PRESSR: Georgetown Qatar celebrates graduating class of 2024

Doha: Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q), a Qatar Foundation partner, honored the academic success of 119 undergraduate students from 38 countries including Qatar and 21 graduate students from Qatar at a commencement ceremony on May 9, 2024. 

The ceremony was held at the Qatar National Convention Centre, where family, friends, university faculty and staff, and dignitaries from Qatar and Georgetown University in Washington, DC, came together to celebrate the proud milestone.

Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth, and People with Disabilities of South Africa, delivered the keynote address with an inspiring message. 

She urged graduates, “As you rise, you must lift someone with you.” She emphasized paying success forward, continuing, “The world needs stars. And you are going to be stars, but you must create many more [of] yourselves.” Later in her speech, she shared her vision for the future: “We hope that by the time you are my age, your children and your grandchildren will be living in a better world, one that you would have contributed to create...with other young people across the world.”

In his remarks to the graduating class, Dr. Safwan Masri, the dean of GU-Q, commended their achievements, saying, “I hope you are as proud of yourselves as we are of you. Thank you for enriching our lives, for expanding our minds, and for opening our hearts…we are immensely grateful and honored to see Georgetown’s legacy of providing education that positively impacts the world, in each of you.” 

The ceremony featured the traditional conferral of degrees by Georgetown University President Dr. John J. DeGioia. School of Foreign Service (SFS) Dean Joel Hellman presented the candidates from the four-year Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service program, with majors in Culture and Politics, International Economics, International History, and International Politics. GU-Q Dean Safwan Masri presented the Executive Master's in Diplomacy and International Affairs candidates, praising their negotiation and problem-solving skills as vital for leadership roles in Qatar and beyond.

Preceding the commencement, the Tropaia awards ceremony, a revered Georgetown tradition, recognized the exceptional academic and service achievements of seniors, faculty, and staff. Addressing her classmates, senior speaker Ayet Bouhajeb reflected on lessons from a student journey that began during a pandemic and ended amid significant regional conflicts, encouraging peers to apply their Georgetown skills and knowledge for humanity's benefit. “Let us use our voices, our skills, and our knowledge to make a positive impact on the world, to stand in solidarity with those who suffer, and to work towards a future where peace, justice, and equality reign supreme,” she said. 

Since its inception in 2005, GU-Q has been a vibrant extension of Georgetown’s global community, celebrating nearly two decades of academic excellence in Qatar and the region. GU-Q offers the renowned SFS curriculum, giving students from across the globe an opportunity for a world-class, holistic education in international affairs.

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About Georgetown University in Qatar

Established in 1789 in Washington, DC, Georgetown University is one of the world’s leading academic and research institutions. Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q), founded in 2005 in partnership with the Qatar Foundation, builds upon the world-class reputation of the university through education, research, and service. Inspired by the university’s mission of promoting intellectual, ethical, and spiritual understanding, GU-Q aims to advance knowledge and provide students and the community with a holistic educational experience that produces global citizens committed to the service of humanity.

Georgetown’s unique, interdisciplinary program prepares students to tackle the most important and pressing global issues by helping them develop critical thinking, analytical, and communication skills within an international context. GU-Q alumni work in leading local and international organizations across industries ranging from finance to energy, education, and media. The Qatar campus also hosts the Executive Master in Diplomacy and International Affairs along with the Executive Master’s in Leadership graduate degree programs.

For more information, please contact Nahla El Sherif at +974 3006 6412

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