Arab Engineering Bureau presented the awards for Creative Achievement and Potential and Design Excellence to junior and graduating senior students from VCUarts Qatar’s Graphic and Interior design departments during a ceremony held in honor of the students
Arab Engineering Bureau (AEB) presented the 2019 awards for Design Excellence, and Creative Achievement and Potential to three graduating and three junior students from VCUarts Qatar at a special event at Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar’s (VCUarts Qatar’s) Libraries on April 11.
AEB’s Group CEO and Chief Architect Ibrahim Mohamed Jaidah, a longtime supporter and friend of VCUarts Qatar, presented the Arab Engineering Bureau Award for Design Excellence in Graphic Design to graduating student Reham Ahmed, and for Design Excellence in Interior Design to graduating students Naurin Najeeb and Yasamin Shaikhi.
The awards were instituted by Jaidah to encourage and assist graduating students as they start their careers as designers in Qatar and the region. Jaidah is recognized as a pioneer of a new architectural movement that combines the far-reaching influences of Islamic art with modern styles to create memorable landmark structures that are shaping Qatar.
“It is important to us to support creative talent in Qatar, hence we are pleased to offer AEB awards to VCUarts Qatar students in Interior Design and Graphic Design for the 14th year in a row. By supporting creativity, we are playing a small but important role in raising the future generation of leaders in the design industry in Qatar and the region. Also, I am pleased to see some of VCUarts Qatar alumni secure jobs and assume important positions in the government and private sector in Qatar, which is a testament to the quality of education they received at VCUarts Qatar,†he said.
The Arab Engineering Bureau Award for Creative Achievement in Graphic Design was presented to graphic design junior Star (Destarte) Prieto, and for Creative Achievement in Interior Design to interior design juniors Raneem Arafeh and Nouf S. Al-Mohannadi.
These awards aim to help the junior students recognize their true potential, create leadership and encourage them to continue developing their skills through their senior year. The awards are a major highlight of the academic year for VCUarts Qatar’s students.
VCUarts Qatar’s Executive Dean Donald N. Baker said the university was hugely grateful for the continued support from AEB over the past decade and added that the awards recognized the students’ commitment to their future careers in what is a very competitive and demanding environment. Besides the awards, AEB and Jaidah continue to partner with VCUarts Qatar by offering internship opportunities to VCUarts Qatar students.
Find out more about VCUarts Qatar at qatar.vcu.edu
About Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar
Established in 1998 through a partnership with Qatar Foundation, VCUarts Qatar is the international branch campus of Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of the Arts, a top-ranked art and design program in the U.S. VCUarts Qatar is celebrating a fruitful 20-year alliance between VCU and the Qatar Foundation that underscores the commitment of each institution to excellence, inquiry, discovery and innovation in a global setting.
VCUarts Qatar offers students the opportunity to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in fashion design, graphic design, interior design and painting and printmaking, a Bachelor of Arts degree in art history, and a Master of Fine Arts degree in design.  A vibrant community with global reach, VCUarts promises to instill in students a lifelong passion for education and the arts.
VCUarts Qatar offers valuable opportunities for cross-cultural exchange and connects VCUarts to the influential art and design world of the Middle East and beyond. The campus attracts renowned contributors to contemporary visual culture for speaking and teaching engagements, and hosts two major international events: Â Tasmeem, a biennial art and design conference; and the Hamad bin Khalifa Islamic Art Symposium.
Qatar Foundation – Unlocking Human Potential
‪Qatar Foundation for Education, Science, and Community Development (QF) is a private, non-profit organization that is supporting Qatar on its journey from carbon economy to knowledge economy by unlocking human potential, for the benefit of not only Qatar, but the world. Founded in 1995 by His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Father Amir, QF is chaired by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser.
QF’s work encompasses education, research and community development. World-class universities are brought to Qatar to help create an education sector in which young people can develop the attitudes and skills required for a knowledge economy. At the same time, QF builds Qatar’s innovation and technology capacity by developing and commercializing solutions through key sciences. The Foundation also works to foster a progressive society while enhancing cultural life, protecting Qatar’s heritage and addressing immediate social needs in the community.
