Under the Patronage of Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum
His Excellency Hussain bin Ibrahim Al Hammadi, the former Minister of Education, celebrated the achievements of 240 graduates from the University of Dubai (UD) during its 19th graduation ceremony, which marks the successes of the Silver Jubilee batch.
The commencement-related gathering honored the University’s outstanding graduates and leaders of tomorrow.
Graduates received their conferral degrees upon completing their academic doctorate, master’s and bachelor’s degrees in various disciplines including Business Administration, Engineering, IT, and Law.
The ceremony was held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai. It was attended by the University’s President and member of Board of Trustees Dr. Eesa Al Bastaki, Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Hussain Al Ahmad, Vice President for Administrative Affairs and Chairman of the Graduation Ceremony Committee Dr. Nasser Al Murqab, college deans, faculty members, administrative staff, alumni, and parents of students.
During the ceremony which was held at the Cultural and Scientific Association in Dubai, graduates marched on the red carpet towards the stage. After the UAE national anthem, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the University of Dubai His Excellency Majid Hamad Al Shamsi, delivered a speech in which he welcomed His Excellency Hussain Al Hammadi, the honored guests, graduates, members of the Board of Trustees, and students.
He said: Today, we are celebrating the Silver Jubilee Batch during the 19th graduation ceremony of the University of Dubai. Today, 240 students have successfully completed their academic requirements serving the UAE’s futuristic mission and vision through their hard work and diligence in their academic performance. “Our students are our ambassadors wherever they go around the globe. Our role is to support their quest to become an integral part of the country’s advanced educational system, ” he added. 
In his speech, he noted that UD has contributed, since its establishment in 1997, to the education of more than 2,900 male and female graduates, more than 60 percent of whom are citizens. It has also developed its international agreements with many academic centers in addition to local and international universities. “The University is determined to continue developing its academic curricula in order to achieve the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, for the UAE to be a global leader in various fields,” he said. He spoke about the role of the University’s future-focused leaders and its strategic approach that emphasizes creativity, innovation, quality education, and concentration on applied research. This, in his opinion, encourages students and graduates to enhance their leadership skills, effectiveness, and learning experiences. “Today, the University celebrates 25 years of excellence and achievements, including obtaining the financial quality certificate “MSI 20000” in 2020 to be the first educational institution in the region to obtain this certificate, which is a global standard specialized in the financial quality of institutions,” he added.
He also pointed out that the University is developing new and innovative programs in line with the labor market and future career trends. Hence, it is going to announce soon the launch of a bachelor degree in Law in addition to a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering and Cyber Security, after obtaining the approval of the Ministry of Education.
During the ceremony, Dr. Eesa Al Bastaki, President of the University of Dubai, congratulated the graduates who have contributed throughout the years to the University’s success story and “helped maintain its quality education and international standards.”
“Thanks to our leaders who have managed to transform challenges into promising opportunities with their determination, dedication, loyalty, and wisdom,” Dr. Al Bastaki said. He said that the University is always keen to provide quality education and equip students with the skills, tools and techniques to meet future job requirements and challenges. “Our main goal is to pave the way for young generations and encourage them to innovate and create,” he added. He touched on the strategic plans and objectives of the UAE’s Higher Education in 2030 to provide students with technical and practical skills to build a well-defined economic infrastructure.
After his speech, His Excellency Hussain bin Ibrahim Al Hammadi, His Excellency Majid Hamad Al Shamsi and Dr. Al Bastaki handed over the conferral degrees to the graduates and praised their efforts and tremendous commitment to their studies.
With his academic authority, Dr. Al Bastaki officially announced 240 graduates of the 19th batch completing their studies in PhD in Business Administration, Masters in Business Administration, Masters in Law, Bachelors in Business Administration and Bachelors in Engineering and Information Technology, each according to his specialization from Dubai Business School, College of Engineering and Information Technology, and College of Laws.
Two graduates, Reem Al Jallaf from the College of Engineering and Information Technology and Vida Aqili from Dubai Business School, delivered the graduation speeches in which they expressed their appreciation and gratitude to the University, in particular its President Dr. Al Bastaki, their families, friends and supporters. Their speeches highlighted the achievements of the University’s students on both local and international levels.
Batch of Silver Jubilee in Numbers
The number of 19th batch of Silver Jubilee graduates reached 240, including 44 graduates from the master’s programs, 9 from doctoral programs, and 187 from bachelor’s programs, including 73 in Business Administration and 114 in Engineering and Information Technology. The number of males reached 141 and females 99.
The University launched a doctoral program in Business Administration, and since its launch in the 2014/2015 academic year, the program has contributed to the graduation of 26 male and female doctoral students.
Over the past years, UD is proud of its 13,900 graduates from professional and executive programs offered by its Center for Executive Development (CED), whose professional programs are in line with the requirements of the labor market. The center offers a number of programs that are designed in collaboration with the most prestigious universities and international institutes.