UCQ sets milestone with 150 nursing graduates

A total of 150 nursing students earned their undergraduate or graduate nursing degrees at University of Calgary in Qatar (UCQ)’s 2017 Convocation ceremony, held at the Qatar National Convention Centre on Sunday.Professors, family members, friends and dignitaries from Qatar’s health and education spheres celebrated 136 Bachelor of Nursing (BN) and 14 Master of Nursing (MN) graduates at the convocation, UCQ’s eighth.Along with the university’s other alumni, the new cohort of University of Calgary in Qatar graduates will contribute to the success of the health goals of Qatar National Vision 2030, UCQ has said in a press statement.The convocation ceremony was attended by HE the Minister of Education and Higher Education Dr Mohamed Abdul Wahed Ali al-Hammadi along with Sheikha Aisha bint Khalid bin Hamad al-Thani, Sheikha Mariam bint Abdulrahman bin Hassan al-Abdulrahman al-Thani, and other dignitaries.University of Calgary chancellor Dr Robert Thirsk noted: “Our university, with the generous support of the State of Qatar, strives to provide our students with the knowledge and resources necessary to become leaders in this honourable profession. This is the beginning of a journey for our graduates.”With the completion of the 2017 Convocation ceremony, 438 students have earned their BN degrees from UCQ while 28 have graduated from UCQ’s MN programme.Qataris make up 16% of the university’s alumni network.“It is amazing to see 150 of our students move on to the next phase of their nursing journey,” UCQ dean and chief executive Dr Deborah White said.Guest speaker Dr Sheikh Mohamed bin Hamad al-Thani, director of Public Health at the Ministry of Public Health, honoured the graduates’ achievements during his address.The University of Calgary in Qatar also honoured two graduates with the university’s highest academic distinction, the Gold and Silver medallions.The university’s Gold Medal for academic achievement in the Bachelor of Nursing, Regular Track programme, was awarded to Mihirani Chandraratne, while Maryam Ghlamreza Fatemi was awarded the Silver Medal for academic achievement in the Post Diploma Bachelor of Nursing programme.“The environment at UCQ consists of knowledgeable professors, state-of-the-art equipment, educational resources and continuous support,” said Shaikha al-Qhatani, the first Qatari graduate from UCQ’s MN Thesis programme. “This experience enables us to gain more knowledge and skills and ensure we are prepared for our future as nurses in Qatar,” al-Qahtani added.Established in 2007 and nearing its 10th anniversary, UCQ has educated more than 400 nurses, significantly increasing the local talent pool.More than 400 students are currently registered in the University of Calgary in Qatar’s BN and MN programmes.