Hoyas Create Connections on a Georgetown Leadership Track Doha by Dhow Adventure
Few things are as iconic in Qatar as the sight of dozens of traditional wooden sailing vessels bobbing in the water along the Corniche. An important part of Qatar’s maritime history, these vessels, or dhows, connect a modern country with its rich heritage and identity.
These were just some of the lessons 60 GU-Q students learned at the recent “Doha on a Dhow” Georgetown Leadership Track (GLT) activity, offering participants the perfect opportunity to explore the country they live in, while connecting with each other.
The trip was a reflection break activity for sophomores as part of GLT’s Years of Self-Management program. “This is a program that offers second year students the chance to learn to balance commitments and manage their time and emotions in preparation for the increasing demands of academic life,” explained Afsha Kohli, associate director for student development and program organizer. “We offer reflection breaks like this trip throughout these activities to give everyone a chance to relax, enjoy each other’s company and to put their management skills into practice.”
The activity was also open to seniors and some juniors through another initiative, the Georgetown Leadership Ambassador program, which is focused on developing student connections to the world through service. This was the second workshop organized by senior and junior GLT Ambassadors Maryam Al-Thani, Khushboo Shah, Iman Ismail, Tasneem Usmani, Shaza Afifi, Hana Elshehabi and Inna Cherniak.
“It was wonderful to take advantage of the cooler weather with a cultural activity that cultivated peer mentorship, collaboration, and community building, away from the pressure of the classroom,” explained Kohli, adding, “and to be able to gain from these valuable connections while enjoying a visit to places that played such a critical role in Qatar’s history was an added bonus.”
On the bus ride from GU-Q to the Museum of Islamic Arts (MIA) Park, Ambassadors shared fun facts about the park and museum, starting a conversation about Qatar and their place in the world which would continue throughout the day. From the park, the students walked along the Doha Corniche to reach the dhow harbor. This provided time for everyone to bond with each other as well as to see a part of the city on foot.
Finally, the group boarded two separate dhows, and cruised the still waters of the Arabian gulf for a few hours, adding to the history of the region’s inhabitants who have been cruising the waters of the Indian Ocean World for centuries. In Qatar, dhows were an essential form of transportation for a country surrounded almost completely by water, used for fishing, pearl diving, and shipping drinking water, food, and trading goods.
The Georgetown Leadership Track is a dynamic four-year program based on foundational Georgetown values that aims to develop leadership and career skills through workshops, activities, and engagement opportunities at Qatar Foundation’s Education City.