President's Initiatives

President’s Award for Academic Excellence

This Award is a yearly tradition at UDST. It is presented during a gala dinner to graduating students who receive the highest marks in their individual programs. This celebration is an important occasion that encourages healthy competition among students and recognizes the efforts put in by top performers to reach the highest ranks.

Dr. Salem Al-Naemi, UDST’s President always expresses his pride in the graduands’ achievements and says: “This award celebrates Academic Excellence. The students who have proved their determination to overcome any challenge and succeed in the classroom and beyond deserve to be awarded. This Academic Award is not only a recognition of their efforts, it is a motivation for them to keep moving forward and work even harder to fulfill their dreams. Every year, we look forward to seeing these future leaders join UDST alumni and contribute to the development of Qatar’s economy while inspiring many more to achieve great heights.”

Coffee with the President

This get-together event is hosted twice per year and gives the chance for faculty and staff to meet the president and engage with him in an informal atmosphere. Every event adopts a special theme and the last one reflected the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ ambiance with many engaging and fun activities such as football juggling, kick and score and a Q&A contest with many prizes distributed to the winners.

Dr. Salem Al-Naemi considers this event as a space for open conversation and engagement. He believes that such moments are key to showing support to the campus community and driving information exchange. During his speech, he thanked everyone for their contribution to the development of the University and reiterated the importance that UDST places on sports and people's health and mental well-being.

A Greener Campus

UDST adopts green practices on campus and promotes sustainable development initiatives at all levels. This approach is supported by Dr. Salem Al-Naemi, UDST’s President who is actively engaged in this matter and fosters a culture of environmental leadership among its staff, faculty, and students. the Facilities Department at the University implements a Recyclable Waste Management Program. The University has also an Environmental Club that organizes many activities and advocates for the betterment of the planet.

Environmental Days constitute exceptional moments for UDST where Dr. Salem participates with the University’s community in planting trees such as the famous “Sidra” tree, which is the iconic symbol of Qatar’s heritage and represents learning, growth, perseverance and solidarity. Moreover, the University distributes plants to its community across campus, encouraging all members to grow them at home and create a healthy indoor environment.

Dr. Salem believes that: “UDST has a big role in supporting and adopting green initiatives and ways to save the planet from further harm. We must always seek opportunities to make impactful decisions. It is a priority to think about how we can contribute to make this world a better place to live in. We need to adopt an eco-friendly lifestyle and ensure a balance between economic growth and environmental protection as stated in the Environment Development Pillar of Qatar National Vision 2030.”