Texas A&M University at Qatar’s class of 2012. They are strong representations of the excellence for which Texas A&M University is known around the world.” Commencement is scheduled for 10 May in the Qatar National Convention Centre. Invited guests are requested to arrive at 6 p.m., as doors will close promptly at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are required for entrance to the ceremony.

For information contact Dr. Kerry Noack: kerry.noack@qatar.tamu.edu, +974.4423.0207.

For information contact Rachel White: rachel.white@qatar.tamu.edu, +974.4423.0509.

The event will promote dialogue between University researchers and industry representatives on collaboration potentials, mutual interests and shared opportunities for advancing the State of Qatar’s national vision and strategic development goals through research.

Dr. Kenneth Hall, associate dean for research and graduate studies, said, “This forum will be an opportunity for us to learn about the challenges facing industry and tailor our resources to address these challenges. It is also an opportunity for industry to know more about our capabilities and expertise. Our goal is to develop more collaborative research that is of high priority to Qatar and of high value to the world.” The daylong showcase will include presentations of successful Texas A&M at Qatar – industry collaboration examples, breakout meetings, a poster session and a roundtable brainstorming and recommendation discussion.

Information on the showcase and a registration form for attendees is available online.

The course included an overview of drilling rigs, an introduction to well planning geology and directional drilling design issues. Dr. Mahmood Amani, associate professor of petroleum engineering and course instructor, commented on the course, saying, “This continuing education course fits well within the mission of the Petroleum Engineering Program to provide close cooperation with the local oil and gas industry and support their petroleum engineering training needs.” The course was offered by the Network of Excellence in Training (NExT), a Schlumberger company, in collaboration with Texas A&M at Qatar.

For information contact: continuingeducation@qatar.tamu.edu, +974.4423.0079.

Dr. Nasser Mohammed Marafih, chief executive officer, Qtel Group, will deliver the commencement address to graduates and guests. Dr. Karan L. Watson, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, Texas A&M University, said, “I am proud of the high quality of engineering graduates in Texas A&M University at Qatar’s class of 2012. They are strong representations of the excellence for which Texas A&M University is known around the world.”

Commencement is scheduled for 10 May in the Qatar National Convention Centre. Invited guests are requested to arrive at 6 p.m., as doors will close promptly at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are required for entrance to the ceremony.

For information contact Dr. Kerry Noack: kerry.noack@qatar.tamu.edu, +974.4423.0207.

The event will promote dialogue between University researchers and industry representatives on collaboration potentials, mutual interests and shared opportunities for advancing the State of Qatar’s national vision and strategic development goals through research.

Dr. Kenneth Hall, associate dean for research and graduate studies, said, “This forum will be an opportunity for us to learn about the challenges facing industry and tailor our resources to address these challenges. It is also an opportunity for industry to know more about our capabilities and expertise. Our goal is to develop more collaborative research that is of high priority to Qatar and of high value to the world.” The daylong showcase will include presentations of successful Texas A&M at Qatar – industry collaboration examples, breakout meetings, a poster session and a roundtable brainstorming and recommendation discussion.

Information on the showcase and a registration form for attendees is available at the event Web site.

The course, conducted by Dr. Nimir Elbashir, assistant professor of chemical engineering, was custom-designed for ORYX GTL Limited. The company desired to offer their non-engineering, non-technical employees a working knowledge of the GTL process, the company’s own proprietary processes and the ORYX GTL product.

For information contact: continuingeducation@qatar.tamu.edu, +974.4423.0079.