ACK holds graduation ceremony
43 students of the Australian College of Kuwait (ACK) graduated on Monday. The graduation ceremony was held under the auspices of the Minister of Education and Higher Education Dr Hamed Al-Azmi at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel.
Prof Isam Zabalawi, President of ACK said that this is the graduation of a new cohort of the ACK students, and to confer upon them their degrees as an acknowledgement and endorsement for all the hard work they have put in during the past few years. “We are here to honor their achievements, whether joining their predecessors in the public or private sectors, or in pursuing their higher education or in developing their own startups as innovators or entrepreneurs,” he noted.
“Tonight, is an occasion not only for our graduates, but also for their families and friends, our partners from Australia and Canada, academic faculty members, members of our administrative body and all who are present with us tonight,” added Zabalawi.
“I would like to welcome you all, and specially the members of the Board of Trustees, Australian Embassy counsel and the delegates from Central Queensland University and Cape Breton University who played a major role in leading the students today to receive internationally recognized qualifications. Without the diligent and effective ACK management including our board of trustees, administrators, the faculty members, the students and the alumni we would not have reached this educational status that the ACK has achieved,” he pointed out.
At ACK, the primary core value is to “Enable human potential within a culture of care”. This in conjunction with ACK’s vision: “To generate human capital equipped with practical knowledge and employability skills that contributes to the economic development and welfare of Kuwait” are the underpinning pillars of the ACK brand. ACK is based on the principle that learning is the vehicle that we as students, faculty members and staff use in order to know, to do, to be and to live together and to transform our society,” he explained.
Zabalawi concluded with a message for all of the graduates, parents, colleagues, and members of the administrative body. “The ACK is proud of you and of the knowledge, attributes and employability skills you have acquired, enabling you to work in a modern and authentic environment. At ACK our conducive environment energizes you to meet the needs of the workplace and to have a positive attitude as well as the consciousness associated with the social and ethical responsibilities”.
Alastair Dawson spoke on behalf of the strategic academic partners for ACK offering congratulations to the latest cohort of graduates for this college. “As a group, we have been working with your College, ACK for a number of years now and collectively have continued to be impressed with the growing high quality of programs, academics and graduates. Today as you celebrate your graduation, I encourage you to enjoy your moment. This is a moment you will remember throughout your life. On this occasion I leave you with this message: Never stop learning, Seek wisdom from wherever you can find it, share what you know with others, and above all be kind. From this day forward, the real learning of life begins,” she stated.
Dr Sa’ad Al Omari Chairman of the Board of Trustees expressed his sadness for the passing of our founding chairman, Abdullah Al-Sharhan. “Words fail to express the extent of my debt and gratitude to Al-Sharhan and I will strive with all my energy to keep true to his vision for this college and our country. I am honoured to welcome the esteemed members of our Board of Trustees and our international partners from Australia and Canada,” he noted.
“I would like to thank the Private Universities Council for their guidance and support. Also special thanks to our faculty and staff, all those who are in attendance tonight, our students and their families and guests. To our students I say: you have worked very hard, with honesty and integrity, to be here tonight. You have earned not only your academic qualification, but also the right to go forth into the world and to shape it,” he added.
Mahsa Rahimi represented the class of 2019. “Tonight is a special, momentous night for all of us graduates, teachers and parents. We are harvesting our hard-work and efforts that we have built over the years. We all did it. We have accomplished one of many milestones of our lives. I joined ACK four years ago. A fresh high school graduate, And here I am today, graduating from the School of Business with a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing. ACK opened all the doors of opportunities for us. ACK was more than just studies; it has taught us patience, perseverance, independence and commitment. It is a place where I built upon my experiences and shaped my personality,” she stressed.
Mohannad elsayed spoke on behalf of his fellow graduates. “Thank you all for celebrating this special day with us. I thank my instructors, and all staff members at the Australian College of Kuwait and my parents for their continuous support. I can’t forget how I felt when I first saw the aircraft, and when I was informed that we will be responsible for repairing it as aviation students. I can’t deny that I was nervous about carrying such a responsibility, but at the same time, I was excited about the experience. Moreover, being a part of a new environment, I learned how to depend on myself to study and to explore the different aspects of aviation,” highlighted elsayed.
“Truly, ACK is our second home that witnessed most of our encounters, success, and challenges that we have faced. At ACK, we were prepared to learn, explore and get to know ourselves. I have to mention that practicing in the aviation school workshop and hangar made me more confident and well prepared for my internship at Kuwait Airways. This experience made me proud of being part of the ACK community,” he concluded.