Approximately half the student body is Qatari; however, over 32 nationalities are represented across the student body. There are about 300 students enrolled in the school. NU-Q has worked to integrate western values into its Qatar campus. For example, there are many female students that attend NU-Q. There have been some concerns that this integration, which is not as common in Qatar, may be somewhat difficult to implement, as Qatar adheres to
Salafism. NU-Q students have access to the full range of student activities offered to all Education City students, including Multaqa (the
Education City Student Center), Recreation Center, clubs, organizations, and athletic leagues. NU-Q is the host of many film and production related events, such as THIMUN Qatar Northwestern Film Festival, the Studio 20Q Annual Premiere, and the NU-Q Media & Research Awards. Students also participate in a wide variety of leadership, service, and experiential learning initiatives both in
Doha and internationally. In addition, students have access to and participate in a range of athletics, activities, and clubs.
Students in the field Students have tackled subjects that are considered controversial in Qatar and throughout the Middle East. One NU-Q graduate was nominated for a
Student Academy Award for his film
100 Steps, which tells the story of a young boy in Pakistan who finds that his local religious school has served as a front for a radical extremists’ recruitment camp.
Convict of 302, a documentary by two NU-Q students about Pakistan's death penalty and anti-terrorism laws, screened at a consortium sponsored by the
Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting in Washington, DC. Students have also written stories about working conditions at local development sites in Qatar, domestic abuse, and women's issues. Another NU-Q graduate, Ismaeel Naar, was named Outstanding Young Arab Journalist of the year in 2016.
Evanston Communication Exchange Program Students who are pursuing the Bachelor of Science degree in Communication can apply to participate in the Evanston Communication Exchange Program (more commonly known as Comm Exchange), and if selected, spend the spring semester of their junior year studying at
Northwestern's home campus in
Evanston, Illinois, US, located near Chicago.
Journalism residency (JR) Journalism juniors spend ten weeks working in a professional organization somewhere around the world. Assignments have included
Euronews,
Rest of World, the
Committee to Protect Journalists,
Al Jazeera,
Financial Times,
National Geographic,
Huffington Post,
Grayling Public Relations,
VICE News, Qatar Foundation International, and
Vogue. The goal of the Journalism Residency is for students to get the kinds of hands-on experience that help them develop new skills, test old skills, work under deadline pressure, hone their news judgment, sharpen their fact-checking and research skills, build confidence in their capabilities, and explore new career paths not previously considered. This is a required component of the B.S. in Journalism degree program.
Semester in Qatar (SiQ) The Semester in Qatar program is an intercampus program, offering Evanston students the opportunity to study at Northwestern's campus in Qatar. Northwestern undergrads studying at School of Communication, Medill, and Weinberg are eligible to apply and participate in the program, which takes place during NU-Q's Fall Semester (usually late August-early December).
Academic trips This program is open to NU-Q students and assists them with learning about how organizations work in other countries. Previous trips have included Turkey, Switzerland, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Service Learning Experience (SLE) & Global Media Experience (GME) NU-Q students can participate in annual Spring Break Service Learning Experience trips to global destinations. The goal of the trips are to connect students to the needs of the larger worldwide community, provide insight and understanding of the historical and socio-political context of the visited country, and build a strong sense of global citizenship and commitment. Students complete assigned projects and reflections as part of the experience. Trip destinations have included Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Brazil, China, India, Morocco, South Africa, Tunisia, Zambia, and more. The Global Media Program (GME) enables NU-Q students to engage with individuals at a variety of well-established media corporations, as well as up-and-coming startups, to better understand the dynamic nature of the media industry. GME aims to create a platform where students can network and sharpen their employability skills and explore the regional job market. ==University Leadership==