QU CELEBRATES 44TH BATCH OF GRADUATES

UNDER the patronage of the Amir His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Qatar University (QU) celebrated the graduation ceremony of its 44th batch at the university’s Sport and Events Complex on Monday.

This year, 3,648 students graduate as part of QU’s Class of 2021, among whom 828 male students graduated at a ceremony on Monday in the presence of HH the Amir, who honoured 126 distinguished male students.

Considering the current pandemic, safety and precautionary measures approved by the state were observed during the event.

In his speech on this occasion, President of QU Dr Hassan bin Rashid Al Derham said, “As we celebrate the 44th class of Qatar University graduates, our dear country is witnessing a comprehensive renaissance that would not have been possible without the concerted efforts of the people of this country and their alignment behind its leadership from the time of the founder to the present time. Qatar University has the honour of contributing to the realisation of this renaissance by preparing generations of competencies, whose number exceeds 57,000, who contributed to building a free and dear homeland. Today, we celebrate a new batch of 3,648 male and female graduates to join this blessed march in the development of our dear country.

“As we witness the success of our state and our rational government in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, Qatar University has also succeeded in continuing to carry out its mission and roles in teaching students through an integrated teaching system, which was effective without violating the precautionary measures to ensure the safety of the students and the professors.

“This is in addition to the continuity of the university research programmes and relations with local and international partners. There is no doubt that the efforts made by the faculty and the staff at Qatar University, represented an important factor that led to this success. What I would like to emphasise is that the university adopted plans and policies that enabled it to respond to the challenges of the pandemic and its effects, through flexibility and effective building.”

Addressing HH the Amir, Dr Derham said, “When I talk about such success achieved by the university, it is necessary to refer to Your Highness’s vision foreseeing the future, when you directed seven years ago to establish the first national medical college at the university. Today, we are witnessing the graduation ceremony of its first batch.

“The day that this assignment was issued by Your Highness, the university felt the magnitude of this challenge and made every effort to be worthy of your confidence. The university designed the colleges programmes through a unique approach, based on learning through problem solving. The university also attracted a distinguished group of academic experts, known for their excellence in education and medical practice.”

Discussing QU’s achievements in the health field, Dr Derham said, “Today, we are reaping the fruits of these efforts through our success in preparing and graduating highly-qualified and distinguished physicians, which qualified them to join the residency programmes at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) and Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC), despite the strict international standards adopted by these two institutions.

“We have no doubt that the level of graduates of the College of Medicine at Qatar University places them in the ranks of the graduates of medical schools in the most prestigious international universities. Thanks to the guidance of His Highness and the support of the university’s Board of Regents, the university succeeded not only in establishing the first national medical college, but we also succeeded in establishing a healthy community consisting of the College of Health Sciences, Medicine, Pharmacy and Dental Medicine. This unique gathering has helped build a real partnership with health institutions in the country, which has enabled the university to have an effective contribution to confront the pandemic. Here, I cannot fail to thank the Ministry of Public Health for its support in establishing the College of Medicine and the QU Health cluster.”

Dr Derham also noted another example of its partnerships with various state institutions, noting QU’s collaboration with the Ministry of Defence, represented by the

oaan Bin assim oint Command and Staff College, which witnessed the graduation of its first pioneering class of students holding a Master’s degree in defence studies.

He added that in the field of training and continued education, the Community Service and Continuing Education Center (CCE) at the university offers more than 400 training courses and preparation programmes for professionals that contribute to raising the efficiency of trainees through the latest training methods used globally.

Talking about QU’s placement in international rankings, Dr Derham said, “These efforts have been reflected in the university’s progress in the list of the world’s best universities. According to the QS rankings (Quacquarelli Symonds World University Ranking 2022), the university ranked 224 globally. The university also ranked second best in the Arab world according to the Times Higher Education rankings. This great achievement would not have been possible without the grace of Allah (SWT) and had it not been for the guidance and diligent follow-up of the University’s Board of Regents and the continued support of the government.” Speaking to the graduates, Dr Derham said, “Do not forget that graduating is the beginning of the journey to build yourself and your future and give back to your country. The university has provided you with all the knowledge, science, skills, values and characteristics you need in order to be able to enter the labour market with the best standards and have the qualifications to be a distinguished presence in public life and to contribute effectively to the overall development of your community and your country as well.”

As a representative on behalf of the 44th graduating class, Salman Al Ahbabi, a graduate from the College of Arts and Sciences, said: “I am honoured, on behalf of the graduates, to speak on this joyful day. The happiest moment in a student’s life is when he obtains his degree after many years of hard work. Today, we are here, coming from different places and disciplines we have entered from different doors, aiming to build our country in terms of knowledge and culture.”

It is worth noting the host of the ceremony was Dr Turkey Al Marri, professor in the College of Sharia and Islamic Studies.

As QU graduates its 44th cohort of graduates, the university continues to chronicle a long history spanning decades in which it contributes heavily to Qatar’s development and prosperity, through boosting the labour market with qualified graduates.

QU’s new strategy places an emphasis on elevating the student experience by placing QU as a pioneer and a leading educational institution in the higher education sector in Qatar and abroad. QU is committed to providing quality education in areas of national priority, moving towards building a knowledge-based society.

The ceremony included a video screening produced by Qatar University, where the public learned about the university’s vision and the most important achievements of its students.