Speaking to Northwestern Qatar faculty and staff at the school’s annual NU-Q Colloquium, Dean Marwan M. Kraidy shared insights into the accomplishments of the past academic year and outlined the school’s strategic priorities for the 2023-24 academic year.
The event, a customary start-of-year gathering, began with Dean Kraidy acknowledging Evanston leadership’s increasing interest in Northwestern Qatar with the arrival of President Schill and the general sense of renewal in Northwestern that followed. “We are part of a university that's in a great state of renewal,” said Kraidy. “It's a very exciting time to be part of Northwestern, and one of the reasons why there's so much excitement in the air, not only at Northwestern but also about NU-Q, is all of the things we have done together.”
In the spirit of renewal, Dean Kraidy also extended a welcoming note to the 30 new faculty and staff members joining the community this year and renewed the school’s commitment to Northwestern's core values of community and excellence. “[We are] a community of care, taking care of one another, a community of service to the outside world, a community that is looking towards the future, not afraid of it, and in fact, trying to shape it,” said Kraidy.
“It's a very exciting time to be part of Northwestern, and one of the reasons why there's so much excitement in the air, not only at Northwestern but also about NU-Q, is all of the things we have done together.”
As the school delivers on its core mission, Dean Kraidy said it will continue prioritizing excellence as a core part of the Northwestern ethos. In delivering excellence, Dean Kraidy stressed the importance of humility, saying, “We always have to pair excellence with humility, and as I reminded graduating students last year, excellence cannot yield to arrogance.” He also emphasized the value of collaboration as the community continues to grow, saying, “It is not an empty word for me […], it's about collaborating, not only more, but better.”
As part of his commitment to institutional sustainability, Dean Kraidy said his vision also includes a focus to human sustainability and community well-being to overcome the remaining challenges of the pandemic. He also expressed optimism about moving towards normalcy and longer-term planning as the school continues to deliver on its mission. “I don't want us to worry about tomorrow; I want us to think about shaping the future that comes along with confidence that what we're doing matters,” said Kraidy. “It matters for us, of course. It matters for our students. Of course, that's the ultimate mission. It matters for Northwestern, and it matters for Qatar Foundation.”
