Qatar University’s Accredited Environmental Science Program is an Arab World First

What a great way to start 2013: the Committee of Heads of Environmental Sciences (CHES) and the Institution of Environmental Sciences (IES) accredited Qatar University’s BSc and MSc Environmental Sciences programs. This is not only a first for the Arab world, but it is also the first time these leading institutions have accredited any such program outside of the United Kingdom, Arab Brains reports.

If there is to be any hope at all for the Arab world to clean up its environmental act, students must have access to decent, non-religious science education, and that appears to be exactly what QU offers.

“Offering our students internationally-recognized programs contributes to the realization of our mission to become a model national university. These two multi-disciplinary programs in Environmental Sciences exemplify QU’s standards of excellence by emphasizing advanced principles in this field in areas such as conservation, pollution control, marine ecology, climate change, environmental biotechnology, environmental law and economics and sustainable development,” said Dr Eiman Mustafawi, QU’s Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences.

Normally the CHES and IES only accredits Honors and Graduate programs, but the BSc of Environmental Sciences curriculum at QU is said to be en par with any leading Honors program, and therefore worthy of international recognition.

The accreditation was made official at a ceremony at Qatar’s national university last week.

“Since the discipline of environmental science is relatively young, such accreditation is an important milestone in gaining recognition of the quality of standards of the education provision,” said Prof Philip Wheater, CHES Chair and IES Trustee.

“Qatar University’s programs at both Bachelor and Master’s level are well-resourced and taught by expert staff.  Their successful accreditation is a tribute to those who worked so hard in developing them. I am sure that these degrees will continue to go from strength to strength and I have been honored to play a small part in their history.”