Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q) inducted its first-year students to university life at its annual new student convocation, a formal ceremony witnessed by friends, family, and members of the GU-Q community.
Hailing from more than 40 countries, the 124 incoming students in the Class of 2026 proudly represent diverse academic experiences and cultural backgrounds, but share a common passion for scholarship and service to their communities.


Dean Clyde Wilcox speaking at the event

GU-Q dean Dr Clyde Wilcox congratulated the 124 on the start of their higher education journey, and reflected on the special significance of this academic year marked by the culmination of Qatar’s plans to host the FIFA World Cup, and a shift in the attention of the nation towards its next stage of development.
“Think of your time here as a critical incubation period for developing your character, maturity, and identity, a chance to engage in the types of inclusive dialogue and analysis which will allow you to contribute ideas which will lead to more just societies in the future,” he said.
President of Georgetown University in Washington, DC, Dr John J DeGioia, said: “Our way of life is characterised by values that bind us together, a commitment to academic excellence and the pursuit of knowledge, a commitment to engagement and dialogue, a commitment to our communities of faith, and a commitment to service, to serving each other, our communities, and our world.”
The ceremony included a faculty welcome, delivered by associate professor and director of international economics Dr Alexis Antoniades, and a welcome from the student body was delivered by Jood Ikram Sheikh and John Ewotu.
The event that featured a procession, national anthems, and the reading of the university charter was the culmination of a week-long student orientation programme.