FALL 2009 GRADUATION CEREMONY
H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan:
- Investment in education supports our national development.
- We are satisfied with the performance of Abu Dhabi University and its dedication to serving the nation.
Nahyan Bin Mubarak:
- ADU graduates are setting positive examples through their dedication and excellent performance.
H.E. Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and President of Abu Dhabi University’s Board of Trustees, attended Abu Dhabi University's third graduation ceremony yesterday on behalf of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Ruler’s Representative in the Western Region and President of Abu Dhabi University’s Board of Trustees. In attendance were H.H. Sheikh Sultan Bin Hamdan Al Nahyan, H.H. Sheikh Mohammad Bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, H.H. Sheikh Shakbout Bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, and H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Saeed Bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan . The ceremony took place at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC).
The group of graduates consisted of 614 students, amongst which were 116 honor roll students. 307 graduates were female, 307 were male. 335 local students graduated. The undergraduates comprised of 66 students from the College of Arts and Sciences, 230 from the College of Business Administration, and 55 from the College of Engineering and Computer Sciences. Postgraduates comprised of 7 students from the College of Arts and Science and 256 from the College of Business Administration.
In a speech in the graduate book, H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan praised and thanked H.H. Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister, Vice-President, and Ruler of Dubai, H.H. Lieutenant General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces and President of Abu Dhabi Educational Council, for their complete commitment to the education of the nation and their untiring efforts to develop education both locally and nationally.
He added that ADU is celebrating its third graduation and the university is now, more than ever, aware of the challenges facing it as a young academic institution, particularly in regards to its ability to compete on an international stage. He trusts that the university will stand victorious in this scientific and academic challenge whilst abiding by the highest international standards. The institution will remain focused on its strategy of consistent quality performance, which includes all its scientific and academic projects, as well as the establishment of research centers for excellence to cover fields of study such as energy, water, health, education, management, and economy.
He declared that the success achieved by this group of ADU graduates made him very proud. The graduates have been, and still are, great representatives for this young university which cultivates excellence and has earned recognition as a strategic leader with the accomplishment of its scientific and educational mission – a mission which is aimed at serving the community as a 21st century university that shapes the characteristics of students according to the core values and traditions of the UAE society, as well as the international society which encourages peace and the achievement of welfare of beings throughout the world without any discrimination in terms of gender, color, ethnicity, religious beliefs, or language. Abu Dhabi University offers students a unique journey of education, innovation, creativity, and service to the nation.
The increasing number of postgraduate programs offered at the university and the high number of local and expatriate executive managers and researchers, who have joined these programs, reflect its academic quality and alignment to the needs of the business sectors in Abu Dhabi and the UAE.
He concluded by addressing his sons and daughters, the graduates of the university, saying he is honored to be the patron of the graduation ceremony – it is a precious national event, and he prays to God that the efforts the graduates invested in their studies will bring them success in their careers.
H.E. Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan delivered the university’s speech in which he invoked God’s blessings on ADU’s third graduation ceremony. He expressed his hope and expectations that the graduates will make great contributions to the growth and development of our country and mentioned that it is a great honor that H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan is the patron of this ceremony as it is his generous gesture every year. He offered his thanks and gratitude to Sheikh Hamdan on behalf of all, conveying to him his appreciation for his strong and continuing support of ADU. This support has had a great and positive impact on the development of the university, year after year, and has assured its place as a successful and prominent institution. Sheikh Hamdan is one of the UAE’s national leaders with a clear vision for advancement and progress. He pointed out his admiration for his strong support of ADU, which reflects his strong conviction that human development is essential to the success of society and the development of the nation.
He then conveyed his congratulations to Sheikh Hamdan on the graduation of this new class from ADU. He also expressed his confidence that the university, with his guidance and support, will always be successful. Thanks to his guidance, ADU will always be relevant to its community, innovative in its accomplishments, and committed in its contributions to the development of the UAE. As it celebrates the graduation of its third graduate class, ADU can be proud of its progress and achievements. The university has four colleges, with about 4300 students. It offers programs at the Baccalaureate as well as the Master’s levels. The University has clear strategic plans for the future. These plans align closely with the strategic plans of Abu Dhabi itself. ADU has a strong commitment to quality, has effective partnerships with the community, and enjoys strong support at all levels of society.
It is particularly noteworthy to point out the generous financial support provided by Her Highness, the Mother of the Nation, Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak to the university’s endowment for the purpose of supporting academically gifted students. This support is another example of Her Highness’s generous initiatives in all spheres of national endeavor. He thanked the Mother of the Nation on behalf of the Board of Trustees and all of those convened at the ceremony. He expressed his great appreciation for her wise vision that excellent university education is important to the national quest of successful development at all levels of society. He also took great pleasure in acknowledging, with great thanks, the generous initiative of H.H. Sheikha Latifa bint Hamdan Al Nahyan, who provided twenty scholarships for female UAE nationals to study for degrees in the Environmental Sciences program. The university offers this new degree program in response to clear national needs in this important field.
He typified the graduation ceremony as a celebration of the generous support that the university receives, as well as the accomplishments of the graduates. He acknowledged that this support will always keep the university relevant to the needs of Abu Dhabi, responsive to the Emirate’s plans and initiatives, and supportive of the growing prominence of Abu Dhabi in the region and the world. This ceremony reaffirms the resolve that ADU will always contribute to the achievement of national goals and aspirations.
The UAE is very fortunate that higher education – of which ADU is an important part – enjoys the strong support of the President, H.H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. He offered his thanks and gratitude the the President on behalf of the whole of ADU, and expressed his pride in his leadership of the country, his appreciation for his vision for its future, and his admiration for his relentless efforts to advance the progress of the UAE and its citizens.
