Stenden University of Applied Sciences-Qatar yesterday held its 18th graduation congregation at the amphitheatre of Katara - the Cultural Village Foundation - Katara, celebrating the achievements of 74 graduates.
Twenty-two of the graduates comprise the first batch of Master’s Degree holders of the university.
The ceremony, which was held under the patronage of HE Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim al-Thani, was attended by distinguished guests, parents of the graduating students and alumni.
HE Sheikh Faisal congratulated all the graduates and their families and said: “As you achieve today an important stage of your education life, I hope you appreciate the value of the tireless efforts made to prepare you for this stage, and that you will be qualified to do your duty towards the nation and the completion of the process of its growth and prosperity.
“Whether you are planning to enter the labour market or continue your higher education, I am confident that you have made a better choice for your future and that of your country and its development. I wish to advise our graduates not to forget the importance of the scientific edifice from which they are graduating today, and the graciousness of their parents and guardians, and all the individuals who had a role in completing this stage of their education.”
Stenden Qatar had, as keynote speaker for this year’s graduation congregation, Katara general manager Prof Khalid bin Ibrahim al-Sulaiti. He said in his speech, “Dear graduates, this ceremony has already shown us how capable we all are, of accomplishing our goals when we commit ourselves to them. I hope all of us here today can take this personal accomplishment as an example of how anything is truly possible when we work hard and put our minds to it.
“I challenge all of you to take what you have learned in your university degree and go out from this place with passion, with a driven determination to use your knowledge and skills to make a difference to the lives of your families, your communities and to contribute
significantly to the economic, social and culture of your communities.”
Dr Ivan Ninov, executive dean of Stenden University-Qatar, gave a speech in which he also congratulated the graduates: “It is my great pleasure and honour to sincerely congratulate you and your families for this wonderful achievement. By looking at our large number of prominent alumni, we can say with certainty that we have been able to prepare you for a successful life and career.
“We are confident that you are culturally intelligent, you can solve problems, you can think independently and you can lead. Your future accomplishments will become the most important indicator of the quality of our academic programmes and will become a great motivator for the next generation.”
A message was delivered on behalf of Wayne Johnson, director of Internationalisation at NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences. In his message, he advised the graduates: “You have learnt many lessons and taken many tests but tonight I want you to know that your real learning starts when you leave the class. If this global crisis has taught us anything, it is the importance of being adaptable, resilient, persevering and most importantly, to overcome any challenge, we need to learn to work together to face the challenges of a very dynamic and changing world in which we live. Your degree is very important, but your attitude is even more important.”
The ceremony closed with the valedictorian speeches of the top graduate from the Master’s programmes - Ghadir al-Sheebani, and the top graduate from the Bachelor’s programmes - Salma Moustafa.
Dignitaries and officials with graduates.
