GUQ Speaks

Best Duo: Keep Finding Each Other, The Class of 2026 on Friendship | #046

They were voted Best Duo by the Class of 2026, and if you know Farkhunda Fazelyar (CULP 2026) and Mahwash Sarwari, (IECO 2026), you know why. Ten years of friendship carried across Afghanistan, India, Washington D.C., and Qatar. Different cities, different chapters, the same two people showing up for each other. As we close out our time at GU-Q, they sit down to talk about what it actually takes to keep a friendship alive, through distance, change, and everything in between. This one's for the Class of 2026: on the people who walked with you, and how you hold onto them from here.

The Handoff: Power, Pressure and What Comes Next for SGA | #045

In this episode, outgoing SGA President Ali sits down with Panos, the newly elected 21st president of Georgetown University in Qatar's Student Government Association, to talk about what the job actually looks like the campaigns, the defeats, the WhatsApp wars, and the weight of a title that never quite lets you off the hook. From a joke introduction during room visits to a genuine shot at the presidency, Panos reflects on how he got here. Ali reflects on what he's leaving behind. Together, they talk about what it means to represent a community you cannot always satisfy, and why that tension is, maybe, the whole point. Hosted by Ali Nasir (Class of 2026). Featuring Panos, incoming SGA President (Class of 2027).

Letters from the Front Line: Voices of GU-Q | #044

Spring 2026 may be remembered as one of the most turbulent semesters in Georgetown University in Qatar's history. As missiles fell and the region held its breath, members of the GU-Q community did what communities do. They bore witness, they reached out, and they wrote. This episode documents the lived experiences of students, faculty, and staff navigating an uncertain world from the heart of Doha. Some returned. Some departed. Some stayed behind. Together, their voices paint a portrait of what it meant to be part of GU-Q during what some are already calling the Third Gulf War. Featuring reflections from Zain Assaf (Class of 2023), Ali Nasir (Class of 2026), Maryam Al-Ansari (Class of 2026), Aisha Al-Emadi (Class of 2028), Mohtasim Hafiz (Class of 2029), Professor Magda Rostron, and Professor Ian Almond. Special thanks to Maryam Al-Ansari for conducting interviews across our community and bringing this project to life.

Speaking Truth to Power: Walkout or Speak Up? | #043

She arrived at GU-Q just weeks into her tenure as President of the United Nations General Assembly — a role meant to represent the world's nations equally, impartially, together. But Students for Justice in Palestine weren't there to celebrate the appointment. As Germany's Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock had taken positions on Gaza that they could not let pass quietly into her new chapter. So they didn't. This episode asks the harder questions underneath that choice. What does it cost to speak? What does it cost to stay silent? And as GU-Q continues to shape its identity as a campus with a conscience, what kind of activism is this community willing to hold — and to honor? With contributions from Ahmed Zayed (Class of 2026), Rania Harrara (Class of 2026), Ayet Bouhajeb (Class of 2024), Professor Omar Khalifah, and Professor Gabor Scheiring. Edited by Ibrahim Absar (Class of 2026). Narrated by Remas Alhawari (Class of 2026) and Ibrahim Absar (Class of 2026).

The Gen Z Revolution in Nepal: Bimba Panthi on Writing Lungri | #042

In this episode, we welcome a first for our podcast: a faculty host. Professor Magdalena Rostron sits down with Bimba Panthi (Class of '29), a freshman who has already made his mark as a published author. His book, Lungri, chronicles the Gen Z revolution in Nepal that put young people at the center of the conversation. Bimba takes us behind the pages, sharing what drove him to write the book and what it means to document a generation's uprising from the inside.