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At the intersection of academia and life, five aspiring graduates are ready to take on the world.
A budding scientist documenting a mega sustainability project; a future jurist fully absorbed in legal scripts; a first-hand witness of the plight of Syrian refugees; a researcher seeking to enhance human wellbeing; and a humanities specialist at the interplay of past and present.
Their life choices may lead to different pathways, but each of these young and aspiring individuals share one attribute -- they have walked the stage as proud members of Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s (HBKU) Class of 2019.
On May 4, HBKU celebrated the successes of 173 promising individuals whose quest for knowledge was kindled by a strong desire to leave a prolonged and tangible impact.
On the Ground in Jordan
Bushra Salaebing, a graduate of the College of Islamic Studies’ Master of Arts in Islamic Studies, describes her experience as transformational: “I believe that to create an impact on society, knowledge must benefit others. I was a participant in a Jordan service trip to assist Syrian refugees, and the experience allowed me to better grasp and apply Islamic ideas of hospitality and compassion towards strangers -- a constantly recurring theme in my Refugee and Migration Studies module at HBKU. I am really grateful to HBKU for granting me this valuable opportunity.”
Salaebing joined a group of 16 HBKU-led volunteers who set out to provide humanitarian relief to the residents of a Gaza refugee camp in Jordan’s Jerash district.
“I got to know people from all over the world, I enhanced my interpersonal skills and widened my perspective about many topics. HBKU is the best environment where students will surely find the best staff, professors and colleagues. Above all, the trip epitomizes the notions of applied learning, where we are directly placed in a situation, and required to effectively use our studies to address it.”
A Chronicle of Qatari History
Mohammed Jawad Abdulla, a graduate of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences’ Master of Arts in Digital Humanities and Societies, says that keeping up with a fast-evolving digital era has helped him meld his critical reasoning and analytical skills.
“My studies within the program have helped me broaden my worldview, and utilize it effectively to contribute to my country and heritage. My thesis project involved documenting old tales of Qatari culture, and preserving the Qatari dialect this way. This meant that each moment of glory, pride, and glowing progress was forever documented and imprinted, and made accessible to many more generations to come in a format that they will continue to comprehend and cherish.”
Mohammed spent the past eight months studying, researching, and deliberating Qatar’s impressive timeline of events through recorded stories, and generating a comprehensive multimedia library as a result.
“I have been able to understand that technology has to be able to adapt and cater to society’s cultural and social needs, and not the other way around. I am grateful for my time at HBKU; each moment spent played an important role in shaping my knowledge and abilities.”
Cross-Discipline Views on Sustainability
Waqas Nawaz, a graduate of the College of Science and Engineering's PhD program in Sustainable Energy, is contributing to the achievement of the optimistic goals set out in the Qatar National Vision 2030 through his work related to the economic diversification of the country. Waqas has co-authored a book with his supervisor in which he explored the current status and future of the knowledge ecosystem in the country.
“I'm doing research related to management systems for my PhD but at the same time, I am working on a book related to the industry-university-government partnerships in Qatar, which I believe is extremely important for this country. I have been able to work on two different projects at the same time primarily because of HBKU, where there are no disciplinary boundaries. It is important for us to understand that we have come to a point as a global society that our challenges are not physics, chemistry, or math anymore; it’s climate change, or clean water, and food security. The disciplines are rapidly changing, and we have to think broadly. That's what HBKU enables its students to do” he said.
Nawaz is one of 41 graduates of the college this year, which continues to grow in capacity with the introduction of new specializations, disciplines, and profound knowledge.
“The global race is now towards sustainable impact, and Qatar has allocated all of the resources it needs to meet those demands. Sustainability is embedded in everyday schooling, practices, and general way of life. It is a shift in mindset, behavior, and approach before anything else.”
At the Junction of Law and Entrepreneurship
Mana Al-Ansari, this year’s graduate of the College of Law’s Juris Doctor program, has been working throughout his degree to understand and apply the principles of law -- whether common, civil, or parts of Shari’a from an comparative perspective -- as they converge with business, entrepreneurship, and innovation.
“My entire time here has been enjoyable and lucrative. My fondest memory is of our second-year business simulation class. It so readily weaved in elements of reality and hands-on practice, helped us gain a sense of the real world, and the many ways we can tackle its complexities.”
Throughout the course, Al-Ansari worked on a governmental project which was a cross-collaboration between three ministries and the International Labor Organization’s in Qatar, utilizing what he has gained from the multidisciplinary courses and implementing those skills in the field.
His future aspirations, he says, are closely related to his field of studies. “I want to become a judge in the near future. Simply to apply the rule of law, to be known in the community as fair, firm, and righteous. I believe we need multilingual judges in Qatar, and that is to serve to the needs of our growing and evolving communities in a globalized context.”
Understanding Innovative Medicine
Sahar Isa Da’as, a College of Health and Life Sciences graduate, has found that her studies complemented her work as a core facility contributor at Sidra Medicine, where functional genomics approaches are used for human disease modeling.
“I believe that being part of an outstanding graduate program has given me a solid foundation for a well-structured design for my project,” said Al-Da’as, who has completed her PhD in Biological and Biomedical Sciences.
“We’re using fish models and looking at unraveling cures for diseased hearts that way. One of the most rewarding moments of my studies -- and career -- was to watch a diseased heart fully restored to health. The prospects for human beings are indeed incredible.”
HBKU’s graduation ceremony saw representation from 43 countries across 23 disciplines. The university is in a constant state of promising expansion. As a graduate-focused academic entity, the efforts of all faculty, staff, and students culminate with a celebratory ceremony. Yet, for many, it marks the beginning of a new chapter in their lives.
HBKU’s graduates are joining a growing alumni network that’s shaping tomorrow. Find out more at www.hbku.edu.qa.