Doha, August 11 (QNA) - The Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MOEHE) on Tuesday interviewed students nominated to join the National Scholarship Initiative to pursue a bachelor's degree in nuclear engineering.
The interviews were conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MECC) as part of the state's efforts to advance homegrown professional workforces that support scientific advancements and radiological security in line with the objectives of Qatar National Vision 2030.
The Ministry has so far interviewed over 30 applicants in an outstanding strategic move toward having well-qualified national talent in one of the most important and precise scientific majors with a futuristic dimension.
The approach is an outgrowth of national efforts aimed at aligning higher education outputs with labor market needs, fostering scientific research, diversifying the economy, and building a knowledge-based economy.
Acting Director of the Scholarships Department at MOEHE Noura Al Ansari said the nuclear engineering program, launched as part of the government scholarship program for the 2026–27 academic year, offers incredible benefits and incentives designed to attract students.
She highlighted the strong demand for the program, noting that the number of students interested in enrolling in the nuclear engineering scholarship program far exceeded all expectations.
The program will count the student's years of study toward their period of government service, with the student receiving a salary of QAR 20,000 during the scholarship period at Grade 9 with MECC, Al Ansari told Qatar News Agency (QNA).
Al Ansari further noted that the program has received a record turnout, demonstrating the incredible awareness in society of labor market requirements, assuring that nominations for this program remain open until Aug. 15, 2026, to ensure that the selection process aligns with the MECC's requirements.
  Assistant Director of the MECC's Radiation Protection Department Eng. Hamad Salah Ibrahim told QNA that this national initiative is dedicated to providing scholarships for Qatari students to support the program to develop the technical and human workforce in the field of peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
Ibrahim remarked that the program aims to attract Qatari students to study this field and integrate them into the workforce in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, particularly at the MECC, represented by its Radiation Protection Department, whose work covers radiation licensing, inspection and safety, as well as technical cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in addition to the country's central radiation laboratories.
He stressed the importance of investing in Qatari students, describing it as an incredible addition and a step in the right direction toward strengthening the national workforce and enhancing their technical and professional competencies to carry out regulatory and radiation-related work in Qatar.
Ibrahim noted that an integrated program is in place to employ scholarship recipients and integrate them into the workforce.
Overall, the initiative underscores the nation's commitment to strengthening its radiation safety and security framework and fostering a knowledge- and competency-based institutional culture.
It also comes amid the need to strengthen specialized national capabilities in regulatory oversight and supervision, reinforce the principles of prevention and sustainability, and provide students with opportunities to develop stable and distinguished career paths, thereby supporting the country's readiness to address specialized challenges in this vital field. (QNA)