Just-graduated master's degree students at the British University in Dubai (BUiD) could not help but beam from ear to ear at their graduation ceremony last week. It was the culmination of two or more years of sacrifice and hard work but completely worth the effort as their peers, family members and professors showered them with congratulations.
BUiD milestone
Held at the Dubai Knowledge Village, the graduation ceremony was the most significant one in its history as the number of graduates this year was the university's highest to date with a total of 36 students as opposed to last year's 14.
University officials said this increase reflected a growing demand for qualified postgraduates in the workplace.
Also encouraging was the high proportion of UAE nationals, particularly women, pursuing further education they said. Over 60 per cent of the graduating class of 2008 comprised women, while the majority of students who graduated with distinction were female.
The event was held under the patronage of Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Group and Chancellor of The British University in Dubai.
Master's degrees in demand
"Employers are increasingly looking to recruit graduates with master's degrees for senior entry-level positions, and BUiD's focus upon original research has proven extremely valuable for a number of local enterprises," said Dr Abdullah Al Shamsi, vice-chancellor of The British University in Dubai at the event.
"We are very proud of the extent of the university's progress, as demonstrated by today's graduation ceremony. In addition to the highest number of graduating students, this class of 2008 includes the widest range of disciplines in our history, as well as the highest number of distinctions," he said.
Also, the master's degrees graduates were pursuing careers and tending to family obligations during their studies and "their achievement is therefore one that reflects their dedication and motivation for hard work", Al Shamsi said.
Committed partners
Al Shamsi said that BUiD's success in pioneering research-based postgraduate study in the region was achieved through the vision of the governing council, under the chairmanship of Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, and with support from its founders, contributors and United Kingdom university partners.
The founders include the Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation, the British Business Group, the Dubai Development and Investment Authority, the National Bank of Dubai and Rolls Royce said Al Shamsi.
Companies that sponsored employees to undertake such research at BUiD were the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Atkins, Dubai Police, the Dubai World Trade Centre, Lloyds TSB Bank, Qatar General Electricity and Water Corp. and TECOM.
Top achievers
Six students in the graduating class of 2008 passed with distinction, the highest available award for master's degree students. For the Master's of Education programme, Cerlea Saayman and Nathalie Parazhang were awarded distinction in International Management and Policy, along with Pauline Keith with distinction in English Language Teaching.
Among the Master's of Science graduates, Bita Banihashemi graduated with distinction in Knowledge and Data Management, while Hafsa Raza and Ma'ad Shatnawi achieved distinction in Speech and Language Engineering.
Parazhang, a maths teacher at Latifah School for Girls, said: "It's been just brilliant, I started two years ago and my husband supported me a lot."
The British national said it was not easy undertaking postgraduate studies and working at the same time. "After work you're tired and you need motivation to succeed," she said.
For Canadian national Tarek Yehia Ebrahim, who graduated with a Master of Education (special education) degree, juggling studies and a teaching job at the Institute of Applied Technology was also necessary.
"My thesis was about gifted students in mathematics and how to attend to their needs. I was very interested in this programme at BUiD to help them (students) and develop more models and curricula," he said.
Ebrahim said he was going to pursue PhD studies in near future as he wanted to ultimately be a university lecturer.
About BUiD
BUiD is the Middle East's first research-based, postgraduate university and graduating students usually complete a study on a subject with strong social or economic importance for UAE and the wider region during the course.
BUiD has partnerships with the University of Edinburgh, the University of Birmingham, the University of Manchester, Cardiff University and the Cass Business School at City University, London.
The not-for-profit university offers full and part-time master's degree programmes and Continuing Professional Development courses in Information Technology, Project Management, Human Resources Management, Sustainable Design of the Built Environment, Finance and Banking, Education, and IT Management.
All BUiD's current master's programmes have received Initial Accreditation Eligibility Status from the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research's Commission for Academic Accreditation.
