Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar - VCUQ, Doha - Gallery news: VCUQatar announces Ibrahim Jaidah as Keynote Speaker for Mousharaka

VCUQatar announces Ibrahim Jaidah as Keynote Speaker for Mousharaka (4.2.2009)

VCUQatar Announces Ibrahim Jaidah as a Keynote Speaker and Qatar National Bank as a Sponsor for Mousharaka

Doha, Qatar – Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar in partnership with Icograda is proud to announce Ibrahim Jaidah as a keynote speaker for the Mousharaka conference. Mousharaka will take place at VCUQatar from 28 February to 5 March, 2009.

Ibrahim Jaidah acquired Arab Engineering bureau (AEB) in 1991 and has since been instrumental in the architectural development of Qatar and in presenting its image globally through major projects across all sectors. Each project retains the identity of Mr. Jaidah’s culture while embracing the modernity, and presenting its true potential. His vision is perhaps best seen in his design for The Barzan Towers, a high-rise office building of brilliant blue glass. The first nine floors reflect a traditional architectural style, while the twenty-one stories above evoke modernity. His passion for Arabic architecture is demonstrated throughout all of his projects and his first commission, the Al Dana Club, earned him his first nomination for the Aga Khan Award and the Arab Cities Award, first rank.

During the Mousharaka conference, Mr. Jaidah will discuss the importance of collaborative approaches in the design process while employing a number of working teams from different disciplines, using different technologies, and engaging different cultures from various countries in order to surface better results.

Ibrahim Jaidah graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1988, and worked for Qatar’s Ministry of Municipal Affairs & Agriculture as head of the Architectural Section before acquiring AEB. He is committed to sharing his knowledge and experience with new generations of architects through the funding of scholarships at VCUQatar. He also serves as a guest speaker at universities and conferences throughout the region. In 2005 he received the Award for State Encouragement, which is given for career achievement, and serves as a testament to his central role in shaping Qatar’s future and that of architecture in the region. Mr. Jaidah is a pioneer of a new movement in architecture that combines the far-reaching influences of Islamic art with a modern style. AEB’s work has led to several awards, including two other Arab Cities Awards and one Islamic Cities Award. Mr. Jaidah will soon be publishing a book charting the history of Qatari Architecture, followed by a second book chronicling the evolution of the AEB architectural style.

VCUQatar is also proud to announce Qatar National Bank (QNB) as a sponsor for Mousharaka. This is the sixth consecutive year QNB is supporting VCUQatar’s annual design conference.
QNB was established in 1964 as the country’s first Qatari-owned commercial bank. QNB has since grown to become the largest bank in Qatar, controlling assets representing approximately 50% of the total banking system.

The bank provides a full range of commercial banking activities for individuals, corporate institutions and government entities and the bank’s scope of products, services and delivery channels across all disciplines are unrivalled. Additionally, QNB has been the recipient of the ‘Best Bank in Qatar’ award from leading internal financial publications including The Banker, Euromoney and Global Finance.
QNB has the highest credit rating among Qatari banks from leading rating agencies including Moody’s, Fitch and Capital Intelligence. It is among the top 10 regional banks by shareholder’s equity. Internationally it is ranked as 77th among the top 250 emerging market banks as per a Euromoney survey in August 2004.

Over the years, Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar has demonstrated its commitment to design by successfully hosting the annual international design conference in the Middle East. This year VCUQatar presents Mousharaka / The Icograda Design Week in Qatar. It is composed of the Education Symposium and the Professional Conference, when prominent speakers share perspectives on design and design collaborations. VCUQatar is also spearheading the creation of MEDEA – the Middle East Design Educators Association and launching Design Debate Doha - an opportunity for the design community to address an important global design issue in debate form.

VCUQatar, with its state-of-the-art facilities will serve as the main venue for the conference. There will also be events hosted in Souk Waqif (a traditional bazaar), museums and select outdoor locations. 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

VCUQatar announces Ibrahim Jaidah as Keynote Speaker for Mousharaka Press Release as pdf-File 136 KB

VCUQatar announces Ibrahim Jaidah as Keynote Speaker for Mousharaka Press Release as pdf-File 104 KB in Arabic language

Images:
Ibrahim Jaidah with a model of one of his projects
Ibrahim Jaidah showcasing his work at VCUQatar
Ibrahim Jaidah discussing his work showcased at the gallery