Meeting The Higher Education Challenges
Since the announcement of a nationwide closure of all schools and universities amid the COVID-19 pandemic, universities have also moved to resume studies through distance learning. The Ministry has since been using technology to strengthen the basic distance education systems. Further, the Ministry is ensuring that the evaluation and assessment systems and examinations are also benefiting from current policies and practices in distance learning.
Qatari Scholarship Students
MOEHE has also been following up daily with the overseas learning experiences of all Qatari scholarship students as well as those students who are studying abroad at their own expense. The Ministry is checking on the conditions of those students, helping those who want to return home and coordinating with their relevant universities to ensure students can complete their studies remotely until the current situation abates. The Ministry is also noting that within this temporary period, the 12% assessment on subjects will not be counted for total marks within the proportion calculated on distance study.
Applications and Pre-approvals
Through its Higher Education Affairs Department and prompted by the exceptional circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide, MOEHE has suspended until further notice the acceptance of applications and grant pre-approvals for full time students seeking university degrees to study abroad. If the current circumstances continue into the beginning of the 2020-21 academic year, then the pre-approvals already obtained by students will be automatically extended without the need to resubmit new applications unless students wish to amend any items that were pre-approved. The Ministry has allowed full-time students who obtained prior approval to study abroad to continue studying through distance learning until the universities return to normal.