CNA-Q’s 15th graduation ceremony was held under the patronage of HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani.
The event was attended by HE the Minister of Education and Higher Education Dr Mohamed Abdul Wahed Ali al-Hammadi, former minister of Energy and Industry and Chair of the CNA-Q Board of Trustees HE Dr Mohamed bin Saleh al-Sada; HE the Minister of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs Yousuf bin Mohamed al-Othman Fakhro, CNA-Q president Dr Khalifa bin Nasser al-Khalifa and members of CNA-Q’s Board of Trustees.
According to CNA-Q, the students graduated from more than 35 programmes – each tailored to the needs of the country’s economy.
The number of graduates in each discipline include: 150 from Business Studies, 172 from Engineering Technology, 93 from Health Science, 60 from Information Technology programmes and 84 in the Technician Certificate programme.
“It is a profound success for the college to celebrate the milestone of its largest class at the 15th graduation ceremony. We are so pleased to see strong, capable graduates enter the Qatari workforce year after year,” Dr al-Khalifa said.
“As a national college, these graduates are the reason we are here – to continue to offer a high-quality technical and vocational education.
Our graduates are shining examples of the potential and capability of this great nation,” he noted.
“As the future leaders, with the credentials they receive tonight, these students will become the leaders that Qatar has envisioned in the National Vision 2030.”
Dr al-Sada congratulated the graduates on their academic accomplishments saying they are ready “for the labour market, and to take responsibility for serving Qatar and your countries.”
“CNA-Q has equipped you with knowledge, skills, and competencies, in addition to self-confidence in taking responsibility in the decision making so as to arrive at suitable solutions required for the labour market. These are characteristics of CNA-Q graduates and what the labour market needs,” he stressed.
“Currently, the total number of graduates is more than 6,000, most of whom contribute to the Qatar National Vision 2030, while the others work, or continue their studies abroad,” Dr al-Sada said.
He noted that CNA-Q started with a team of 50 instructors in 2002 and has now grown to approximately 500.
The number of graduates, has increased from 71, in the first group in 2005, to 559 graduates this year.
Dr al-Sada also cited the recently signed, updated agreement with College of the North Atlantic, which will replace the previous agreement where the management of the college will be transferred to Qatar, while the academic aspect will remain within CNA in Canada.
In the past six months, he said the college has been conducting a restructuring process.
“In addition to that, academic and administrative policies needed for the next stage have been developed in accordance with Qatari laws and regulations.”
Dr al-Sada noted that CNA-Q’s ‘Business Gateway’ centre, which was launched as an ‘Entrepreneurship Centre’, is the first of its kind regarding higher educational institutions in Qatar, and largely serves the student and labour markets.
The college is also in the process of establishing other vocational centres.
He said the college has signed several agreements to provide vocational academic services for military sectors, including the Qatar Amiri Navy and the National Service Committee Office.
It co-operated with industry, energy and transportation sectors in designing and presenting specialised vocational programs and providing vocational diplomas.
CNA-Q is one of the oldest post-secondary institutions in the country, founded in 2002 after a world-wide search to bring the best technical education to Qatar in support of the energy and industry sector.
HE Dr Mohamed bin Saleh al-Sada addresses the CNA-Q’s graduation ceremony yesterday at QNCC. PICTURES: Noushad Thekkayil