Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar - VCUQ, Doha - Gallery news: VCUQatar Announces Dr. Sami Angawi, Chris Abani Professional Speakers, Mousharak

VCUQatar Announces Dr. Sami Angawi, Chris Abani Professional Speakers, Mousharak (10.2.2009)

Immediate release: VCUQatar announces Chris Abani and Dr. Sami Angawi as Professional Speakers and Ghanem bin Ali Group as a Sponsor for Mousharaka

Doha, Qatar - Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar in partnership with Icograda is proud to announce the participation of Dr. Sami Angawi and Chris Abani as professional speakers for the Mousharaka conference. Mousharaka will take place at VCUQatar from 28 February to 5 March, 2009.

A former fellow of the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University, Dr. Sami Angawi has a Doctorate of Philosophy in Islamic Architecture from the University of London, and a Master of Arts in Architecture from the University of Texas in Austin. He is the Founder and General Director of the AMAR Center in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The AMAR Center restores and rehabilitates traditional buildings and houses in Jeddah, Makkah Almumukaramah and Almadinah Almunawarah. The Center also maintains close contacts and collaborates with various universities, research institutions and professional organizations on both local and international levels. Dr. Angawi has offered several lectures on Hajj, Makkah, Madinah, and Islamic Architecture at Harvard University and he is a member of the Board of Directors and Chairman of the Jeddah Chapter of Al Umran Saudi Association (Saudi Architectural Association).

Chris Abani has been described as a writer with mesmerizing power, embracing warmth, and transcendent compassion. He is a Professor at the University of California, Riverside and the recipient of the PEN USA Freedom-to-Write Award, the Prince Claus Award, a Lannan Literary Fellowship, a California Book Award, a Hurston/Wright Legacy Award, a PEN Beyond the Margins Award and the PEN Hemingway Book Prize. His prose includes Song For Night, The Virgin of Flames, Becoming Abigail, GraceLand, and Masters of the Board. His poetry collections are Hands Washing Water, Dog Woman, Daphne's Lot, and Kalakuta Republic. Mr. Abani has been described as an evocative speaker whose keynotes mix the personal and the political. His luminous talks are a vital statement on the redemptive power of art to battle tyranny and to remind us of our common humanity.

VCUQatar is also proud to announce Ghanem bin Ali Group as a sponsor for Mousharaka. The Ghanem bin Ali Group was established in 1979 and has under its umbrella the Centre, the Ramada, New Trade Gallery, New Printing Company, Ghanem Real Estate Division and Gulf Tourist and Travel Cargo, to name a few companies.

One of Qatar's largest and oldest department stores, the 7000 square metre Centre opened in 1978 and till today houses up-market brands in jewelry, accessories, perfumes and household goods. Ghanem Real Estate Division is responsible for leasing 230 villas in Doha while Ghanem Real Estate Investment Co. is a prestigious residential complex consisting of 109 Spanish-style luxury villas with state-of-the-art facilities and the latest amenities available for tenants. New Printing Company boasts of the latest press facilities while Gulf Tourist and Travel Cargo has a team of experienced hands meeting the country's travel and cargo needs.

Mousharaka / The Icograda Design Week in Qatar, presented by VCUQatar, is composed of the Education Symposium and the Professional Conference, where prominent speakers will share perspectives on design and design collaborations. VCUQatar is also spearheading the creation of MEDEA - the Middle East Design Educators Association - a platform for educators charged with getting the most out of design. For more information about Mousharaka, featured speakers and events, and to register please visit www.mousharaka.com

About Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar:
Established in the US in 1838 and in Qatar in 1998 Virginia Commonwealth University offers students from all over the world the opportunity to earn Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in fashion, graphic and interior design. A team of highly skilled professors provide rigorous curricula that prepare students to assume leadership roles in the professional design field of their choice. VCUQatar regularly organizes and hosts exhibitions, gallery events, world-class conferences and holds an annual fashion show. VCUQatar is supported and funded by the Qatar Foundation. For more information please visit www.qatar.vcu.edu or call +974 492 7245.

About Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development
Founded in 1995 by His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of Qatar, and chaired by Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al Missned, Qatar Foundation is a private, non-profit organization committed to the principle that a nation's greatest natural resource is its people. The headquarters of Qatar Foundation are located within its flagship project, Education City, a fourteen million square-meter campus which hosts numerous progressive learning institutions and centers of research, including branch campuses of six of the world's leading universities, plus a cutting-edge research and development center. Qatar Foundation also works to enhance the quality of life in Qatar by investing in community health and development.
For more information please visit: www.qf.org.qa

About Icograda
Icograda (the International Council of Graphic Design Associations) is the world body for professional communication design. Founded in 1963 in London, UK, it is a voluntary assembly of organizations concerned with graphic design, visual communication, design management, promotion, education, research and journalism. Icograda promotes communication designers' vital role in society and commerce and unifies the voices of graphic designers and visual communicators worldwide. For more information please visit www.icograda.org.

VCUQatar Announces Dr. Sami Angawi, Chris Abani Professional Speakers, Mousharaka Press Release as pdf-File 141 KB

VCUQatar Announces Dr. Sami Angawi, Chris Abani Professional Speakers, Mousharaka Press Release as pdf-File 116 KB in Arabic language

Images:
Chris Abani, Professional Speaker, Mousharaka
Dr. Sami Angawi, Professional Speaker, Mousharaka