University of Dubai celebrates 9th graduation ceremony

The University of Dubai, a prestigious university established by Dubai Chamber of Commerce, celebrated the graduation of its ninth batch of students in a ceremony held yesterday under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Majid bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority. 

H.E. Abdul Rahman Saif Al Ghurair, Chairman, Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry along with Mr. Majid Hamad Rahma Al Shamsi, Chairman of the UD Board of Trustees and Dr. Omar Hefni, President of the University of Dubai presented the degrees to 197 graduates, 58 per cent of whom were Emiratis (115), from the College of Business Administration and the College of Information Technology. 

Mr. Majid Hamad Rahma Al Shamsi, Chairman of the UD Board of Trustees, said: “The University of Dubai witnessed so many developments and progress since it was established by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry in 1997. The Business Administration College at the university received the AACSB accreditation which is only granted to about five per cent of business administration colleges worldwide. UD has signed six MoUs with international universities to cooperate together. In this occasion I would like to thank HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of UAE and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President, Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai for their strong support to education in the country. Also, I would like to thank Mr Abdul Rahman Al Ghurair, Chairman of Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry for his unwavering support to the university."

Dr. Omar Hefni, President of UD, in his message to the graduates, said: “I want to take this opportunity to congratulate the graduates on this successful accomplishment. As you venture into the corporate world, I would advise you to prove yourself to your bosses and continue to have a sense of responsibility towards the job, society and country as a whole.  Do consider future career goals and developments and continue to learn as learning does not have an end.  The longer you live the more you learn. Strive to grow professionally and if possible, continue graduate education. Try to overcome challenges, always plan ahead, set your targets and try to accomplish them.  Once you’ve accomplished these, it will lead to success.”

Dr. Hefni is confident that this year’s graduates will secure immediate placement in the country’s labour market because UD’s curriculum is tailored to meet the demands of the local labor market. The university’s curriculum puts emphasis on team work, critical thinking, communication, creativity, innovation and problem solving, in addition to work based internship for the student’s specialization. Last year the university had 153 graduates, 97% have secured jobs. 

UD’s College of Business Administration is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and only five per cent of business schools worldwide hold this prestigious international accreditation. In addition, the Computing and Information Systems (CIS) program offered by the College of Information Technology is accredited internationally by the Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC) of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) in the USA. These two international accreditations position the University of Dubai as the first private university recognized by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research to earn such accreditations. 

The graduation ceremony held at the Dubai Cultural & Scientific Association was witnessed by more than 1000 guests, including VIPs, dignitaries, educational administrators, alumni, parents, staff, faculty and students.