Public Affairs

AUK held its graduation commencement for the class of 2022 on Monday, 28th November conferring the degrees on 510 graduates—185 of which were from the College of Arts and Sciences, 131 from the College of Business and Economics, and 194 from the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Amongst the 2022 cohort, 8 graduates were awarded highest honors (summa cum laude), 25 awarded high honors (magna cum laude), and 40 awarded honors (cum laude).

Held at The Arena in 360 Mall, the graduation ceremony was attended by Sheikha Dana Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, founder and chair of AUK's Board of Trustees, members of the AUK board of trustees, diplomats, dignitaries, and the parents of this year's graduates. 

Following the national anthem and the Holy Quran recitation, AUK president, Dr. Rawda Awwad gave a speech where she explained the benefits that a liberal arts education has had on the graduates, “Our students today embraced AUK’s liberal arts values in every respect.  No matter what major they will graduate with today, every single one of them will be able to respond to the global challenges that require individuals to be original, resourceful, imaginative, inspirational, and innovative. Our students embody these qualities and will pursue their futures gracefully and, above all, with a sense of humility and care.”

This year’s keynote speaker, Dr. Saeeda Jaffar, Senior Vice President and Group Country Manager of VISA for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region and member of AUK’s board of trustees was selected by Forbes as the top 50 most powerful businesswomen in the Middle East. In her keynote address, Dr. Saeeda Jaffar inspired the graduates to pursue continuous learning to seize all opportunities in an ever-changing world, “Replace fear with curiosity and keep asking questions. Keep on learning. I can’t stress how important this is. We live in a knowledge-based economy and it’s changing faster than anything we’ve ever seen before. The opportunities ahead are incredible. There is AI, intergalactic exploration, sustainability, web3, you name it. Every field is changing. Be bold and grab the opportunities that are out there. It can be a scary thought, to do something different, do something new. And that’s okay. It is about dealing with it and giving yourself the ability to say ‘you know what? I don’t have to have all the answers right now. I have to be okay with that. I will be bold, and I will get it done.’”

Following the keynote address, AUK’s dean of student affairs, Ms. Hala Al-Abdulrazzaq announced the class valedictorian, Ahmad Aldulaie who earned a Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Engineering with a 3.96 GPA. He supplemented his studies at AUK with programming courses that helped him win “Best Project Award” at the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences spring 2022 capstone exhibition. During his speech, Ahmad addressed his peers and reflected upon their effort and dedication, “While our experiences during university years may differ, we are all able to stand here and celebrate our victory today because we had a goal in mind that we wanted to achieve no matter the odds which was to complete our bachelor’s degree, to become leaders in our respective fields, to have a significant impact on our society. Therefore, I remind you and myself that today does not mark an end, it marks the beginning of our next adventure, where we utilize the tools and skills that AUK equipped us with to achieve our goals and dreams.” 

The event then proceeded to the part of the ceremony most anticipated by the students—the distribution of their earned degrees. Upon the recommendations of the deans – Dr. Ali Charara, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences; Dr. Ralph Palliam, Dean of the College of Business and Economics; and Dr. Amir Zeid, Dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, President Awwad conferred upon the graduates their respective degrees. The graduates were then awarded their diplomas by President Awwad and respective college deans.

In keeping with the academic tradition, the graduates were requested to shift their tassels from right to left, thereby marking their official graduation from AUK. As the ceremony drew to its conclusion, the graduating class celebrated the occasion and took photos with their parents.
 

 
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