SFS-Q Students Meet Qatar’s Diplomatic Community

This Thursday, April 12, 2012 marked Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar’s Diplomatic Ball. A formal black tie event hosted at Doha’s Four Seasons Hotel, this year, it attracted diplomatic delegations from the Republic of Poland, the Republic of South Korea, Japan, the Republic of Iraq, the Republic of the Philippines, the Republic of Macedonia, the French Republic, the Federative Republic of Brazil, the Kingdom of Swaziland, the Republic of Djibouti, the Republic of Senegal, the State of Kuwait, the Somali Republic, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Kenya, the Republic of Indonesia, the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Peru.

Ambassadors from Somalia, France, Djibouti, Brazil, Macedonia, Poland and South Korea were in attendance, while the missions of other countries sent high-level delegates. The Doha Jazz Band kept tempo at this formal soiree, in which the first hour was devoted to a networking session between SFS-Q students and Doha’s diplomatic community.

Dr. Mohammad Al-Haiany, Counselor at the Embassy of the Republic of Iraq in Doha, expressed his well wishes to SFS-Q students at the event. “I met many SFS-Q students in addition to faculty members and staff, and this is something that I aim to do as often as possible throughout the year.” Speaking about the presence of Georgetown University in Qatar, Al-Haiany concluded that, “Qatar is an interesting economy to consider, because it chooses to steward many universities here in the Gulf region.”

Kevin Gomes, a Student Affairs Officer and SFS-Q Diplomatic Ball organizer remarked that it was, “exciting to see the engagement between the two groups. It was an opportunity for SFS-Q students to meet the person behind the title and to make connections with professionals in a line of work which they may wish to pursue in the future.”

According to the Counselor and Deputy Head of Swaziland’s Mission in Qatar, Mahlaba Mamba, SFS-Q’s Annual Diplomatic Ball is an excellent occasion whereby Georgetown creates the opportunity for students to interact with members of the diplomatic community in Qatar. “It immerses the students in the ‘natural feel’ of what diplomacy is all about, apart from the course outline. They are interacting with people who are engaged in issues of diplomacy on a daily basis,” reflected Mamba.

SFS-Q students were heavily involved in the conception, planning and delivery stages of the event, and volunteered to welcome diplomatic delegations from their countries of origin, but also from countries in which they have a great interest for political, cultural and academic reasons.

Salma Musa, an SFS-Q senior, was paired with representatives from the French Republic, with whom she spoke about the upcoming presidential elections in France and the career path they chose to get to where they are now. “They were very open and willing to speak to us. I learned about their studies, their experiences and how they became diplomats.”