Research Matters

The evolution of communities over millennia and how these communities interacted with each other has shaped the world we live in today. Studying how our ancestors lived, what their routines and dietary habits were, analyzing their migration patterns and their rituals contain important lessons for us and can help us better understand our societies and the challenges faced by them. The Arabian Peninsula has a rich history and a lot of it is yet to be discovered.

After the health sector, the education sector has been one of the most affected as delivery of education was disrupted worldwide. However, this also provided a window of opportunity to bring about a pedagogical shift to make education more accessible and enable our institutions to cope with unforeseen situations like the coronavirus pandemic.

Dr. Dena Al-Thani, Assistant Professor and the Director of Interdisciplinary Programs at the College of Science and Engineering at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, also saw this opportunity and set out to develop a solution for students in special education programs and centers- a task that came with its own set of unique challenges and requirements. To realize her ambition, Dr. Al-Thani successfully applied for a research grant under the inaugural cycle of the Rapid Response Call and was able to successfully develop an interactive online platform for autistic children.

Earlier this year, The Department of Archaeology at Qatar Museums (QM) announced the discovery of new archaeological remains in Asaila, located west of Qatar. The initial excavation and investigation date of this site is between 300 BCE and 300 CE, which makes it one of the oldest archaeological sites in the region. The excavation has unearthed the sacrificial grave of a camel along with tombs of people buried with their belongings. To learn more about how these remains can help our understanding of the past of the region and what it signifies for us today, we sit down with Dr. Faisal Abdullah Al Naimi, Head of Archaeology at Qatar Museums, and Dr. Ferhan Sakal, Head of Excavation and Site Management, for this month’s Research Matters.

Qatar National Research Fund, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, held the National Scientific Research and Innovation Week 2021 (NSRIW) earlier this month. In the week-long festival of scientific exploration, innovation, and learning, more than 1,500 students from 184 public schools participated. We sat down with Dr. Abdullah Al-Kamali, Education Outreach Expert at Qatar National Research Fund, who has been closely involved with the NSRIW since its inception, to learn more about the festival and how it is helping school students in Qatar become active participants in Qatar’s growing scientific and research ecosystem.