QF inspires fans to be Students of Change at the FIFA Club World Cup Qatar 2020™

The FIFA Club World Cup Qatar 2020™ is drawing to a close – and throughout the cross-continental tournament, Qatar Foundation has been educating and inspiring fans about how the power to make change happen lies in their hands.

As supporters arrive for games at the Education City Stadium – which will host Thursday night’s final between German giants Bayern Munich and Mexican challengers Tigres – they have been given a Qatar Foundation welcome through activities that reflect sport’s capacity to energize people, and also allow them to discover more about Education City.

On the way to the stadium, fans have been invited to engage with Qatar Foundation’s (QF) Students of Change campaign, launched this year with the aim of empowering people from all walks of life to recognize that each of them can be a driver of positive change. A graffiti wall offered passing fans the chance to share their thoughts on the change they would like to see in the world, for others to read as they head to and from games at the Education City Stadium.

Meanwhile, fans have also been given a musical accompaniment to their matchday experience with groups of musicians from QF member Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra performing on the approach to the stadium, alongside community dance groups representing the home countries of the competing teams.

And specially-trained “educational” volunteers from QF, as well as welcoming fans and helping them to find their way, have given supporters an insight into QF’s focus on sustainability and the inclusive activities available at Education City, while also sharing useful words and phrases in Arabic to help fans learn the language, reflecting QF’s role in preserving and promoting the Arabic language.

“Ever since I knew I would be coming to Doha, I was enthralled by the charm of the biggest sporting events,” said volunteer Nikhil Sangroula, 21, from Nepal, a student at QF partner university Georgetown University in Qatar

“I have a unique opportunity to create a sense of welcome for visitors and explain the Education City community to them. It is a great learning experience to see the management of such a huge event in an unprecedented time, and, as a fan of football, it is an experience of a lifetime to share the same spirit as fans from around the world.”

QF’s activations at the FIFA Club World Cup Qatar 2020™ - organized through working with the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) – also epitomized the organization’s commitment to sustainability and environmentally-friendly practices, being awarded Level 1 Eco-Event status as part of a recent program launched by Qatar Green Building Council. This award provides a framework for hosting events that have a low carbon footprint and can be a tool for educating and informing people, and enhancing social wellbeing and economic growth.

Ahead of the tournament, QF’s Oxygen Park was the venue for fashion experts from Qatar, Egypt, and Mexico – all of whom are home to teams participating in the competition – identified by the SC held a workshop for fashion students from QF partner university Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar, to enhance cross-cultural understanding.