Texas A&M at Qatar graduates 126 engineers

Texas A&M University at Qatar (Tamuq), a Qatar Foundation partner, graduated 126 engineers during commencement exercises held on May 11 at the Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC).
The Class of 2023 comprised 112 students who graduated with bachelor’s degrees in chemical engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and petroleum engineering, and 14 students who graduated with master’s degrees in chemical engineering.
The Class of 2023 is made up of 54 Qatari graduates and 72 female engineers, and represents 23 nationalities.
To date, Tamuq has awarded a total of 1,514 degrees, with 43% awarded to Qataris, and 43.5% female graduates.
US ambassador to Qatar Timmy T Davis was the invited speaker.
“A degree from Texas A&M opens doors, but it doesn’t do the work,” he told the graduates. “It is a calling card that then demands you represent this institution, your family, and yourselves with honour and a consistent demonstration of the values you learned here.”
He offered the graduates lessons from his own life experiences.
“Make mistakes. Make as many mistakes as you can. And learn,” Davis said. “I am convinced that your 20’s are for trying things you are unsure of and getting some of it wrong.”
Faisal Mamdouh Ashour, a Class of 2023 chemical engineering graduate, addressed his fellow graduates during the ceremony.
“To the Class of 2023, you have made your batch truly proud,” he said. “We excelled in our academics and professional development, we participated in research projects and presented in conferences, we interned in different companies and sectors and represented what Aggie engineers are capable of doing, we won in international competitions and triumphed in sports, and we did all that as the spirited Aggie community we strive to always be.”
“Aggies” are students and graduates of Texas A&M.
Tamuq dean Dr Cesar Octavio Malave congratulated the graduates on their resilience and resourcefulness, and their readiness to join a workforce that demands innovative thinkers to devise creative solutions to the world’s challenges of today and beyond.
“We are so proud of your determination, your perseverance and your success. And we look forward to seeing all you will accomplish in your careers,” he said. “As you begin the next phase of your lives – whether you are joining the workforce or continuing on to graduate studies – remember what sets you apart: You are Aggie engineers.”
“Your world-class engineering education has prepared you to become an engineering leader,” Dr Malave continued. “Go forward with this bold thinking and pledge to make a difference in the world that needs your innovation and energy – now more than ever.”
After the degrees were awarded, Brigadier-General (retired) Joe E Ramirez Jr, vice-president for student affairs at Texas A&M University, inducted the graduates into the Association of Former Students, Texas A&M’s alumni organisation that comprises the nearly 575,000 graduates of the university and is known worldwide as the Aggie Network.