Doha, October 18 (QNA) - Qatar University (QU), the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), and Scale AI have signed an agreement to collaborate on the development of the National Co-Advisor Platform, an AI-powered solution designed to enhance academic advising and support student success at QU.

The initiative is part of ongoing efforts to improve academic advising services through a unified digital platform that provides students and academic advisors with more efficient and flexible access to academic information and support, tailored to students' individual academic needs. The platform will combine an AI-powered interactive virtual assistant with advanced analytical tools that help advisors identify students who may require additional support, prepare for advising meetings, document outcomes, and follow up on required actions.

The platform will provide students with 24/7 access to personalized academic guidance, including information on academic program requirements, university policies and regulations, course registration eligibility and prerequisites, academic deadlines, and progress towards graduation. For advisors, it will automate a number of administrative and documentation tasks, allowing them to dedicate more time to personalized guidance, meaningful student engagement, and proactive support.

The initiative also seeks to strengthen early intervention by using academic data to identify indicators of academic difficulties and provide advisors with prioritized alerts and recommended interventions. In addition, the platform aims to reduce course registration errors that could affect student's academic progress or delay graduation. It will also provide university leadership with comprehensive insights and analytics to monitor academic progress and support data-driven decision-making.

The National Co-Advisor Platform will be integrated with QU's relevant databases, providing academic advisors with a comprehensive digital workspace and students with a round-the-clock virtual assistant, while ensuring human oversight of administrative processes and decisions.

Highlighting the importance of the collaboration, Dr. Shimaa Ali Al Quradaghi, Associate Vice President for Student Success and Development at QU's Student Affairs, said: "This partnership represents an important strategic step toward advancing academic advising at Qatar University and reflects our commitment to leveraging modern technologies and AI to enhance the student experience and promote academic success. Through this platform, we aim to provide more personalized and proactive academic guidance, while enabling academic advisors to focus on direct, meaningful student engagement. This will help identify students' needs earlier, support informed academic decisions, and ultimately strengthen their journey toward successful degree completion."

Eman Al Kuwari, Director of Digital Innovation at MCIT said: "This collaboration reflects our focus on moving AI from potential to practical application by addressing real institutional needs. Through partnerships that bring together government, academia and technology providers, we aim to create an enabling environment for the responsible adoption of AI and the development of solutions that deliver measurable value. The National Co-Advisor Platform is a practical example of how AI can support more efficient and personalized services while maintaining human oversight as a core element of decision-making."

Amr Samir, Qatar Country Lead at Scale AI, said, "This agreement is the result of months spent listening to Qatar University's advisors, faculty and staff. Together with MCIT and Qatar University, we are building the National Co-Advisor Platform to put AI to work for students and the advisors who guide them, with human oversight at its core, in service of Qatar National Vision 2030."

The collaboration supports the objectives of QU's Strategy 2023–2027, particularly its focus on student centricity and digital transformation, while enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of academic support services. It also contributes to national priorities under the Third Qatar National Development Strategy by supporting the development of a highly skilled and productive workforce. (QNA)