His Excellency says current economic decline will be short-lived
His Excellency Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, UAE Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, was admitted to the Degree of Doctor of Letters (honoris causa) by the Chancellor of the University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD), Michael Codd, AC, during its summer graduation ceremony held at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai, today.
H.E. Sheikh Nahayan received the doctorate and delivered the graduation address at the ceremony, in the presence of His Excellency Jeremy Bruer, Australian Ambassador to the UAE, Professor Rob Whelan, President of UOWD, other dignitaries, faculty members, graduating students and their families.
“Education has always been one the highest priorities for our country. Our leaders continue to stress the value of education in helping the UAE achieve its goal of becoming a prosperous, knowledge-based economy and society with a very high quality of life for its residents. The University of Wollongong in Dubai has been an important contributor to achieving these goals,” said H.E. Sheikh Nahayan.
“The United Arab Emirates is a microcosm of what the new world order is all about. We share with communities around the world the many challenges regarding economic development, health, the environment, and education as well as international peace and improvement of human dignity and understanding. I strongly believe that the energy, education, vitality and enthusiasm of young people can and will move the global community to focus on issues of common concern and to seek solutions to the most important problems of our time.”
“We live in difficult economic times with new and unforeseen challenges confronting the global community. For you who will graduate today, I am sure that these uncertainties are foremost in your minds. However, we see promising signs that the economic decline will be short lived. I believe that very soon we will emerge into an even more vibrant and prosperous environment where your talents will be highly valued as we continue our pursuit of a more vigorous and healthy global society,” H.E. Sheikh Nahayan added.
Degrees were conferred upon 284 undergraduate and postgraduate students by the Chancellor in the first of the two graduation ceremonies of 2009.
Delivering the citation for His Excellency, Sheikh Nahayan’s award, Professor Whelan said: “Universities have a long history of awarding honorary doctoral degrees to recognise outstanding contributions to a specific field and to society in general. It was in the 1470s that the first honorary degree was awarded – by Oxford University.”
“For the University of Wollongong in Dubai, over 500 years later, this is a momentous occasion, because today we bestow our first honorary doctorate. It is a matter of great pride that this award is to His Excellency Sheikh Nahayan, especially as he himself studied at Magdalen College, Oxford.”
The citation hailed H.E. Sheikh Nahayan’s contribution to Education since 1990, both as Minister for Higher Education and as Minister for Education. It described him as “a compassionate man, supporting many charitable institutions, especially those dedicated to special needs. A gifted falconer, horseman, helicopter pilot and patron of cricket, he is also well-known for his hospitality and ability to relate well to people in all walks of life.”
“This award is to a visionary leader who has made, and continues to make, an outstanding contribution to the development of higher education and research in the UAE, to a great many areas of this society” added Prof Whelan. “He has also been, and continues to be, a strong supporter of UOWD”.
Addressing the gathering, Michael Codd, AC, Chancellor of UOWD and University of Wollongong in Australia, said, “Over the past 16 years, UOWD has produced more than 3,400 graduates. After this ceremony today, that number will exceed 3,700. That is a significant achievement for an institution which started with an enrolment of just eight students!”
“UOWD’s student-centred approach to learning ensures that our graduates go out into the world armed with much more than technical knowledge. They also have skills in analysis, problem-solving and communication. This sets them apart from their counterparts at other institutions, and explains why so many of our graduates are widely acknowledged by business and industry as ‘UAE’s Employees of Choice’, securing senior, responsible and exciting positions in a range of prestigious organizations around the world.”
Dr Khaldoon Walid Monir Nabhan, graduating from a Master of Strategic Marketing, his second degree at UOWD, proposed the Vote of Thanks on behalf of his fellow graduates.
This is the second time in its 16-year history that UOWD is holding two graduation ceremonies in a year to accommodate the increasing number of graduates. UOWD’s winter graduation ceremony will be held on 12th November 2009.
The graduation ceremony concluded with a reception hosted by the University of Wollongong in Dubai.
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