Thimun Qatar hosts ‘Leadership Incubator’ at Qatar Leadership Conference 2016

Students from across Qatar and the region were given the opportunity to develop their management and leadership skills at the fifth annual Qatar Leadership Conference (QLC), which was recently held at the Qatar National Convention Centre.

The conference, organised by THIMUN Qatar, a programme under Qatar Foundation’s (QF) Pre-University Education (PUE), brought together more than 600 students and 80 teachers from 15 countries in collaboration with Northwestern University in Qatar.

The 2016 edition of the conference included 145 workshops that focused on developing skills in MUN (Model United Nations), leadership, entrepreneurship, and film and media studies.  

Mrs Buthaina Al Nuaimi, PUE President, said: “PUE is proud to host an event of such calibre. It’s of utmost importance to us that our students learn and develop their leadership skills from a young age. This conference aims to not only build students’ confidence, but also to encourage them to be risk-takers and leaders, who can lead and inspire everyone around them.”

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Thani, a Goodwill Ambassador for Reach Out to Asia (ROTA), and the first Qatari to climb the highest summits in each of the seven continents, presented a session under the theme, ‘Follow Your Dreams’. “In Qatar, everyone has access to every resource needed. As such, we have no excuse not to follow our dreams and chase success. What young people need to do is to plan long term. They need to think about what they want to achieve in 20 years, and what they can do now to achieve those goals,” said Sheikh Mohammed.

Mrs Lisa Martin, Head of THIMUN Qatar, described the conference as a ‘leadership incubator’. “This conference inspires young people and gives them the message that there are many paths to leadership. It involves takings risks and accepting failures, and working through their fears by following their interests, and exploring all options available to them. Any of them can be leaders if they choose to; they just need to have faith and to keep pushing boundaries.” 

She explained that the conference featured a number of keynote addresses designed to motivate young minds, and that the speakers who achieved success on their own terms – through their dedication, hard work, and go-getter attitude – were able to truly make a connection with the participants.

In her welcome letter, Alreem Al Khater, Grade 12 student, Qatar Academy Doha (QA Doha), who is the QLC General Secretary, said: “Our vision for QLC 2016 is for participants to be able to move forward and incorporate everything they have learned at this event, and transform their experiences into creating positive changes in their communities.”

Abdulla Al Qahtani, a Grade 12 student, QA Doha, was one of the student presenters; he spoke on ‘Debating and Persuasive Skills’. He said he was proud to have had the opportunity to share his knowledge and experience with other students and participants. “Two years ago, I could not even address a small crowd. But opportunities like this have helped me gain confidence and develop my skills as a leader and a communicator. These are great opportunities for us to learn from successful influencers from around the world, and even our peers who are presenting on various subjects.”

Participant Rashid Al Suwaidi, a Grade 10 student, Awsaj Academy, described the conference as “an awesome experience”. He said: “It was very interesting to listen to the inspirational speakers. I know that if I keep trying, I can achieve success too. Such conferences teach us that by being patient and committed, we too can build a better future for ourselves.”