Participants of GORD seminars and workshops to earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs) which is the mandatory credentialing requirement for membership’s grades.

Gulf Organization for Research and Development (GORD, Qatar's leading research, consultancy and training institute, in collaboration with renowned lighting consultancy Hoare Lea, has announced that it will organize an exclusive seminar exploring “Building Lighting System; designs, best practices & QSAS compliance” at the Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC) on March 17, 2012. High-profile experts will participate in the seminar as keynote speakers.

Dr. Yousef Mohammed Al-Horr, Founding Chairman of GORD, explained that the exclusive seminar is part of a series of initiatives and activities under the GORD Institute’s QSAS – Continuing Professional Development (QSAS – CPD Program under the umbrella of GORD Institute that aims to offer membership and certification programs designed to meet the continuing education requirements of professionals working in the construction industry.

Al-Horr said: “GORD Institute has launched the QSAS – CPD Program to validate practitioners’ knowledge and skills, and to enhance their experience and competitiveness through seminars that are developed and delivered in association with globally recognized consultants, researchers and professors. Such seminars also allow them to earn 1 Continuing Education Unit (CEU), which is the membership grades’ mandatory credentialing requirement and progression requisites to higher QSAS qualification levels. To earn credits, the individual must have attended GORD/QSAS­­-sponsored seminars and other recognized CPD activities.”

QSAS – CPD program’s recognized CPD activities include practical project participations; attendance to public training workshops and in-house workshops; performing QSAS criteria project assessments and QSAS project reviews; participation in GORD technical conference and QSAS technical committee undertakings; online training; attendance to public seminars and conferences; and professional institutions formal engagement.

The seminar will discuss two main topics. The first topic is about “The Indoor Environment and Complementing Interior Architecture and External Facades” and will cover two sessions titled “The Art of Light (Natural & Artificial” and “The Science and Technology of Natural and Artificial Lighting”. The second topic “Compliance with QSAS – covering Lighting Pollution, Lighting Controls, Indoor Environment and Daylight” will also cover two sessions titled “Artificial Lighting QSAS Compliance – Internal and External” and “Daylight and QSAS Compliance”.

Dr. Yousef Al-Horr added: “The seminar is strategically important because it offers an interactive platform that brings together international experts in lighting design and compliance strategy with QSAS. Optimising the use of daylight is now one of the most important criteria in building architecture and design, a trend that has been influenced by growing concerns over environmental preservation and energy conservation. GORD has organised the seminar to help certified green professionals expand their understanding of natural and artificial lighting as part of their continuing professional development.”

Dr Axel Jacobs, Daylight Principal, Hoare Lea Lighting, said: “The seminar organized by GORD provides an excellent opportunity to discuss the recent advances in lighting technology and technique that are reshaping the way we incorporate lighting components in the design of buildings and other structures. We certainly look forward to collaborating with GORD for similar programs in the future that will support the continuing professional development of QSAS-Certified Green ProfessionalsTM (QSAS-CGPsTM) and other green practitioners in Qatar and across the Middle East.”

Also speaking at the seminar are David Linville-Boud, Executive Lighting Designer, Hoare Lea Lighting; and Dr. Axel Jacobs, Daylight Principal, Hoare Lea Daylight. They will be joined by Tony Kinsey, Export Manager, Mode Lighting; and Juan Ferrari, Executive Lighting Designer and Lead Interior Lighting Designer at Sidra Hospital.

Al-Horr pointed out that the QSAS – CPD program offers five levels of QSAS Qualifications based on Continuing Education Units (CEUs), which is the membership grades’ mandatory credentialing requirement and progression requisites to higher QSAS qualification levels.

Al-Horr said that the hierarchy of five QSAS qualification levels are Green Card, Certificate, Advanced Certificate, Diploma and Advanced Diploma. He explained that the Green Card is given to candidates who have completed the certification scheme for QSAS- Associate CGPs or have attended the QSAS-CGP workshops but did not take the QSAS exam, whereas the Certificate requires attendance to QSAS-CGP workshop and passing the QSAS exam. Completion of theoretical knowledge and practical experience on QSAS implementation through obtaining of CEUs are required for the Advanced Certificate, Diploma and Advanced Diploma practitioners. Al-Horr further underlined the significance of QSAS as the Middle East’s first integrated and performance-based system. He added: “We are confident that QSAS will play a vital role in encouraging QSAS implementation in the urban environment and supporting the long-term comprehensive development in Qatar and the region.”

Al-Horr explained that GORD offers QSAS certification schemes aiming at helping professionals obtain various theoretical knowledge and practical skills and experience on QSAS implementation. He further revealed that the institute will offer different types of certificates in the future in collaboration with government entities that are responsible for regulating and granting formal certification needed to work in the green building and sustainability industry.

The institute offers Associate Certified Green Professional (ACGP) and Certified Green Professional (CGP) certifications to candidates who have developed their knowledge and skills related to QSAS project management through participation in one of the three-day QSAS workshops and successfully passing the exam. It also offers typology and discipline-based QSAS certification schemes covering areas such as neighborhood and parks; sports; hotels; mosque; education; construction; light industry; urban planning; civil engineering; architecture; mechanical engineering; electrical engineering; environmental engineering and science; and acoustics.