Exclusive Masterclass on Practical Guidance for Graduate Study, Research and International Opportunities Inspires 259 Future Leaders
A total of three Khalifa University graduates pursuing advanced degrees at the University of Oxford, Stanford University and McGill University participated in an online Masterclass to guide 259 students and alumni preparing for postgraduate study and navigating competitive applications.
Organized by Khalifa University’s Alumni Services Office the session ‘Journeys to Leading Global Universities,’ focused on how the alumni prepared for graduate study, approached competitive applications and used their experiences at Khalifa University to define their future goals.
The three students were Jaber Saleh Almarri, PhD, Chemical Engineering, McGill University; Amal Alrebh, MSc, Medical Physics and Radiobiology, and a Rhodes Scholar at the University of Oxford; and Fatima Alhosani, PhD, Electrical Engineering, Stanford University. Across their presentations, the three alumni highlighted the importance of academic preparation, research experience, mentorship and the ability to connect individual opportunities into meaningful purpose. They also encouraged students to view international graduate study as a way to build expertise that can address challenges relevant to the UAE.
University of Oxford Rhodes Scholar Amal Alrebh, who graduated from Khalifa University with a BSc in Biomedical Engineering in 2025, shared how her experiences at Khalifa University encouraged her to take an active role in shaping her academic direction. She highlighted her international internship opportunity at the University of Tokyo and emphasized the importance of networking with faculty mentors.
Alrebh encouraged students not to be discouraged by the selectivity of leading universities and to focus instead on presenting their experiences and ambitions with clarity. Her long-term goal is to connect advanced medical technologies with healthcare policy and implementation in the UAE.
Jaber Saleh Almarri graduated from Khalifa University with a BSc in Chemical Engineering in 2023, achieving Excellent with Highest Honors. He encouraged students to build strong academic foundations while seeking research projects, internships and conferences that can help them identify their interests and prepare for advanced study. He also emphasized starting the application process early and carefully researching prospective programs and supervisors.
In 2025, Almarri joined McGill University as a Master’s student, before fast-tracking into the PhD program in Fall 2026. His doctoral research focuses on the electrochemical treatment of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly known as PFAS or ‘forever chemicals,’ in water. At Khalifa University, he contributed to research on two-dimensional materials for hydrogen technologies and completed a research internship at the University of Tokyo involving catalysts for ammonia synthesis.
Fatima Alhosani, who graduated from Khalifa University with a BSc in Electrical Engineering in 2024; advised students to remain curious and utilize the research and international opportunities available at Khalifa University. At Stanford University, Alhosani is pursuing research in silicon photonics and optical sensing, with an interest in developing sensors that can improve the monitoring of water flow, water quality and other environmental conditions.
Her undergraduate experiences included nanomaterials research, a solar-cell research internship at the University of Tokyo and work in semiconductor fabrication and silicon-photonic device design at GlobalFoundries through the Mubadala Global Internship Program. Her research on nanomaterials for reducing bacterial biofilms resulted in a first-author publication and a presentation at the Materials Research Society Fall Meeting, in Boston, U.S.
Dr. Waleed Alameri, Associate Provost, Student Affairs, Khalifa University, said: “Hearing directly from alumni who have successfully progressed to leading international universities gives our students valuableinsight into what advanced study requires and how they can begin preparing for it. Jaber, Amal and Fatima demonstrate how the opportunities available at Khalifa University, from research and faculty mentorship to international internships and industry experience, can provide a strong foundation for ambitious academic journeys. By bringing alumni and current students together, we are strengtheninga community in which experience is shared, aspirations are raisedand each generation helps create opportunities for the next.”
