Every year, Khalifa University holds a Majors Day event to provide freshman students an opportunity to know more about the different majors and programs offered at KU, guiding them on what majors they should choose based on their interests and career goals. Around 300 freshmen were expected to participate in the sessions.
This year’s Majors Day event was different from previous years. For the first time, the annual event was held virtually through a dedicated website specifically developed for Majors Day.
The virtual event, organized by the Career and Alumni Services Office in collaboration with the different Academic Departments of the University, was hosted online from the 26th of October. Pre-recorded sessions of faculty from the different KU Academic Departments talked about the majors, academic requirements, and future career tracks for each of the various academic programs at KU.
After the presentations, dedicated Q&A sessions were scheduled on the 27th and 28th of October to give the students more detailed advice about the different programs and majors available to them. Choosing a major and future career paths can be daunting and KU is dedicated in providing the students with comprehensive guidance and support. KU alumni also participated in the Q&A sessions to support the students as well as share their KU experience and give insights on their professional life after graduation. The KU graduates answered the questions and concerns and gave advice to the students.
Dr. Syed Salman Ashraf, Associate Dean for Postgraduate Studies, said:
“The event was done very professionally and it was obvious that the Career Services team had put in a lot of hard work! I was especially impressed with the excellent organization and the ease with which we were able to record our message for prospective students.”
Dr. Kinda Khalaf, Associate Chair, Biomedical Engineering, commented:
“Our first BME virtual Majors Day at KU was a huge success. While initially I was somewhat skeptical about being able to virtually connect with students in a meaningful manner, I was very happily surprised to see that the virtual mode added a new flavor and perhaps some advantages over the personal meeting. For example, the length of our BME event was double the one scheduled. Many students were engaged, especially because the platform allowed typing which some less verbal students prefer. The majority of the students opted to stay with us online after the event formally finished to chat and ask questions. Many reached out in the following weeks. The team at the Career Office did a wonderful job facilitating and allowing for our customized version of the event.”
Dr. Emad Walid Al Shalabi, Assistant Professor, Petroleum Engineering, said:
“The virtual Majors Day event at Khalifa University was a real success! Although it is the first time this event is conducted virtually, the collaborative efforts of KU’s Career Services Office and the Communications department members ensured a smooth flow of the event! For our Petroleum Engineering (PE) virtual booth, we shared different flyers, leaflets, and videos to familiarize undergraduate students with the department activities and the nature of PE major. Also, we successfully uploaded a virtual reality (VR) application on PE where students were engaged and the live Q& session was so interactive! I am glad to be part of this activity and we look forward to welcoming students to our beloved PE department!”
There have already been almost 2,500 visits on the Majors Day site since it was made available. Students continue to view the sessions to know as much as possible about the majors they plan to take. The students found the videos, brochures, and other collaterals very useful to help them make their decision.
Shamma Kahoor, Interested in Biomedical Engineering:
“It was well organized. I learned a lot about my interests. It helped me set a path for what I would like to study.”
Yousef Mohammed Balbahaith, Interested in Biomedical Engineering:
“It was enlightening and I have made a clear decision about what major I want to pursue at KU, and I hope that everything goes well and special thanks go to all the team who worked on this event.”
Hamda Alhameli, Interested in Electrical Engineering:
“I really enjoyed this Majors Day because it was different from all previous Majors Day. Instead of students answering our questions it was professors and doctors. Also, all my questions were answered and everything was available and easy to access.”
Ara Cruz
Creative Writer
25 November 2020
