Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi celebrated its 12th class of 200 students graduating with master’s and bachelor’s degrees in a range of academic disciplines. The ceremony was held last Night at the St. Regis Hotel Saadiyat under the auspices of His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
The ceremony was attended by His Excellency Zaki Anwar Nusseibeh, Cultural Adviser to H.H. the UAE President, Chancellor of the United Arab Emirates University, and Chair of SUAD’s Board of Trustees and by Professor Alain Tallon, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities at the Sorbonne University Paris, and Member of the Board of SUAD.
Addressing the congregation, His Excellency Zaki Nusseibeh said, “Our celebration coincides with the 15th anniversary of the foundation of the Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi. In this time, it has become an important and distinctive cultural and educational institution. It enhances Abu Dhabi’s progress towards its goal of achieving a leading position in the academic, scientific, and cultural fields”.
His Excellency expressed his heartfelt gratitude to H. H. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, who “continues to give generous support to Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi in the belief that education and culture are the mainstay of economic growth and the well-being of society. It is his express desire that the sons and daughters of the Emirates gain the scientific knowledge, intellectual capacities, and skills required to graduate from prestigious universities in order that they are ready to contribute to the progress and development of the nation”.
He confirmed that the SUAD has worked with success to turn His Highness’ aspirations into reality. He said, “since its foundation, the Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi has demonstrated an exemplary commitment to the nation’s vision of providing leadership in progressing the Fourth Industrial Revolution and its requirement for artificial intelligence. It prepares highly qualified graduates in a broad range of disciplines and provides them with the technical and professional skills that mean they are ready to work as innovators, entrepreneurs, and pioneers, to meet the demands of employment in private and public sectors, and to pioneer change in line with the UAE’s vision for our centenary year in 2071”.
Speaking in French, His Excellency offered his congratulations to the graduating students and saluted the efforts of the faculty, the administration, and the various departments of the Sorbonne University, for their contributions to the success of the students and the academic reputation and worldwide recognition of SUAD as a francophone institution of higher education. He said, “the university expresses the values and aspirations of our two countries to establish solid cultural links. Such links are the bridge towards the creation of the peaceful human relations that are the source of all sustainable development and progress.I congratulate you, our new graduates and wish you prosperous careers and promising futures. May you realize your dreams and ambitions and contribute to the nation’s march of progress in the next fifty years”.
Professor Alain Tallon offered his own congratulations to the graduating students, saying, “I am delighted to share this moment of joy with you, which is the outcome of a period of great effort. You can be very proud of yourselves, especially that you had to study through the COVID-19 pandemic that presented us with challenging conditions. I would like to thank all the academic and administrative teams who came together in a remarkable way to guarantee the full quality of your education. In this way, the Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi demonstrated its capacity of resilience”.
Professor Tallon placed emphasis on the initiatives in place to continue SUAD’s success. He said, “We place a priority on developing doctoral studies and research, in connection with the institution in Paris”. He expressed his hope that graduating students would want to benefit from these developments by pursuing an academic career. He said, “This degree today is not in any way an end. It is the beginning of a career in which the international education you received using teaching methodologies of the French and European higher education traditions will be of precious value”.
He said, “I am lucky to have been teaching at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi since its inauguration and witness, with great pleasure, the unique nature of interactions between different cultures, respecting each other and sharing a mutual interest for knowledge. Cherish these values, they are worth as much as the degree that you will receive. You are about to become an Alumni and be part of the vast and worldwide Sorbonne alumni community which is so proud of you today”.
Professor Silvia Serrano, Vice-Chancellor Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi commented “Today, we celebrate the fruits of the hard work, and success of the graduating students. We are proud of what they achieved and glad to share this memorable moment with them. today’s graduates will join more than 2,000 existing Alumni who have applied their knowledge and skills and became leaders and positive change makers. This generation proved that they are the generation of strong will and I look forward to seeing our graduates thrive in their professional lives and fulfill their dreams.
