The University of Aberdeen has welcomed the first students to its campus in Doha, Qatar.
130 students have enrolled to study business degrees.
The University of Aberdeen is the first UK University to have a dedicated campus in the Gulf State offering mainstream degrees. In particular, women have been quick to take advantage of being able to obtain a degree from a top UK university without having to travel far from home. 60% per cent of the students are female.
In addition to the high proportion of women, the first intake of students are from 14 nationalities, including two from the UK.
Professor Sir Ian Diamond, Principal of the University of Aberdeen, said, “I am delighted that this multi-million pound facility has got off to such a successful start. It is a milestone in the history of the University of Aberdeen and shows that the recent political difficulties are no barrier to those wishing to study business degrees in Qatar.
“Our Qatar campus is intended to provide more educational opportunities for women and men who may not otherwise have the chance to participate in higher education, and is in line with our ambition to provide a transformational learning experience to citizens in countries where these opportunities cannot be taken for granted.
“I am proud to be working with our partners AFG and in the years to come we hope to expand the range of opportunities available for students, so that as many people as possible can benefit from the world-class educational experience for which the University is renowned.”