Dubai Women's College celebrates graduation of 760 students

Under the patronage of His Excellency, Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and Chancellor of the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT), Dubai Women's College (DWC) held a graduation ceremony for 760 students from the following programs: Bachelor's Degrees and Higher Diplomas in Applied Communications, Business, Information Technology, Education, and Health Sciences; Diploma programs in Applied Business and Technology Skills as well as Dental Nursing.

More than 260 students graduated with distinction, distinction with honour and distinction with highest honour.

Dr. Sheikha Alia Humaid Saqr Al Qasimi, Head of Business Development Support Office, Medical Education at Dubai Health Authority attended the ceremony along with dignitaries and a large number of students' parents.

Dr. Howard Reed, Senior Director of HCT and Director of DWC, commended graduates on their motivation and ambition to realize their full potential through education, as well as their families who have given them support during the years of their study. "As you move forward, more confident of your competency and obviously more accomplished, your performance at the workplace will highlight the standards of excellence that DWC offers to its graduates," he added. "You are now role models for your Emirati community and I hope you will inspire others to follow in your footsteps to become Emirati leaders."

As this year's graduation theme focused on the DWC 20th anniversary of passing out the first batch from Dubai's Women College, Dr. Reed pointed out that the first DWC graduates in 1992 were pioneers for the current army of over 4,000 working graduates who have changed the rules for Emirati women in the workforce and raised the standards and expectations for both working Emirati women and men. "These courageous young women changed how Emirati's thought about themselves and how the rest of the world thought about Emiratis," he added.

For over 20 years, DWC has been an HCT flagship institution providing world-class education for women in the UAE. With a mission supported by the ELITE principles: Excellence, Leadership, Innovation, Technology, and Entrepreneurship, DWC has been recognized as being at the pinnacle of higher education in UAE.

From her part, Dr. Behjat Al Yousuf, DWC Associate Director, commented that since its inception in 1989, Dubai Women's College stood out confidently as an educational institution capable of empowering young Emirati women with knowledge and state of the art technological skills for economical development. "And again, today so we are celebrating another set of graduates who are going to contribute to the country's sustainable development in all fields. We also, applaud the vision of the country's leadership from His Highness President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister, Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and the Dubai Women's College role in continuous contribution to the development of the nation through the graduates who are able to lead UAE to a prosperous future," she added.

Manal al-Shamlan, a member of DWC Alumnae Association and Head of the GIS Development Section in Dubai Municipality, lauded the sponsorship of Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and Chancellor of the Higher Colleges of Technology. She said that he is keen that the Higher Colleges of Technology is committed to the academic strategy of qualifying UAE nationals according to the highest world standards so that the institution will always be in the lead through its different programs and specializations designed to meet the UAE job market demands.

Maha Mahmoud Abdel Razeq, a graduate holding a bachelor's degree in business, offered thanks to DWC faculty and staff for their continued efforts in teaching them so that they will be pioneers in the UAE. "The college makes us responsible for keeping our promise of becoming the best representatives of this flagship academic institution and being a good example to follow so as to make this nation cope with development and advancement," she said, adding that DWC has provided them with an ideal opportunity to learn commitment to a healthy life style as it offers healthy food at the campus cafeteria, thus helping combat diabetes and obesity in the UAE. "I am proud because I am a graduate of Dubai Women's College," she said.

To mark the occasion, Marriott Dubai and Swiss Arabian for Perfumes sponsored the ceremony, presenting valuable prizes to students who graduated with distinction, distinction with honour and distinction with highest honour. Moreover, Kids Corner Company decorated the Auditorium, where the ceremony was held .