SFS-Qatar to Implement Immersive Telepresence in Classroom
Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 9 September 2007 — Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service in Qatar announced today it will implement Polycom RealPresence Experience High Definition (RPX™HD), making it the first university in the Middle East to adopt immersive telepresence video conferencing as an educational tool. The deal was signed at Gitex through FVC, the authorized value-added distributor in the Middle East and North Africa for Polycom.
Georgetown University students and faculty work, study, and perform research around the globe. In 2005, the university deepened its commitment to global education by establishing a branch campus of its world-renowned School of Foreign Service in Qatar. The program provides a 4-year undergraduate degree in international politics to students in Qatar. The degree is identical to that offered to students in Washington, DC. The program accepts about 50 students annually from around the world.
“Georgetown prides itself on seeking to move beyond the traditional lecture-style delivery of material,” said Randy Bass, Director of the Center for New Designs in Learning & Scholarship at Georgetown. “The distancing technologies of traditional formats are limited in their ability to engage bi-local students in more interactive pedagogies. The consequences, then, are not merely about comfort or affect, but the quality of the intellectual experience and consequential development.”
The Polycom RPX™HD will be used to deliver undergraduate courses to and from Washington. The system allows for “realistic” interaction between students and faculty since the system makes the technology more transparent, thus reducing the “distance” that some students feel. The system allows local students to take classes from well-known professors in Washington, DC. At the same time, it allows students in Washington to learn from the world-class faculty that are located in Qatar.
“We are working closely with TechnoQ, Polycom’s certified reseller in Qatar,” said K. S. Parag, Regional Director, FVC. “Together, we will implement the solution and provide the on-going customer support.”
“The RPX™HD was designed to give a life-like, natural experience, making it an ideal system for the educational, healthcare, government and enterprise sectors,” said Alain Civel, Regional Manager – MEA, Polycom. “It revolutionizes the way we do business by having immediate presence anywhere at anytime. Institutions and organizations can productively interact in real time with colleagues or avail expert resources from across the city or around the world. This allows access to up-to-date knowledge and provides the ability to make immediate decisions, consequently saving money and time on travel.”
“By allowing us to bring in the very best professors, be they in Washington, Doha, or elsewhere, this system allows Georgetown to offer our students the very best education in the world.” said Dean James Reardon-Anderson, Dean of School of Foreign Service in Qatar.
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Georgetown University students and faculty work, study, and perform research around the globe. In 2005, the university deepened its commitment to global education by establishing a branch campus of its world-renowned School of Foreign Service in Qatar. The program provides a 4-year undergraduate degree in international politics to students in Qatar. The degree is identical to that offered to students in Washington, DC. The program accepts about 50 students annually from around the world.
“Georgetown prides itself on seeking to move beyond the traditional lecture-style delivery of material,” said Randy Bass, Director of the Center for New Designs in Learning & Scholarship at Georgetown. “The distancing technologies of traditional formats are limited in their ability to engage bi-local students in more interactive pedagogies. The consequences, then, are not merely about comfort or affect, but the quality of the intellectual experience and consequential development.”
The Polycom RPX™HD will be used to deliver undergraduate courses to and from Washington. The system allows for “realistic” interaction between students and faculty since the system makes the technology more transparent, thus reducing the “distance” that some students feel. The system allows local students to take classes from well-known professors in Washington, DC. At the same time, it allows students in Washington to learn from the world-class faculty that are located in Qatar.
“We are working closely with TechnoQ, Polycom’s certified reseller in Qatar,” said K. S. Parag, Regional Director, FVC. “Together, we will implement the solution and provide the on-going customer support.”
“The RPX™HD was designed to give a life-like, natural experience, making it an ideal system for the educational, healthcare, government and enterprise sectors,” said Alain Civel, Regional Manager – MEA, Polycom. “It revolutionizes the way we do business by having immediate presence anywhere at anytime. Institutions and organizations can productively interact in real time with colleagues or avail expert resources from across the city or around the world. This allows access to up-to-date knowledge and provides the ability to make immediate decisions, consequently saving money and time on travel.”
“By allowing us to bring in the very best professors, be they in Washington, Doha, or elsewhere, this system allows Georgetown to offer our students the very best education in the world.” said Dean James Reardon-Anderson, Dean of School of Foreign Service in Qatar.
SFS-Qatar News
- SFS-Qatar Students Receive UREP Grants
Three students from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar were awarded research grants in the latest round of funding from the Undergraduate Research Experience Program (UREP). (June 29, 2009) - SFS-Qatar Sets the Stage for Summer with Planet Georgetown Program
Later this month, Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar (SFS-Qatar) will host its second annual Planet Georgetown summer enrichment series for youth from local independent schools throughout Qatar. (June 19, 2009) - Mehran Kamrava Appointed Interim Dean at SFS-Qatar
Georgetown has named Mehran Kamrava as interim dean at SFS-Qatar. Starting August 1, Kamrava will succeed the current SFS-Qatar Dean James Reardon-Anderson, who will return to Main Campus in Washington, DC. (June 16, 2009)
