Stenden University Qatar celebrated the graduation of Class June 2015, in a colourful ceremony last Wednesday 3rd of June 2015 at Marriott Marquis City Center Doha Hotel.

The ceremony was under the patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani; Her Excellency Mrs Yvette Burghgraef – van Eechoud, the Dutch Ambassador to the Netherlands in Qatar; Mr Klaas Wybo van der Hoek, Vice President of the Executive Board, Stenden University; Mr. Wayne Johnson, Head of International Sites; Mrs. Ann Mannen, Interim Executive Dean; and several distinguished guests from many private and public organizations in Qatar.

“Every year around this time, Stenden University presents a group of young students with graduation degrees to finish an important period considered to be the most important of their lives. They will be armed with the knowledge they gained from the high-quality programs offered by the University to qualify them for the working life and strengthen them to build their future as leaders of their specialization sectors….” said H.E. Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani while addressing the audience.

He congratulated the graduates and added “I am pleased on this occasion to thank the Deanship of the university, its faculty and administrative staff for their hard work that brought the students to this level. Finally, I would like to express my deep thanks and gratitude to our wise leadership, led by HH Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani for His continued guidance of the educational system that will support the competent institutions and push them forward to build a sound society where every aspect of life is ultimately promoted”.

Mr. Klaas Wybo van der Hoek – Vice President of the Executive Board, Stenden University, declared in his speech to the graduates “ Our vision is to unleash potential in students, staff and surrounding communities and in this way to have an impact on today’s world and the future. Real world impact requires real world learning and research and the ability to see and think differently. That is why we bring tomorrows reality into our organization and show students how they can make a difference.

We believe that excelling in tomorrows’ world, requires three core interconnected competences: being able to find your way internationally and interculturally, being able to understand and impact the issues that matter most for tomorrow, and being able to cooperate and co-create effectively. At the basis of these competencies are our three pillars: “Problem Based Learning”, Applied Research and Internationalisation. This is also in line with Qatar National Vision 2030.”

Mr. Wayne Johnson, Head of International Sites; stated in his speech: “At Stenden we want to ‘unleash potential’ amongst our students. We want to encourage students to use their potential in their careers so they can inspire themselves and others. I’m very proud that Stenden University Qatar contributed to this first important step in your career.

As you might know, Stenden University also has campuses in South Africa, Indonesia, Thailand and the Netherlands. We want to broaden the horizon of our students by giving them a world of opportunities to study abroad: at our campus sites, but also by offering exchange programmes and international internships. For most of the students, Stenden is a ‘gateway to the world”

Four graduates delivered valedictorian speeches at the Graduation Ceremony of Class June 2015 representing their fellow graduates. Asmhan Atta El Beaba, Shrutiben Shridhar Iyer, Norane Mohamed Osman and Najla Ahmed H.K. Al-Thani gave inspiring speeches and shared their experiences at Stenden University Qatar.

Concluding, Mrs Ann Mannen, Interim Executive Dean, gave the closing speech in which she congratulated whoever participated in this milestone of the graduates’ lives. She mentioned: “In the programmes provided by Stenden University Qatar we strive to combine the required specialist knowledge with the importance of values and achieving moral quality so that the professionals we train combine their acquired knowledge with intelligence and responsibility. It is a moral compass for life. The formation process that Stenden University Qatar champions can best be described as attaining an educated mind, with which the professional constantly asks himself whether what he is doing is the wise thing to do.”

About Stenden University Qatar:
Stenden University Qatar currently accepts applications for the fall semester starting in September 2015.
Stenden Qatar was established in 2000 under the chairmanship of Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani. Stenden University Qatar delivers internationally accredited four-year Bachelor in Business Administration Programmes in the field of; International Business & Management Studies, International Hospitality Management and Tourism Management. All programmes are recognized by the Supreme Education Council of Qatar. Stenden’s main campus is located in Leeuwarden, The Netherlands. Branch campuses are in Bali (Indonesia), Rangsit (Thailand) and Port Alfred (South Africa).

For more information, please contact:
Phone +974 4488 8116, Fax +974 4488 8136, Email ggacim@stenden.edu.qa