Meet the students behind Northwestern University in Qatar’s Class of 2030

For the Class of 2030 at Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q), the start of university marks more than a new academic chapter. For many students, it is an opportunity to bring together experiences, interests, and ambitions shaped across different countries, communities, and disciplines.

That spirit was reflected in remarks from recently appointed Northwestern University Provost Erik Luijten, who addressed the class during Convocation. He emphasized the role of conversation and creative work in learning, noting that students deepen their understanding by explaining ideas to one another, listening to different perspectives, and sharing their thinking through writing, reporting, filmmaking, and other forms of creative expression.

For Tamara Shahab El Din, that exchange of ideas comes together with her interest in journalism and sports. An internship at a news channel introduced her to the collaborative work behind television production and helped shape her ambitions for a career promoting women’s sports.

“The reason I want to study journalism at NU-Q is mostly to promote women in sports,” she said. “What I want to aim for is to be a women’s sports journalist.”

She has already begun contributing to campus life, helping establish a women’s football team with fellow Class of 2030 student Albandari Al-Thani.

For Rose A-Moayied Albanai, journalism is closely tied to representation and giving people a voice. A 2018 visit to Syria helped shape her interest in how people and communities are represented, while her experience as a debater developed her interest in politics and public discourse. She hopes to eventually work in policymaking or diplomacy, seeing her education in the region as an important part of that path.

“I can use my privilege as a Qatari to give voices to people in the Middle East, in Arab countries,” she said.

Maruf Tanvir is arriving at journalism from an entirely different starting point. Raised at a military high school in Bangladesh and selected as an officer in the Bangladesh Navy, he eventually chose to follow his interests in technology and filmmaking instead. A visit to the NU-Q campus showed him how those interests could intersect through media.

He hopes to develop his skills in production and broadcasting, eventually creating documentaries exploring history, business and technology. “For me, journalism is all about unraveling the truth that's been covered up,” he said.

Also joining NU-Q’s Class of 2030 is national athlete Ahmed Anas, who brings with him the experience of balancing competing demands. Representing Qatar at the Asian Men’s Youth Championship, Anas and his teammates went on to claim gold. He brings that experience to NU-Q not only as an elite athlete, but as someone shaped by the discipline, teamwork, and commitment required to compete at the highest level. For Anas, the habits that drive him on the court are equally valuable as he begins his academic journey as a Wildcat.

Their varied experiences reflect a wider Class of 2030 whose perspectives span the Middle East, South Asia and beyond. 

"The Class of 2030 is joining a community built to tell the stories of the Global South with rigor and care. Their perspectives, shaped by the Middle East, South Asia, and beyond, are exactly what will keep that mission alive and growing.” - Marwan M. Kraidy, dean and CEO of Northwestern University in Qatar.

From women’s sports and diplomacy to documentary filmmaking and elite athletics, the students beginning their NU-Q journey bring different reasons for being there. What connects them is the opportunity to learn through those differences: questioning, listening, creating, and engaging with a world they are preparing to help shape.