University of Calgary in Qatar (UCQ), Qatar’s exclusive provider of nursing education, celebrated its largest-ever graduating class at its 2015 convocation ceremony on November 26.  
UCQ’s 84 graduates were awarded the university’s gold-standard Bachelor of Nursing (BN) and Master of Nursing (MN) degrees at its sixth convocation, which took place at Qatar National Convention Centre.  The class of 2015 was the largest graduating class of Qatari nationals, with 22 Qatari graduates.
A total of 51 Qatari nationals have now earned degrees from UCQ.  Nine of the UCQ graduates, all current nursing professionals, became the first in Qatar to earn an MN, marking a significant achievement for the country’s growing health sector.
“The University of Calgary congratulates these graduates, who will champion and embody the noble ideals of the nursing profession here in Qatar,” said Dr Robert Thirsk, chancellor of the University of Calgary.  
To date, 225 graduates have earned BN degrees from UCQ, while nine have graduated from UCQ’s MN programme, bringing UCQ’s community of alumni to 234. Over 600 students are currently registered in UCQ’s BN and MN programmes.  
The convocation was attended by Qatar’s Minister of Public Health, HE Abdullah bin Khalid al-Qahtani. He was joined by University of Calgary leaders, diplomats, academics, dignitaries and representatives of the Supreme Council of Health, Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), Primary Health Care Corporation, and Sidra.  Dr Badriya Al Lenjawi, assistant executive director of nursing for professional development and Qatarisation for HMC and a driving force behind the UCQ MN degree programme, delivered the convocation address.
At the event, Bachelor of Nursing Gold Medallion recipient Stephany Tapa Neng and Post Diploma Bachelor of Nursing Silver Medallion recipient Monaa Mansoora were announced as winners of UCQ’s highest academic distinctions.  Mashael Jassim, the first Qatari to graduate from UCQ’s MN programme who also delivered the Graduate’s Pledge was also honoured.