Qatar University (QU) is to introduce a BSc programme in Environmental Science this year. The programme was developed to address the critical need for care of the environment and to improve the quality of life in Qatar and in the region, said Dr Hamda, Al Naemi, Head of the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences. It is a four-year programme conducted in English and open to females in Fall 2008, with the expectation of one for males in September 2009. Dr Hamda envisions 30-40 students per year will enter the programme. "The programme is targeting students from QU's Foundation Programme as well as from top schools in Qatar. A campaign was conducted to encourage high-school students to consider enrolment in the programme", Dr Hamda said. Some of the core courses offered are Environment and Pollution; Waste Management; Petroleum/Gas Technologies; Environmental Law and Regulations; Water Resources and Management. Specializations are offered in Biotechnology or Marine Sciences. Departments in the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Engineering, and Law will contribute to the programme which is interdisciplinary, drawing from its core subject areas as well as from other fields such as economics, law and social sciences, Dr Hamda said. Prof Malcolm Potts, Lead Scholar at QU, assigned to the planning process of the programme, stated that the programme was uniquely designed for Qatar, taking into consideration specific needs of stakeholders. the peninsula

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