238 students graduate at UOWD Winter Graduation Ceremony

The event marked the second of two graduation ceremonies organized by UOWD this year to accommodate the largest number of graduating students in its 15-year history. The first Graduation Day was held in July.

Mr. Michael H. Codd, Chancellor, University of Wollongong, Australia, who was guest of honour, was joined by H.E. Jeremy Bruer, Australian Ambassador to the UAE and Dr. James Langridge, Vice Principal (Offshore operations), University of Wollongong, Australia, and Prof. Rob Whelan, President of UOWD, at the ceremony.
Eng. Nazek Al Sabbagh, Managing Director, Trakhees - Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation, was the guest speaker on the occasion.

Addressing the gathering, Mr. Codd said:

"This is a special occasion for the University, as it celebrates 15 years of academic excellence in the United Arab Emirates. During this period, UOWD has produced over 2,700 graduates and after this ceremony, that number will exceed 3,000. That is a significant milestone for an institution which started as the Institute of Australian Studies way back in 1993, with an enrolment of eight and a half students!"

"UOWD's student-centred approach to learning ensures that our graduates go out into the world armed with not just technical knowledge, but also skills in analysis, problem-solving and communications. This sets our graduates apart from their peers at other institutions, and explains why so many of them are widely acknowledged by business and industry as 'UAE's Employees of Choice' securing senior, responsible and exciting positions in prestigious organizations around the world," Mr. Codd added.

Waldo Steyn, top graduating student in Master of Business Administration (MBA), proposing the vote of thanks on behalf of fellow graduates, said: "Education is not the assimilation of information or the memorization of facts; it is not something you can download from the internet or buy on eBay - education is the nursing of a thirst for knowledge, its outcome is a way of thinking and it provides a better understanding of the world we live in. Those who take up the task of providing an education, take on a tremendous responsibility, for through their hands will pass the future.

"The degree certificate can in no way fully represent the value we have gained from this experience. That degree certificate does not tell the world how we have shared our cultures; how we have worked together to complete our assignments and how we have learned from each."
Quoting Newton Baker, Waldo said, "'The man who graduates today and stops learning tomorrow is uneducated the day after.' As graduates, we should not for a moment think that our task of learning is complete, for we may only think of ourselves as educated if we continue the pursuit of knowledge."

Top graduating students in each program were honoured, with sponsorship supported by the Australian Business Council in Dubai, Aramex, Career Unity, Crystal Gallery, Dubai Quality Group, Green Curve, Dell - Key Information Technologies, Liberty Automobiles, Motivate Publishing, Orient Travel, Standard Chartered Bank and Trowers & Hamlins.

The number of graduating students at UOWD has been rising significantly over the past few years with the combined number of graduates of the two ceremonies in 2008 crossing 1,000. Last year, a record number of 736 students received their degrees from H.E. Dr. Hanif Hassan, UAE Minister for Education. In 2006, HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the then Chairman of the Executive Council, conferred degrees on 610 graduates.