Doha, April 06 (QNA) - Commander of the Technical Institute of the Armed Forces, Brigadier (Technician / Air) Mohammed Zayed Al Ruwaili, revealed that the graduation ceremony of the institute's first batch is scheduled for June, to celebrate 170 students who completed their studies and obtained a diploma in technical sciences.
During a press conference to introduce the institute, its objectives, and the advantages of joining it, he said that the institute has witnessed a great turnout from high school graduates since its establishment in 2020, as it received nearly 900 students, a number of whom were selected to study and 300 of them were transferred to the various armed forces units and to courses in foreign countries to train in the maintenance of equipment and dealing with modern systems contracted by the armed forces, given their full proficiency in the English language and their familiarity with the basics of mechanics, electronics, information systems, and cybersecurity.
Brigadier Al Ruwaili explained that the duration of the study at the institute is 18 months and is divided into three stages. The first begins with learning English, science, mathematics, and information systems, he said, adding that in the second stage, the student learns the basics of mechanics and electronics, while in the third (specialist) stage, the student studies information systems and cybersecurity.
After graduation, the student obtains an internationally recognized and accredited diploma, and the outstanding student can further study at the College of Engineering, in coordination with Qatar University and specialized universities to complete his studies there to obtain a Bachelor of Engineering, he added.
The Commander of the Technical Institute of the Armed Forces indicated that training and education within the institutes laboratories, whether theoretical, which represents 40% or practical, 60%, are carried out in cooperation with UK company BAE Systems, which provides the training staff and the equipment used to qualify and familiarize the student with the basics of work, so he can enter any technical field. BAE Systems is one of the largest international companies in this field.
The Institute also organizes field visits to a number of factories to learn about their working mechanisms and the technology used, he said, stressing that there is complete segregation between male and female students in the classroom, laboratories, and training workshops.
Brigadier (Technician / Air) Al Ruwaili noted the institute's strategic plan to transform into an Armed Forces Technical college with the gradual replacement of the academic and training cadre by attracting Qatari engineers in the coming years. In the next few years, the institute seeks to construct new buildings that serve future expansions, which include adding new specializations and awarding a bachelor's degree in engineering in cooperation with local and international universities, he added.
The institute was established to serve the armed forces in the maintenance and development of modern systems, by training young people according to the latest methods of education to carry out this task to the fullest, he stated. The systems that entered service in all branches of the armed forces and all their equipment must be familiar to the graduate student so that he can deal with this modern technology, he noted.
Brigadier (Technician / Air) Mohammed Zayed Al Ruwaili highlighted the need to qualify the Qatari component in technical engineering disciplines so that he can work on all types of equipment currently in the armed forces and systems that will enter service in the future, indicating that the institute enjoys the highest international training specifications, advanced programs and technical laboratories, modern technical engineering disciplines besides academic information and theoretical lessons.
In turn, the chief instructor at the Armed Forces Technical Institute, Brigadier General Mohammed Salem Al Kaabi explained that receiving students begin with a test to determine their English language proficiency on which they are classified and distributed in classes. After graduating and obtaining the IELTS certificate in the English language, the student joins the armed force according to his wishes in which armed force he wants to work and according to the force's needs. After joining, he chooses the appropriate specialization for him, whether mechanics, electronics, information systems, or cybersecurity.
He added that students' attendance will be in the morning only, and the student lives the military life in a lighter way than the rest of the military branches because he is a technical graduate and is seen as the engineer of the future that they trust and rely on in the maintenance of the devices, equipment, and systems of the armed forces in the present and future. (QNA)