(MENAFN- The Peninsula) The Peninsula
Doha, Qatar: Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q), a Qatar Foundation partner, honoured the academic success of 119 undergraduate students from 38 countries including Qatar and 21 graduate students from Qatar at a commencement ceremony on May 9, 2024.
The ceremony was held at the Qatar National convention Centre, where family, friends, university faculty and staff, and dignitaries from Qatar and Georgetown University in Washington, DC, came together to celebrate the proud milestone. Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth, and People with Disabilities of South Africa, delivered the keynote address with an inspiring message.
She urged graduates,“As you rise, you must lift someone with you. The world needs stars. And you are going to be stars, but you must create many more [of] yourselves.”
Later in her speech, she shared her vision for the future:“We hope that by the time you are my age, your children and your grandchildren will be living in a better world, one that you would have contributed to create...with other young people across the world.”
In his remarks to the graduating class, GU-Q Dean Dr. Safwan Masri commended their achievements, saying,“I hope you are as proud of yourselves as we are of you. Thank you for enriching our lives, for expanding our minds, and for opening our hearts...we are immensely grateful and honoured to see Georgetown's legacy of providing education that positively impacts the world, in each of you.”
The ceremony featured the traditional conferral of degrees by Georgetown University President Dr. John J. DeGioia. School of Foreign Service (SFS) Dean Joel Hellman presented the candidates from the four-year Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service programme, with majors in Culture and Politics, International Economics, International History, and International Politics.
Dean Safwan Masri presented the Executive Master's in Diplomacy and International Affairs candidates, praising their negotiation and problem-solving skills as vital for leadership roles in Qatar and beyond.
Preceding the commencement, the Tropaia awards ceremony, a revered Georgetown tradition, recognised the exceptional academic and service achievements of seniors, faculty, and staff. Addressing her classmates, senior speaker Ayet Bouhajeb reflected on lessons from a student journey that began during a pandemic and ended amid significant regional conflicts, encouraging peers to apply their Georgetown skills and knowledge for humanity's benefit.“Let us use our voices, our skills, and our knowledge to make a positive impact on the world, to stand in solidarity with those who suffer, and to work towards a future where peace, justice, and equality reign supreme,” she said.
Since its inception in 2005, GU-Q has been a vibrant extension of Georgetown's global community, celebrating nearly two decades of academic excellence in Qatar and the region. GU-Q offers the renowned SFS curriculum, giving students from across the globe an opportunity for a world-class, holistic education in international affairs.
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