Qatar selects Houston Community College to develop 1st American-model Community College in country

The Community College of Qatar (CCQ), under the auspices of the Supreme Education Council (SEC), selected Houston Community College (HCC) to develop the community college model to meet the educational needs of Qatar under the educational reform initiatives of the Qatari government. HCC was chosen from among eight U.S. community colleges to develop a custom curriculum and institute a fully operational community college by the fall of 2010.

The Qatari SEC chose HCC for the CCQ partnership because of its highly-motivated leadership, performance-driven programming and high international standards. The five-year CCQ-HCC partnership, part of Qatar’s national educational reform, is the largest international service partnership with an American community college to date.

HCC will initially provide qualified staff and faculty while the Qatari community college is in development. In addition, HCC and the CCQ will work together to create the operating procedures, student policies and hiring practices for the community college. The partners will develop a curriculum designed specifically for Qatari students.

Students attending the CCQ will have dual enrollment in HCC for Associate in Arts, Associate in Sciences and Associate in Applied Sciences Degrees. Credits at CCQ will transfer to major universities throughout the world.

HCC’s international experience notwithstanding, the partnership decision was also a natural choice based on the city of Houston’s international and diverse culture and its reputation as the energy capitol of the world. Houston’s long-standing association with the oil and gas industry creates an economical and cultural commonality with the nation and the people of Qatar.