(MENAFN- The Peninsula) The Peninsula
Doha: The Vice Chairperson and CEO of Qatar Foundation (QF), and the Chairperson of Hamad Bin Khalifa University's (HBKU) Board of Trustees, H E Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, witnessed as the university honoured the Class of 2023 in a graduation ceremony celebrating multidisciplinary innovation, entrepreneurship, and a commitment to finding cross-cutting solutions for complex challenges.
The ceremony was attended by the Speaker of the Shura Council H E Hassan bin Abdulla Al Ghanim along with several government officials, the deans of HBKU's six colleges, members of the university's staff and faculty, as well as the families and friends of the graduates.
Held at the Qatar National Convention Centre yesterday, the ceremony saw HBKU award degrees to 241 distinguished students. All the graduates completed programmes from the university's six colleges: the College of Islamic Studies (CIS), College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS), College of Science and Engineering (CSE), College of Law (CL), College of Health and Life Sciences (CHLS), and the College of Public Policy (CPP).
The multicultural Class of 2023 represented 41 nationalities and featured 152 female and 89 male graduates, including 59 Qatari graduates - almost 25% of this year's cohort.
This year's graduation ceremony also featured the HBKU Excellence Awards, which acknowledge remarkable achievements and excellence by HBKU faculty. Sheikha Hind presented the awards onstage in three categories: the Research Excellence Award, which recognizes outstanding research that has received recognition from the wider academic community; the Teaching Excellence Award, which honors exceptional pedagogy; and the Service Excellence Award, which celebrates exceptional service to the university and its community.
Dr. Omar Albagha, Professor at CHLS and Acting Executive Director at HBKU's Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI) and Dr. Issa M Khalil, Principal Scientist at HBKU's Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI) were awarded the Research Excellence Awards. Dr. Yusuf Bicer, Associate Professor at CSE, was honored with the Teaching Excellence Award, and Dr. Amine Bermak, Professor and Associate Dean at CSE, was presented with the Service Excellence Award.
In his opening remarks, Dr. Ahmad M. Hasnah, HBKU President, said:“Science and education are neither separate nor abstract, but rooted in human values. They nevertheless differ in their interpretation of these values and our understanding of our world. Within our culture and religion, science and education are also linked to a divine concept that answers what the human mind cannot. This concept links science, education, and knowledge to the goal of creation, which is the architecture of the universe.”
The keynote speaker, Minister of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, H E Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al Khulaifi, said:“Despite being a relatively young university, HBKU has already claimed an esteemed reputation among its peers throughout the region and across the world. The university has steadily expanded its program offerings to cover a wide array of disciplines, providing the Qatari labour market with many skilled graduates in fields critical to national development.”
Fatma Al Taweel, a graduate from the College of Law's LL.M. in International Law and Foreign Affairs programme said:“We are privileged to receive academic degrees from HBKU. From its leadership through to teaching and administrative staff, everyone supports the university's vision to become a pioneer in postgraduate education and research that fosters innovative and impactful solutions for the challenges facing Qatar and the world.”
At the heart of HBKU's institutional commitment to innovation, research and entrepreneurship are its 40 academic programmes, which span multiple disciplines and align with five key focus areas: Precision Health, Artificial Intelligence, Progressive Education, Sustainability, and Social Progress.
The graduates now join HBKU's illustrious alumni community, whose members are directly involved in building capacities addressing areas of national and global importance in Qatar and beyond. They will enjoy strong support even after their graduation, with the Office of Student Affairs and HBKU Alumni Association recently inaugurating the first annual Alumni Reunion event, launching a platform for the university's alumni to network and celebrate their achievements together.