HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser with HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani at the graduation ceremony of the Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s Class of 2015 yesterday. PICTURE: AR al-Baker/HHOPL
Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) celebrated the graduation of its Class of 2015 yesterday in the presence of HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, chairperson of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science, and Community Development, at the HBKU Student Centre within Education City.
HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani, other dignitaries, HBKU staff and faculty, deans of the partner universities, and friends and families of the graduates were among the 650 in attendance.
The ceremony, marking the university’s second graduating class, introduced 122 new graduates into the accomplished community of HBKU alumni, who are shaping the future of Qatar and the region.
The Class of 2015 included 14 students from HBKU’s Translation and Interpreting Institute (TII), 80 students from HBKU’s Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies (QFIS), and 28 graduates from the College of Science and Engineering. The Class of 2015 boasts representatives from 25 countries, with each graduating student having contributed their unique creativity to HBKU’s diverse and multicultural student body.
The graduates were awarded master’s degrees from a variety of disciplines: Translation Studies, Energy and Resources, Islamic Studies in Contemporary Fiqh, Contemporary Muslim Thought and Societies, Islamic Studies in Comparative Religions, Public Policy in Islam, Urban Design and Architecture in Muslim Societies, and Islamic Finance. HBKU also recognised participants completing diploma programmes in Islamic Finance and Public Policy in Islam.
Commenting on the graduation of HBKU’s Class of 2015, President Dr Ahmad Hasnah said: “This is a momentous occasion in the life of any student. It is an important part of their educational and professional journey and by graduating with these degrees it enables them to take what they’ve learned in the classroom and integrate it into the workplace.
“We are proud to graduate the Class of 2015. Our graduates leave us equipped with tools and knowledge to face whatever challenges and opportunities that may come their way, whether at work or in their daily lives.
QF’s President, Saad al-Muhannadi, commented: “Today our dynamic cycle of education and research is making a vital contribution to Qatar’s national priorities, while also developing a progressive and engaged community appreciative of its heritage.”
“It is the first-class education offered by HBKU that draws students from around the world to Qatar. This is a testament to the quality of education that we offer here at Education City, and is a clear demonstration of our successful strategy of developing human capital in Qatar, while driving innovation and economic diversification.”
Lolwah al-Khater, HBKU’s Class of 2015 student representative, during the ceremony said: “Today we are 122 graduates. 122 dreams achieved and 122 beliefs that the future of tomorrow will become more beautiful. Each of us has our own individual story which is stored in our hearts. Some of these stories begin on a different continent or from students who speak a different language, but all of these stories intersect in one place known as Hamad bin Khalifa University.”
With 81 students graduating in the Class of 2014, the growing HBKU alumni network is some 203 strong as the university looks toward the start of the next academic year.
