(19th March 2023, Doha, Qatar) CUC Ulster University was met with a packed auditorium on International Women’s Day, in March, with more than 100 attendees in attendance. The theme of this year’s event was “Embracing Equity,” which seeks to provide equality in opportunities for women in society, workplace, and other spheres of influence.

The colloquium was graced with the presence of prominent members of Qatar’s business community, including Artan Holding’s Founder & CEO, Ms. Natra Saeed Abdullah, and Ms. Awatef Al Defa, Ms. Machaille Hassan Al Naimi, Ms. Shaima Al Naimi, among others. The event featured live performances by Sze Han Law on Violin, Ahmed Hamdash on guitar and recital of poem by Maya Alkhalaf, Malak Mahayani, and several other shows of talent and thoughtful discussions.

This year’s theme of International Women’s Day was adopted by CUC Ulster University as it signifies values of self-confidence and self-worth, which form the foundation of women’s leadership. The event director of the 2nd Annual Women’s Day Colloquium and CUC Ulster Faculty Member, Ms. Komal Beg had this to say about the event: ”we were extremely honoured to bring together such a high calibre of speakers, sponsors, and of course, such a fine audience at this year’s colloquium. As our largest event, yet at our brand new state-of the-art campus, it was an honour to host such a mix of speakers and talents. We also wish to thank our sponsors, Toms Shoes, Santa Maria Novella Qatar for their generosity in supporting the International Women’s Day agenda.” One of the speakers, Ms. Sara Alkhelifi, spoke on the extreme importance of Cybersecurity in Academia and the important role that women play in the field of Cybersecurity in Qatar, outpacing the global male domination in the field. Speaking about this trend, she stated, “Qatar is paving the way in the field of cybersecurity by women representing a significant portion of Qatar’s cybersecurity workforce.” The event was sponsored by Toms Shoes, which built a large activation within the university campus, showcasing its most popular items in the season leading up to the whole month of Ramadan. Toms provided exclusive merchandise discounts for attendees, students, and faculty of CUC Ulster University. In addition, another sponsor, Italian perfumery Santa Maria Novella provided its signature fragrances to the large group of attendees, signifying its interest in supporting International Women’s Day.

Ms. Lamese Abrahams, Director of Education at ACES, which manages and operates CUC Ulster University, commented that “CUC Ulster University is helping to lead the way in reshaping the world view on the equity of women. With the ONLY MBA in Women’s Leadership offered in the Middle East, CUC Ulster University master’s students are getting the chance to be changemakers in the role of women in the work place and in government. All of our MBA candidates in the programme attended the session and were reminded of the extreme importance they place in this positive movement towards women’s equity. We look forward to seeing them grow into the next generation of leaders across Qatar and worldwide.”
The colloquium is held each year on the International Women’s Day at CUC Ulster University and further promote its agenda of placing women in leadership roles. More than 20 nationalities were present and a number of men, in their support of the global movement.

About CUC Ulster University:
CUC Ulster University is situated in the heart of Doha’s West Bay in a state-of-the-art new campus, offering UK degrees to students worldwide out of its Qatar campus. CUC Ulster University is the second campus outside the UK, of internationally ranked, and 158-year-old Ulster University in Belfast, Ireland. The university offers a total of 15 undergraduate, postgraduate, and higher national diploma programmes across such areas as Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Business Analytics, Business Studies, and more. It also offers Qatar’s first Master of Education in Education Management programme, to prepare the next generation of educators and education leaders in Qatar and the greater region. CUC Ulster University can be found online at cuc-ulster.edu.qa, and on all social media at @CUCUlster.

About International Women’s Day:
International Women’s Day (IWD) is a global event celebrated annually on 8th March as a focal point in the women’s rights movement, bringing attention to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against women.