Texas A&M at Qatar offers private workshops for professional development
Published Nov 03, 2020Employees from Qatar’s Ministry of Municipality and Environment participated in a custom five-day private workshop developed and delivered by Texas A&M University at Qatar, a Qatar Foundation partner university, as part of the ministry’s professional education and development.
The virtual workshop — offered in collaboration with the Mary Kay O’Connor Process Safety Center (MKOPSC) Qatar, which is based at Texas A&M at Qatar — focused on the safe management of hazardous chemicals. Associate professor Dr. Luc Vechot and Dr. Khalid Elsaid from Texas A&M at Qatar’s Chemical Engineering Program delivered the course.
Participants explored topics around risk control, hazard communication systems, safety data sheets and more. Upon completion, participants received certificates for the course along with Professional Development Hours and Continuing Education Units.
Mustafa Al Ghoul, chemical engineer in MME’s Radiation and Chemical Protection department, said, "The course is outstanding and provides a gradual learning curve towards a comprehensive understanding of the chemical management system.”
MME chemical engineer and Texas A&M at Qatar Class of 2015 graduate Sarah Al-Yafei said, “The way we see chemicals has really changed after the chemical hazard course. It really added extra responsibility on studying each chemical in a more reliable way that will aid us to increase the safety level of our work measurements and procedure when dealing with different chemicals imported to the country. I think after the course we are able to create proper techniques to do so.”
The Hazardous Chemicals Management workshop was developed and offered through Texas A&M at Qatar’s Continuing and Professional Education services, which offers remarkable value in professional development for industry professionals working in Qatar by providing technical expertise that develop human capital and capacity for Qatar’s knowledge-based economy. On top of general scheduled workshops, the team also customizes private workshops that promote high-quality and effective lifelong opportunities for Qatar’s industry and community.
Texas A&M at Qatar’s mission of teaching, research and service continues, even during extraordinary times, said Vechot, who also is managing director of MKOPSC Qatar. “MKOPSC Qatar has continued to fulfill its mission to provide process safety education to the community in Qatar by adapting its short courses to online offering. We have received positive feedback from industry and public institutions, which encourages us to continue our efforts in this direction. There is no excuse to stop improving process safety practices in our industry through better education — not even a pandemic.”
Texas A&M at Qatar’s continuing education courses offer remarkable value for professionals in local industry amid tightening training budgets, and the partner university is uniquely positioned to offer advanced training and professional development to help Qatar’s technical workforce maximize value. Knowledge and skills gained through Texas A&M at Qatar’s continuing education courses can be immediately applied on the job, allowing industry professionals to increase their value to their employers.
For more information about upcoming workshops or to request a private workshop, email continuingeducation@qatar.tamu.edu.