HEC Paris honoured the graduating classes of 2020 and 2021 for its International Executive MBA (EMBA) and the Specialised Master’s in Strategic Business Unit Management (SBUM) degree programmes, during a virtual convocation ceremony organised by Qatar Foundation (QF) on May 27, under the theme *We are one.

In total, 165 HEC Paris in Qatar graduates were honoured – 94 graduating from the International Executive MBA programme and 71 from the Specialised Master’s in Strategic Business Unit Management.

Qataris made up the majority of the graduating contingent, of which 115 were women.

This takes to 797 the total number of students to graduate from HEC Paris in Qatar since it joined the QF in 2010, according to a press statement.

“Our graduates have studied during a rare moment of disruption, an event that happens once in a century, leaving a mark on the world forever,” said HEC Paris in Qatar dean Dr Pablo Martin de Holan.

“Their journey has been an exceptional one,” he said. “They overcame the challenges and demonstrated a spirit hallmarked by dedication, resilience, courage, and determination – the traits that characterise HEC Paris alumni in their never ending quest for lifelong learning.”

The graduates themselves hailed their HEC Paris in Qatar experiences as illuminating, from national, economic, business and societal perspectives.

“My studies at HEC Paris in Qatar shone a light on the commitment that is needed in working in the competitive private sector, which is being prioritised by our government as part of the wide-scale economic diversification process,” said Marzooq T al-Shamlan, EMBA 2020 Class, Group chief executive at Marzooq S Al-Shamlan Holding.

“I have learnt that financing is not a silver bullet for the success of a private project, no matter how passionate an entrepreneur is, but that start-ups must back their instincts with solid research and market studies to fully evaluate the likelihood of success before embarking on any risk or seeking investment support,” he added.

Rustum Khawaja, a 2020 EMBA graduate and business analyst at the Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority, welcomed his return to the classroom after 10 years since completing his Bachelor’s degree.

“It was a pleasure to learn with, and from, a class full of ambitious, intelligent and hardworking peers,” he said. “It reminds one that even while juggling work and family life, if time is managed correctly, you can make space for further education.”

“My HEC Paris experience exceeded my expectations and my classmates went from peers to friends," Khawaja added.