(MENAFN- The Peninsula) The Peninsula
Doha, Qatar: The Doha Institute for graduate Studies (DI) celebrated the graduation of its eighth cohort of master's students on Saturday, May 18, 2024.
The ceremony was attended by the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, along with several distinguished ministers and VIPs, in addition to DI Board of Trustees Chairman and some of the esteemed Board members.
The ceremony was led by the DI President and the deans with the participation of the faculty, staff, the graduates and their families, friends and guests.
Held in the Sports and Events Complex at Qatar University, the event witnessed the graduation of 206 students, an 11% increase from last year's number, 139 from the School of Social Sciences and Humanities and 67 from the School of Economics, Administration, and Public Policy with 95 graduates supported by Qatar Fund for Development as part of the State of Qatar's international scholarship program.
The ceremony began with the national anthem and verses from the Holy Quran, followed by a speech from the institute's president, Dr. Abdelwahab El-Affendi, who greeted the guests and expressed his sincere thanks to all for being part of the graduation celebration of this cohort in a year which was different from all other years, as it was not the norm for the DI colleagues and students to constantly receive devastating news of massive losses of families and relatives in non-stop massacres.
He also thanked all the volunteers from inside and outside the DI who have been working around the clock to support and comfort the affected students, staff and guests from Gaza. Dr. El-Affendi praised Qatar's significant contributions and support to Gaza, on all levels, and extended his gratitude to all involved in making Qatar a beacon for humanity in a time of chaos.
In his speech, Dr El-Affendi highlighted the DI's progress in obtaining global accreditation to the DI and its programs, reflected in the increasing interest to collaborate with the DI from major global universities, and the rising number of DI graduates pursuing their PhDs in more than 42 Arabic universities and 45 international universities.
At the end, he concluded by paying tribute to the students and professors at the American Universities and those who followed their lead in Europe and elsewhere for their moral attitude and courage in support of the just Palestinian cause, singling out Columbia University where the first spark was lit.
A university with which the DI has long partnership since the start.
The American students, he added, proved that their moral compass points in the right direction and showed unmatched bravery in confronting authoritarian pressures which we hope we can find in the Arab world in solidity of defending Palestine.
Dr. Ibrahim Freihat, Dean of Student Affairs at the DI, opened the graduation ceremony with welcoming remarks by saying:“We gather on this glorious day, in Doha, the land of good and giving, to celebrate a group of new researchers and future leaders who for two years, have pursued knowledge in partnership with their teachers to achieve human development where critical thinking is the base.”
Addressing the graduates, Dr Freihat urged the students to pay back their communities explaining that today is the peak of their success and their success in serving the country is the peak of the DI happiness.
The MCs of the event were Nawaf Al Dosari, a student from the Public Administration Program, and Munya Thaher, a student from the Program of Conflict Management and Humanitarian Action.
The event featured a video of the Doha Institute, followed by speeches from graduate Dalal Al-Mulla from the Social Work Program, who reflected on her enriching experience at the DI where she started with an interest in scientific research and ended up with a passion for truth and knowledge-exploring logically. Dallal has specialized in clinical social work, dealing with problems from a researcher's perspective with knowledge, experience, and social work ethics.
Salma Al Jamal, a graduate of the Conflict Management and Humanitarian Action Program, explained that the students of the DI came from different backgrounds and diverse environments to benefit from the DI's rich programs and multiple specializations and to keep pace with scientific development which they found in the DI that was a fertile scientific oasis for learning and research.
The ceremony concluded with the awarding of certificates by the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Dr. Azmi Bishara, Chairman of the BoT, Dr. Abdelwahab El-Affendi, and the deans. Dr Abdelaziz AlHor, Director of the Diplomatic Institute - the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, shared in celebrating the graduation of the third cohort of the Executive Master's in Diplomatic Studies and International Cooperation at the DI.
Since its establishment, the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies has graduated 1,220 students, offering 19 internationally accredited master's programs in two schools and 8 PhD programs, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches and using Arabic as the primary language of instruction and research, with fluency in English as a requirement.
The DI aims to graduate researchers and practitioners who can develop knowledge and contribute to human development while maintaining the highest scientific and ethical standards. In addition to graduating professionals with leadership skills, integrity and professional efficiency to fulfill the needs of the region on the levels of sustainable environment, and intellectual, social and professional development.
MENAFN18052024000063011010ID1108229662
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.