Last week, 111 men and women completed their graduate studies at Hamad bin Khalifa University (HBKU) which also was an opportunity to understand how families support each other through HBKU programmes.
HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, chairperson, Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, attended this year’s ceremony, herself a member of the university’s Class of 2015, having graduated with an MA in Public Policy in Islam, and she praised the efforts of those celebrating the successful completion of their studies.
“I applaud the dedication of HBKU’s Class of 2016. As an alumna of the university myself, I understand the effort they have put in to achieve a significant milestone and wish them continued success as they apply what they’ve learned to build bright futures for themselves and their communities,” she said.
Directly after the event, HH Sheikha Moza spent time with the newest additions to HBKU’s alumni family, mingling with them, hearing their stories, and posing for photographs with proud students.
Among the new HBKU graduates she spoke to were individuals whose families played a major role in inspiring them to pursue higher education.
A Qatari couple who had double the cause for celebration, husband and wife, Ibrahim Ali al-Muftah and Abtesam Ahmed Yousuf, were both interested in continuing their studies beyond undergraduate level and both applied to participate in HBKU’s Executive Master in Energy and Resources programme together in late 2014. Having been accepted on the programme, they became the first married couple to study together at HBKU and have now become the first married couple to graduate together.
Abtesam said: “It was such an unexpected honour to meet Her Highness. Though we only spoke to her for a minute, that one minute carries special value for both of us – it will stay with us forever. Her Highness’s continued support for Qataris is the reason why we are here today. I look forward to meeting her again after I complete my PhD.”
Ibrahim added, “In addition to meeting Her Highness at our graduation being a great moment, graduating from a university that carries the name of HH the Father Emir will always be a source of pride for us.”
Ibrahim and Abtesam have two young children, meaning that at all times they had to balance their studies with a full home life and their ongoing work commitments. When asked if he thought other married couples in their situation should enroll in the programme together, Ibrahim was positive about his experience. “Yes,” he said, “as long as you have the energy to commit to your studies. Studying together as a married couple always means you have more understanding of the pressures that the other one faces.”
Hussain Albuhaliqa, who graduated this year with a Master of Arts in Islamic Studies in Comparative Religions from the university, also appreciates the role family support plays. Hussain’s sister, Khadija Albuhaliqa, and father, Ahmed Albuhaliqa, both completed degrees at HBKU’s Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies in years past.
Khadija, who was first to enrol in an HBKU programme, commented: “I completed my undergraduate degree in the United States, but was looking for a graduate programme I could complete while working. I was interested in the public policy in Islam programme and found that it really aided me in my work.”