Written by Emi Boldor ’25
Emi Boldor ‘25 recently traveled to Doha, Qatar using her Park Enrichment Grant funding to learn about how Qatar’s infrastructure has been impacted by the 2022 World Cup. She reflected on her amazing trip and what she learned.
Emi Boldor, Class of 2025
Hometown: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Major: Civil Engineering and International Studies, Global Relations
I have always loved traveling, and learning about new cultures. I am Romanian-American, and grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Earlier this year I had the amazing opportunity to travel to Doha, Qatar on Park Enrichment Grant Funding to learn about how their infrastructure has been impacted by the 2022 World Cup.
While in Qatar, I visited all of the stadiums, used all public transportation methods possible, and interviewed locals, residents, game attendees and civil engineers. I also visited the National Museum of Qatar, Museum of Islamic Art, and got a sneak peak at Qatar Auto Museum.
I found out about this opportunity because I have an extended family member who worked as a civil engineer for the metro project in Doha. He mentioned to me that he spent years, nearly a decade, working on the project, and that it was essentially a project meant for the World Cup.
This got me wondering, what else was built for use during the World Cup? What happens to all of the infrastructure afterwards, once the many game attendees leave? Qatar is a rich country, but not a wasteful one, so I assumed that they would be used somehow. So, I set out to find out what exactly for. I viewed it as a unique opportunity because the World Cup will not take place for four more years. Furthermore, Qatar as a host country was unique, because usually, the stadiums and games are spread out over multiple cities, rather than concentrated into one single one. So, it presented a one-of-a-kind opportunity for study.
I have always had an interest in transportation infrastructure, and both of my research experiences have been in the transportation field thus far. However, I now view it on a much larger scale. Rather than it being project by project, method by method, I see it in a larger context, such as how it fits within a city, and how it can be adjusted according to what events are happening.
I am so very grateful to the Park Program for their support. After hearing my idea to visit Qatar, my Park Faculty Mentor was very encouraging and looked over my grant once it was complete. I appreciate that Park understood how this was an unbelievably unique opportunity and funded the trip by awarding me a Park Enrichment Grant.
I learned so many things on this trip. I am still working to organize my notes and thoughts into a coherent form. So, stay tuned! I will share everything at the Fall 2023 All-Park meeting.