NEWS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Original Source: www.gulf-times.com, 8th May 2012

http://tinyurl.com/ccfxj75

 

 

 

Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar has celebrated its largest graduating class of some 61 students at a ceremony held yesterday at the Qatar National Convention Centre. 

 

 

 

Al Jazeera Network director general Ahmed bin Sheikh Jassim bin Mohamed al-Thani delivered the keynote speech during the event which attended by more than 1,000 audience comprising graduands’ family, friends and community members. In the Scottish tradition of Carnegie Mellon University, bagpiper John Gasper led a formal procession of faculty, dignitaries and graduating students. In all, some 33 students graduated in Business Administration while some 15 and another 13 became Computer Science and Information Systems graduates respectively. Congratulating the graduating class, CMU-Q dean Ilker Baybars said: “Graduation is an event that commemorates our heritage, celebrates our achievements and heralds the promise of a bright future - not only for our graduates, but for the university as well. These graduates will have a lifelong connection to this campus in Qatar, our home campus in the US, and Carnegie Mellon alumni around the world.”

 

 

Abbas reflected on her views on progress and innovation in the Middle East. “People who continue learning and challenging the status quo to fill a gap are the innovators. Those are the people whose contributions move societies forward. Those are the people Carnegie Mellon has prepared us to be. Those are the people we all must be,” Abbas said.

 

 

Carnegie Mellon University president Jared L Cohon delivered the charge to the graduates, saying: “As you move into your jobs and communities, keep in mind that you are a member of a remarkable group of almost 90,000 Carnegie Mellon alumni. People, like you, who are committed to real solutions for real problems, architects of change whose hearts are in the important work that lies before you. As you join this group, Carnegie Mellon will be watching you with pride and high expectations.”

 

 

 

During the ceremony, awards were given to students for their academic achievements. Assistant dean John Robertson presented the Andrew Carnegie Society Scholar award to Edmond Abi Saleh and the Qatar Campus Scholar awards to Abi Saleh, Yazan Abu Hijleh and Dania Marwan Abed Rabbou.

 

 

 

Nine students were also recognised with 2012 Senior Leadership Recognition Awards: Zaid Haque, Sara Khaled Mohamed Abbas, Mohamed Ibrahim Janahi, Batoul Khalieh, Mohamed Hussain, Mohamad Mazen Dauleh, Mohamad Abed Shirzai, Aliah Ahmad Dehdary and Yazan Abu Hijleh. Associate professor in Computer Science Yonina Cooper was also commemorated during the ceremony and awarded the Outstanding Teacher Award. Hend Kamal Gedawy, Carnegie Mellon Qatar Class of 2009, joined the undergraduates as she received a Master of Science in Computer Science from the Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.

 

 

Eighteen nationalities are represented in the Class of 2012 including Qatar, the US, Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, France, Greece, India, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Pakistan, the Palestinian Territories, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.