All photos by Faizan Shakir
Hundreds of university students in Qatar celebrated the end of term paper deadlines, all-nighters and other school stresses last night during the Qatar Foundation Convocation for the Class of 2015.
The number of QF graduates has grown steadily since the first 122 students finished school in 2008. At 672, this year’s class once again broke the record in terms of being the largest.
That’s a more than 20 percent increase in the number of grads from last year, when nine universities conferred degrees on 549 university students.
The graduates, who walked through a symbolic door last night as their names were called, hailed from:
- Hamad Bin Khalifa University (Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies, College of Science and Engineering and the Translation and Interpreting Institute);
- Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar;
- Texas A&M University at Qatar;
- HEC Paris;
- Northwestern University in Qatar
- Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar
- Georgetown University – School of Foreign Service in Qatar;
- University College London Qatar; and
- Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar.
The convocation, which can be viewed here, also marked the 20th anniversary of QF’s inception.
His Highness the Father Amir as he presents a symbolic gift to Her Highness at #QFConvocation. #Qatar #Doha #QF20th pic.twitter.com/xoVGD8bxJJ
— Qatar Foundation (@QF) May 5, 2015
Speaking at the ceremony, Qatar’s former Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, presented his wife Sheikha Moza, chairperson of QF, with a symbolic key, with QNA quoting him as saying:
“Our message has always been the renunciation of intolerance, and securing opportunities for all individuals and groups, so Qatar was and will always remain as a mecca for the oppressed, besides it is today a beacon of education and science…
And on the 20th anniversary of establishing Qatar Foundation, it is incumbent on me to extend my thanks, all thanks to Sheikha Moza who exerted great efforts to make our common dream come true. This dream has today become a reality that we could feel its results and witness its successes to achieve a bright future for our country with steady and confident strides.”
Congratulations, graduates! Thoughts?
