Qatar Foundation alumnus graduates with students he taught

Doha, Qatar: Nayef Alyafei is the embodiment of what it means to be a Qatar Foundation alumnus. Not only is he a graduate of Texas A M University at Q...

Doha, Qatar: Nayef Alyafei is the embodiment of what it means to be a Qatar Foundation alumnus. Not only is he a graduate of Texas A&M University at Qatar (TAMUQ) and HEC Paris in Qatar – two Qatar Foundation (QF) partner universities – he has also taught classes at Academyati, a Qatar Foundation school, been a faculty member at TAMUQ, and followed his love of visual arts by taking courses with Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar, another QF partner university.

Beginning his first QF experience at TAMUQ with a Petroleum Engineering Degree in 2005, Alyafei says he did not see the potential he had, or know where the future would take him. “The only thing I knew was that I would work hard, and I would let that carry me forward,” he said. “But when I graduated in 2009, it became clear to me that education was my course. I want to contribute to Qatar’s growth, and education is a key pillar that improves our society and makes it sustainable.”

After pursuing a Master’s and PhD degree from Imperial College in the UK, Alyafei returned to Qatar to become the first graduate from QF to return as a faculty member when he took up his role as a professor at TAMUQ. And in addition to working at and graduating from TAMUQ, this year he is also graduating from HEC Paris with his second Master’s degree, an Executive MBA – and with the TAMUQ students he has taught.