Graduation Ceremony Marks Decade of Achievement for Khalifa University

Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Chairman of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince’s Court and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Khalifa University Khalifa University (KU) held its graduation ceremony on January 31 2017 at the Abu Dhabi National Theater. The ceremony which honored 260 graduates from fifteen of the University’s undergraduate and graduate degrees also marked the University’s tenth year since its establishment in 2007.

This milestone event was attended by members of Khalifa University’s Board of Trustees His Excellency Hussain Al Hammadi UAE’s Minister of Education H.E. Dr. Mugheer Al Khaili Chairman of Health Authority of Abu Dhabi H.E. Mohammed Hassan Omran Chancellor of Higher Colleges of Technology in addition to Dr. Tod Laursen Khalifa University President Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi Executive Vice President Vice Presidents Deans faculty staff students representatives of government academic and industry institutions and media.

The graduation also follows a year of major achievements for the University including being named one of the top universities in the emerging world and BRICS (Brazil Russia India China and South Africa) by Times Higher Education (THE) placing 49th out of 300 institutions worldwide ranked in the THE BRICS & Emerging Economies Rankings 2017 and coming in first in the Arab World ahead of competing institutions. In addition the University was the first ranked of three UAE institutions to appear on the list. The institution was also named number one in the UAE according to Times Higher Education and QS World Rankings and it continues to be the youngest institution in the world to be named one of the top 100 universities under the age of 50 by QS moving up into the top 60 position on the list.

HH Sheikh Hamed Bin Zayed congratulated the students in the occasion of achieving an important milestone and encouraged them to continue their journey of academic and research achievements which they have started at the University and to complement their knowledge with the practical skills needed to succeed in the work field. His Highness also wished them all the best at serving their country and families.

In total seven students were awarded their PhD’s at the ceremony while 36 others received their MSc’s in either Electrical and Computer Engineering Information Security Mechanical Engineering Nuclear Engineering Civil and International Security or in Engineering by Research. The remainder of the 217 graduates received BSc’s in either Aerospace Biomedical Civil Communication Computer Electrical and Electronic Industrial and Systems or Mechanical Engineering.

“Congratulations to all of our hardworking graduates ” said Dr. Tod Laursen Khalifa University President in his speech during the graduation ceremony addressing the graduating students. “Earning a degree is a huge accomplishment for anyone and you should be proud of the hard work and dedication that you displayed in the pursuit of your dreams and your career. The fields of science and technology are demanding ones and they require a great deal of foresight innovation and creativity as well as a strong grasp of physics mathematics and the latest technologies and our graduates demonstrate all of these traits and abilities. Earning a degree from Khalifa University proves that you are able to tackle real world problems and understand complex ideas and formulas. I wish you all the best in your future careers and lives.”

“With every batch of graduates we celebrate we also celebrate the achievement of the UAE’s vision to create a knowledge economy inspired by our wise leadership who believe in the youth of the UAE and what they can offer their nation ” said Khalifa University Executive Vice President Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi. “We are proud of our students as they become industry leaders and key innovators dedicated to improving society and making the UAE a diversified economic power in the region and internationally. In their pursuit of excellence they have cemented Khalifa University’s place as the top university in the UAE and its reputation as a center of excellence and the provider of a high quality education. This is what the University was created to do and this is what we are accomplishing. Our students and our graduates continuously impress us with their drive and ambition and we look forward to hearing about their future achievements.”