AUK Holds Virtual Graduation Ceremony for the Class of 2020 Under the Patronage of the Prime Minister of the State of Kuwait
18th Jul 2020 | by the Department of PR & Marketing
AUK held a virtual graduation commencement for the Class of 2020 on Saturday the 18
th of July, 2020 where 286 students—67 from the College of Arts and Sciences, 114 from the College of Business and Economics, and 105 from the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences—officially became AUK graduates, amongst whom were 7 graduates with highest honors, 18 with high honors, and 14 with honors. The ceremony was held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Prime Minister of the State of Kuwait.
AUK President, Dr. Rawda Awwad gave an opening speech welcoming His Highness Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Prime Minister of the State of Kuwait, parents, and graduates on behalf of the Chair of the Board of Trustees, Sheikha Dana Nasser Al-Sabah and the members of AUK’s Board of Trustees. Dr. Awwad then proceeded to praise the graduates’ efforts in overcoming unpredictable circumstances, “Throughout the pandemic, our priority first and foremost was your security and safety, and instructional continuity to enable you all to complete your degrees...And you accomplished all of this while completing your courses online and virtually engaging with our faculty and staff. Many of you also completed your degrees in the fall and you were working and taking care of others. You all took AUK into your homes whether online, in spirit or in your actions,” she said.
The commencement keynote address was given by the Prime Minister of the State of Kuwait, His Highness Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah in which he emphasizes the importance of education, “The world is developing at an astounding rate, particularly in light of the Corona pandemic, which makes it imperative for us to keep pace with this development through the digital transformations across all country sectors, especially in the educational sector. Revising the education system in Kuwait is no longer a matter for debate, nor can it be delayed. Amending curricula and developing them in line with the labor market has become a pressing national necessity for building the future homeland,” he said.
Following the keynote address, the Vice President for Student Affairs, Dr. Hanan Muzaffar addressed the graduates, stating, “We are a community that comes together to ensure the success of every one of its members. This was evident in the last few months, when you embraced these challenges as a community, and completed your studies online. And we are indeed very proud of your resilience and perseverance in these exceptional times.” Dr. Muzaffar then moved on to introduce the class valedictorian. Earning a BA in Social & Behavioral Sciences with a GPA of 3.94 on a 4.0 scale, Aisha Adel AlSaqabi shared the most valuable lesson that she learned from her education at the University, “If I had one takeaway from AUK, it is that it has taught me to be fearless. Not to be silent or passive but to be vocal and active, to be loud about the things I deem important and how to investigate the big questions of life that often left me uncomfortable but always led me to think beyond the boundaries of the classroom.”
The event then proceeded to the part of the ceremony most anticipated by the graduates—the conferral of their earned degrees by the president. The graduates’ names were then called after a brief message from their respective college deans—Dean Ali Charara for the College of Arts and Sciences; Dean Ralph Palliam for the College of Business & Economics; and Dean Amir Zeid for the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
The ceremony closed with the president congratulating the graduates and wishing them well with their future endeavors. The full ceremony can be viewed on AUK’s Instagram account
@AUK_Official and YouTube channel
AUK Videos.