Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), a Qatar-based institution of higher learning, and Orange Business Services, have signed an agreement to provide students with internships and research opportunities.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) is reciprocal and aims to establish an internship programme, as well as to enable both institutions to benefit mutually from resources, expertise and human talent.

The three-year MoU primarily revolves around a collaborative internship agreement, which includes up to three HBKU students per year partaking in a three- to six-month placement with Orange Business Services in France, as well as other placements with relevant affiliates within the larger Orange group.

The internship enables students to gain unique experience in IT fields, such as network services, big data, internet-of-things (IOT) solutions, and smart services, with the ultimate objective of achieving a greater understanding of the digital realm.

Dr Ahmad M Hasnah, president of HBKU, said: "Part of our mandate at HBKU is to foster an environment that encourages innovation among our students. This is even more applicable in the ICT field, as innovation drives the technological advancements we see every day. Working with our partners at Orange means that we are able to capitalize on exceptional real-life opportunities, as well as give our students the chance to learn and grow beyond the classroom."

"We are pleased to welcome students from a high level and world-class university like HBKU and to cooperate with the Qatar Foundation which is fully committed to education, science, and community development in Qatar. This MoU supports the ambition for Orange Business Services to contribute to the development of IT skills," said Béatrice Felder, CEO of Orange Applications for Business, the Orange Business Services entity in charge of IT System Integration and settled in Qatar.

Potential candidates for the internship program will be pre-selected by HBKU and qualified by Orange or the appropriate partner. Additionally, HBKU and Orange plan to leverage their partnership to work across their research groups.

Orange Business Services Qatar is a Qatari JV established on August 2012 with Sheikh Fahad Bin Ghanem Al Thani as a majority shareholder. It offers all Orange Business Services solutions and resources capabilities mainly in the ICT System Integration domains such as smart cities, transportation, health, media and other market sectors. In partnership with Meeza, a Qatar Foundation IT services entity, major smart city Msheireb is benefiting from this alliance technological capabilities. – TradeArabia News Service