HBKU commencement kicks off graduation season in Qatar

Photos by Mohammed Ismail and HBKU

Some 111 students celebrated graduating from Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) yesterday in a ceremony that launches a week of commencements in Education City.

The grads have obtained masters from the Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies (52), College of Science and Engineering (43) and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (16).

The class of 2016 included Mohamed Shoiker, who graduates with an MA in Translation Studies after returning to school at the age of 56.

In a statement, he said:

“It’s still surreal to me, but in gaining this degree, I believe I have been a good role model to my children and shown them that I am someone who will still go to school and continue to learn even when they near the age of retirement.”

Some 700 people attended the event, including Qatar Foundation Chairperson Sheikha Moza bint Nasser.

She hailed HBKU’s research focus and urged the Class of 2016 to “apply what they’ve learned to build bright futures for themselves and their communities.”

HBKU will continue expanding in the coming years, with three new programs accepting students for the fall: a Master of Science in Data Science and Engineering, a Master of Science in Cybersecurity, and a Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering.

Also last night, Northwestern University in Qatar graduated its class of 2016, which included journalism and communication students.