JOSEPH VARGHESE

DOHA SIXTY one students of Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMUQ) graduated at a colourful ceremony held at the Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC) on Monday.

It was the largest graduating class of CMUQ to date with 33 students in business administration, 15 in computer science and 13 in information systems.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohamed al Thani, director- general of the Al Jazeera Network, delivered the keynote speech on the occasion where he said commitment and dedication were the key factors for success.

“Success does not come through fortunes but through initiatives and determination.

You are the owner of your own career, destiny and life. Self motivation is one of the most important factors one needs to win in life,” he said.

He also said that only when people start to believe in their abilities would they be able to deliver the right inputs for the world.

CMUQ Dean Ilker Baybars said, “Graduation is an event that commemorates our heritage, celebrates our achievements and heralds the promise of a bright future – not only for our graduates, but for the university as well. These graduates will have a lifelong connection to this campus in Qatar, our home campus in the United States, and Carnegie Mellon alumni around the world.” Sara Abbas, who graduated with honours in business administration and a recipient of a 2012 Senior Student Leadership Award, represented the class and shed their experiences in the last four years.

Expressing her views on progress and innovation in the Middle East, she said, “People who continue to learn and challenge the status quo to fill a gap are the innovators.

Those are the people whose contributions move societies forward. Those are the people Carnegie Mellon has prepared us to be. Those are the people we all must be.” Jared L Cohon, president of Carnegie Mellon University, delivered the charge to the graduates.

“As you move into your jobs and communities, keep in mind that you are a member of a remarkable group of almost 90,000 Carnegie Mellon alumni; people, like you, who are committed to real solutions for real problems, architects of change whose hearts are in the important work that lies before you. As you join this group, Carnegie Mellon will be watching you with pride and high expectations,” Cohon said.

During the ceremony, awards were given to students for their academic achievements.

John Robertson, assistant dean, presented the Andrew Carnegie Society Scholar award to Edmond Abi Saleh and the Qatar Campus Scholar awards to Abi Saleh, Yazan Abu Hijleh and Dania Marwan Abed Rabbou.

Yonina Cooper, associate professor in computer science, was also commemorated during the ceremony and awarded the Outstanding Teacher Award.

Nine students were also recognized with the 2012 Senior Leadership Recognition Awards. They were Zaid Haque, Sara Khaled Mohamed Abbas, Mohammed Ibrahim Janahi, Batoul Khalieh, Mohamed Hussain, Mohammad Mazen Dauleh, Mohammad Abed Shirzai, Aliah Ahmad Dehdary and Yazan Abu Hijleh.

Hend Kamal Gedawy, Carnegie Mellon Qatar Class of 2009, joined the graduates as she received a master of science in computer science from the Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, US.

Eighteen nationalities including Qatar, the United States of America, Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, France, Greece, India, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Pakistan, Palestine, Sudan, Syria and Yemen were represented in the Class of 2012.