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February 04, 2013

Scoring a Scholarship

Student's Interest in Soccer Nets Opportunities in Education City

By Sarah Nightingale

KarkiAayush Karki, a top student from Nepal's Kathmandu Valley, has soccer to thank for heading to Carnegie Mellon Qatar, majoring in computer science and receiving a full, four-year H.E. Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad bin Abdullah Al Thani Scholarship.

Ironically, it took sports to connect Karki with Education City. Even before Qatar Foundation's logo made it onto the shirts of FC Barcelona, Karki read a story online about a partnership between the foundation and the professional soccer club. From there, he discovered Education City, the six American universities that call it home, and, most excitingly, that Carnegie Mellon's world-renowned computer science degree was being offered in Qatar.

In addition to studying computer science at CMU, Karki, who recorded the highest English language score in Nepal at the very selective Budhanilkantha School, said he was drawn to Carnegie Mellon Qatar by its small but diverse community and by being a part of Education City.

The scholarship will allow Karki to complete his undergraduate degree and attend graduate school.

"To be able to attend Carnegie Mellon was like a dream come true. And I owe this largely to the generosity and kind spirit of the family who made the scholarship available to me," Karki said. "The scholarship allows me to put my focus entirely on my studies and interests during and after my time at Carnegie Mellon. I am very thankful for this opportunity."

Karki is the first person to receive the H.E. Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad bin Abdullah Al Thani Scholarship, which was established in 2012 following a $1 million gift to the university from an anonymous donor. Three additional scholarships will be awarded.

The H.E. Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad bin Abdullah Al Thani Scholarship can be offered to students who qualify for financial aid and apply to any of Carnegie Mellon Qatar's five majors - biological sciences, business administration, computational biology, computer science and information systems.

"We are incredibly appreciative for this commitment to Carnegie Mellon, which helps to attract and support outstanding students who otherwise could not afford to study at a world-renowned institution like Carnegie Mellon," said Ilker Baybars, dean of Carnegie Mellon Qatar.

"I hope this scholarship brings Aayush one step closer to fulfilling his goal of advancing the field of computer science and achieving his dream of bringing technology to underserved communities."

Aayush Karki is the first H.E. Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad bin Abdullah Al Thani Scholarship recipient at Carnegie Mellon Qatar.