UCL Qatar hosted its final graduation ceremony at an virtual event yesterday.
Doha: UCL Qatar, a Partner University of Qatar Foundation, hosted its final graduation ceremony, graduating 108 students in doctoral programmes and master degrees in Library and Information Studies and Museum and Gallery Practice on Sunday.
The virtual ceremony was held alongside the university’s closing event.
This event celebrated UCL Qatar’s achievements over the last 10 years in the country, marking the completion of its agreement with Qatar Foundation.
The last cohort of graduates joined the online ceremony from 12 countries across Europe, Asia and the Gulf. Twenty-nine different nationalities were represented, of which eight were Qatari nationals and 70% were women. Over 80% of graduates have already secured employment in leading local and global organisations, including Qatar National Library, Qatar Museums and the National Museum of Australia.
During the online event, senior leaders of UCL and Qatar Foundation reflected on a decade of outstanding academic excellence and the positive impact this has had for Qatar.
Director of UCL Qatar, Dr. Sam Evans said, “As we bring to a close UCL Qatar’s operations, your achievements and those of our 331 former students will continue to have huge impact in Qatar and in whichever place your life and career take you. My colleagues and I hope that you will treasure the experience with UCL Qatar and Qatar Foundation, and the privilege that comes with the opportunity to work in a multicultural environment and on transnational projects. A global outlook made even wider and more significant by the challenges of this year.”
UCL Alumni and senior UCL Qatar faculty members also joined the event to congratulate graduates and reflect on their own time at Qatar Foundation’s Education City.
UCL Qatar was established in 2010 as a partnership between University College London and Qatar Foundation to develop and operate a centre for the study of cultural heritage and knowledge management. Its mission was to “create the best environment for advanced research and learning excellence in the cultural heritage sector, to support Qatar’s National Vision 2030 ”.
Over the past decade, its programmes have educated and developed a diverse, international student body.
Over 300 masters and doctoral students have graduated from UCL Qatar since the launch of its postgraduate and doctoral academic programmes in Conservation, Museums and Gallery Practice, Archaeology of the Arab and Islamic World, Academic Research and Methods, and Library and Information Studies. Many of the university’s alumni have gone on to take senior roles in the cultural sectors in Qatar and the wider region.
