Her Highness Sheikha Jowaher bint Hamad bin Suhaim al-Thani, Consort of His Highness the Amir, patronised the graduation ceremony of Qatar University's (QU) 46th batch of distinguished female students at the QU Sports and Events Complex, which included 499 distinguished female students.
This year, there are 3,147 female graduates from a total of 3,913, who have graduated from the following academic degrees: bachelor's, diploma, master's, doctorate, and doctor of pharmacy. The ceremony included graduates of the following semesters: Summer 2022, Fall 2022 and Winter 2023, as well as those expected to graduate Spring 2023.
The ceremony was attended by a number of sheikhs and ministers, along with members of the university's Board of Trustees, QU vice-presidents, and the graduates' guardians, the official Qatar News Agency reported.
During the ceremony, Her Highness honoured the 499 outstanding students, while QU president Dr Hassan Rashid al-Derham handed over certificates to the 3,147 graduates in various disciplines.
A film about the academic journey of female students was screened on the occasion, in addition to highlighting the achievements and accomplishments of QU during the 2022-2023 academic year as well as the most prominent activities, programmes and research innovations in various fields.
The ceremony included a speech by Dr al-Derham and another speech delivered by student Noura Fahad al-Dosari, who spoke on behalf of the female graduates.
"As QU graduates its 46th cohort of graduates, the university continues to chronicle a long history spanning decades in which it contributes heavily to Qatar’s development and prosperity, through boosting the labour market with qualified graduates," QU said in a press statement.
In his speech on the occasion, Dr al-Derham said: “Today, we celebrate the 46th graduation, since the establishment of Qatar University in 1977, where we graduate a new cohort of 3,913 students, to join the ranks of the more than 64,000 graduates before them, and who had the honour of contributing to the construction and development of this dear country.”
He continued, “Qatar University remains the vessel of development and renaissance for society in general, and for Qatari women in particular. The university has provided the Qatari state and society with consecutive groups of outstanding female graduates who participated and shared with their male brothers in many important fields, in order to achieve the comprehensive development and renaissance of our dear country, Qatar.”
“Qatar University recognises its responsibility as the national university and its role as a major source for supplying the job market with the necessary competencies to achieve the state's development plans and as a home of expertise that benefits all sectors of the state and society. In this context, Qatar
University’s previously implemented transformational strategy was a success, leading the university to achieve most of its desired goals. Currently, the university is on the verge of approving its strategic plan for the next phase, in line with the Third National Development Strategy (2023-2030).”
Al-Dosari, class representative on behalf of the 46th graduating class and a graduate from the College of Law, said on the occasion, “I stand before you, proud and full of happiness, representing the graduates of the 46th batch of Qatar University. My sisters, ‘The human being is the most important building block of a nation and its greatest investment. Qatar has invested in its youth, it progresses by you and looks forward to you.’ These are the words of His Highness the Amir.
“We have experienced many challenges and difficulties during our university career. However, we did not surrender, and we continued to excel, with diligence and creativity. ‘You have a future’, a statement said to me by one of the distinguished professors, which illuminated my path, and I realised very well that I am on the right track, despite the magnitude of the responsibilities. Undoubtedly, each of us suffered pressures, and went through challenges, perhaps intensified for some of us, so that the whole university future is at stake, but we succeeded in achieving what we saw yesterday as a dream.”
Zainab Mohamed al-Mahmoud, host of the ceremony and a member of the QU faculty, Arabic department, College of Arts and Sciences, added: “We are pleased and honoured to live with you these great moments, as Qatar University celebrates a new batch of outstanding graduates. We appreciate their efforts and the efforts of all those who supported them.”