In line with the national strategy to establish Qatar as a regional logistics hub, the Community College of Qatar (CCQ) recently announced that its first batch of Logistics and Supply Chain Management students is expected to graduate in 2019. The College’s degree program will help supply the labor market with sought-after national cadres capable of powering the statewide logistics infrastructure and effectively managing its transport and storage services.
According to CCQ President Dr. Mohamed Al-Naemi, recent achievements in the course of implementing Qatar’s logistics leadership plans highlight the crucial role that specialized academic offerings play in ensuring the smooth running of this intricate system. These achievements include the establishment of advanced logistics parks, Hamad Port’s early operation, the inauguration of strategic navigation routes with other countries, and the soon-to-be-completed special economic zone projects.
Elaborating on the subject, Dr. Mohamed Al-Naemi said:
“This accelerated development prompted CCQ to bridge the gap between the country’s rapidly-evolving logistics infrastructure and the national labor market’s shortage of advanced calibers. We have achieved this through the development of an academic degree program in logistics and supply chain management, where students are holistically trained for management positions in transportation, warehousing, distribution, inventory control, purchasing, and international logistics. The program’s 130 enrollees include many members from the Armed Forces and the Qatari Emiri Navy. According to plans, the first batch of students in the College’s Associate of Applied Science in Logistics and Supply Chain Management is poised to turn out the first graduates in the State that hold an academic degree in the discipline.”
Following up on the College President’s remarks, Logistics and Supply Chain Management Program Coordinator at CCQ Dr. Muneer Abbad explained:
“CCQ developed the program in both English and Arabic, and incorporated the latest know-how and innovations in this domain, in conjunction with 180 hours of practical training at select organizations in Qatar. Our goal is to graduate competent logistics professionals who can devise innovative solutions in storage, transport, information flow and other areas. To take things one step further, the College is currently studying extending its offerings to also include a bachelor degree in logistics, thus supplying the marketplace with qualified cadres at all levels, from Warehouse Specialists and Logistics Coordinators, to Procurement and Production Managers and beyond.”
According to experts in the field, Qatar is set to gain an important qualitative addition to its national economy by turning the peninsula into a regional logistics hub. This advancement will help achieve self-sufficiency, attract investors, and strengthen economic ties with rest of world. Moreover, enhanced logistics capabilities will assist in supporting national products and new industries capable of export, and fulfilling the logistical requirements of mega sports events such as the 2022 FIFA World Cup, in addition to providing advanced logistics services to the entire Arab region.
This growing demand for highly trained logistics professionals prompted Navy Officer Candidate Turki Al-Hiedous to join CCQ’s Associate of Applied Science in Logistics and Supply Chain Management program. “The program’s specialized curriculum empowered me with the right knowledge of logistics and supply chains. I can see it further developing and becoming a major field of interest for students across Qatar”, Hiedous said, noting that he’s eager to utilize his newly-acquired skills to advance relevant functions at his workplace.
Another Navy Officer Candidate who found it rewarding to enroll in the program is Ali Al-Sediqi. “I initially expected this to be a difficult endeavor but as we progressed through the curriculum, it turned out to be a great learning experience. We learned many interesting subjects discussing how to apply the principles of logistics in real life scenarios and deal with various stakeholders”, he explained. Sediqi hopes to further his studies and earn a bachelor degree in logistics, in the sphere of contributing to Qatar’s rapid development in the field.
As reflected in students’ experiences, the provision of specialized academic programs in logistics and supply chain management is a logical precursor to one of the key pillars of logistics leadership: yielding expert leaders who can power this interconnected system. CCQ’s efforts in this framework come as part of its continuous pursuit of academic excellence, as well as its contribution to human capital development in Qatar and the achievement of its national goals.