He continued by thanking H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces for his strong interest in education, for his support of all human development initiatives and for his guidance and encouragement of colleges and universities in Abu Dhabi. He promised Sheikh Mohammed that ADU will continue with its strong commitment of being an effective participant in the progress and development of the nation and the region.
He pointed out that people are living in an age of knowledge which shapes the important missions for universities in the areas of education, technology transfer, research and knowledge development, as well as the universities’ roles as community centers for culture and ideas. He reaffirmed the commitment of ADU to fulfill all of these expectations. He thanked all individuals and community organizations that support and cooperate with the university in each of its endeavors.
He then announced the graduation of the third class of the University on behalf of ADU’s Board of Trustees. The class comprised of 351 graduates from the university’s baccalaureate programs and 263 graduates from the masters program. All 614 graduates have successfully completed all the graduation requirements.
He congratulated all the graduates and added that this is the beginning of a new stage for them in the service of their community and country. He is confident that they will meet all expectations and will work hard to carry out their responsibilities. He is confident that they will be leaders in all useful endeavors. He asked that God may grant them success and wisdom.
He thanked the faculty and staff of the university for their sincere efforts in educating these graduates, wishing them continued success. He expressed his hope that all may continue to work together for the progress of the UAE under the wise leadership and guidance of H.H. the President, Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
He reiterated his congratulations to the graduates, to the parents, and to all present and wished ADU continued success and many groundbreaking accomplishments.
Hamad Al Ameri, delivered the graduates’ speech. He said: “We are greatly honored to celebrate the third cohort of graduates at ADU that consists out of 614 students, 263 of whom are postgraduate students, under the generous patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.”
“His Highness graciously and magnanimously embraced the responsibility of guiding and developing this young university to a level of international prestige that is on a par with the world’s most prominent universities. Therefore, we humbly express our heartfelt gratitude for his patronage and unparalleled achievements; investing in people and hence investing in the future. This is an ever-lasting investment.”
“We take pride and are honoured by your presence today and we would like to take this opportunity to express our deepest gratitude to H.H. Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the UAE, H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashed Al Maktoum, Vice President of the UAE, President of the Council of Ministers and Governor of Dubai, H.H. General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and President of the Abu Dhabi Educational Council, for their untiring efforts to place the UAE’s educational sector in the vanguard, leading the progress and development of the UAE.”
“We would also like to express our gratitude to H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan for his efforts to support our university, which aspires to become on par with the most distinguished universities in the UAE and the region. Our sincere thanks go to the ADU community administration, faculty and staff for the unlimited support they provided for us throughout our years of study at ADU.”
“We promise to abide by the values and knowledge we’ve acquired throughout our education at the university. We also promise to be ambassadors to the world, carrying with us the principles and ideals which the university instilled in us. We are ideal representatives for an ideal university, and we therefore will contribute to the development of the country in all possible fields.”
H.E. Ali Saeed Bin Harmal Al Dhaheri, the ADU Chairman of the Executive Board, stated that the university is proud and honored by the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan, which illustrates the importance of education for his Highness and confirms his awareness of the vital role it plays in developing the country. The vision of Sheikh Hamdan has ensured that ADU became one of the most prestigious academic institutes in the country and in the region in general, within a very short period of time. This has led to a 45% increase in the numbers of graduates this year, further confirmation that the university is successfully translating its strategic objectives into strong correlations between its graduate and postgraduate programs, thus ultimately delivering the highly qualified nationals that the business sector in the country is so keen to encourage.
ADU, a relatively young academic institution, is aware of the challenges it faces, particularly in regards to its ability to compete with international academic institutes which recently opened their doors in Abu Dhabi and the other Emirates. However, Bin Harmal trusts the competence and ability of ADU to stand victorious in this scientific and academic challenge whilst abiding to the highest international standards as they are implemented by the world’s most prestigious universities. The institution therefore will focus on its strategic adherence to quality performance, which includes all its scientific and academic projects, as well as establishing research centers for excellence to cover a variety of developing fields in energy, water, health, education, management, and economy.
ADU is proud of this graduate class which has been trained using the best scientific and technical techniques in order to ensure that they succeed in their future careers. ADU was chartered as a private institute of higher education in the year 2000 under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan. The vision of ADU is to be recognized as a national university of choice for quality education, applied research that drives regional economic development, and enjoys international accreditation. In addition, the mission of ADU is to offer highly rewarding career oriented undergraduate and graduate degree programs aligned with the needs of the UAE and the region through excellence in teaching, student learning, faculty scholarship and engagement in community development.
Bin Harmal concluded that Sheikh Hamdan’s continuous support should be a confirmation of how much he cares for his sons and daughters, the graduates of today. The glory of these graduates is an extension of his desire to see ADU at the head of all the educational organizations in the country and the region by a strict implementation of the highest scientific protocols. ADU aims to engender ground breaking research, thereby allowing the academic staff and faculty to provide solutions to social, economic, and developmental issues.
Dr.Nabil Ibrahim, the ADU Chancellor, noted that ADU fosters an experiential learning environment where students learn by doing and by reflecting on the experience. The university also attracts highly qualified professors from the world’s most prestigious universities and academic institutes, as well as partnering with these universities to offer unique academic programs that benefit students.
He added that ADU's third graduate class includes 614 students, of which 66 graduated from the College of Arts and Sciences, 230 from the College of Business Administration, and 55 from the College of Engineering and Computer Sciences. Also graduating will be a number of postgraduate students; 7 from the College of Arts and Science and 256 from the College of Business Administration.
Abu Dhabi University is proud of the success of its graduates and congratulates them on their achievements.
