The classes of 2020 and 2021 from Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q), who had their graduation ceremonies online due to the global Covid-19 pandemic, will be celebrated formally at an in-person ceremony on April 24.
“The classes of 2020 and 2021 have demonstrated great resilience as students and graduates. Both classes endured the most difficult times of the pandemic as students, as well as graduates just embarking on their professional careers,” said Marwan M Kraidy, dean and CEO of NU-Q. “As we slowly return to normalcy, we look forward to formally celebrating these remarkable individuals who have earned a special place as members of the Northwestern community by their resilience and accomplishments inside and outside the classroom."
Speaking at the ceremony will be Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, CEO of Doha Film Institute, Northwestern University president Morton O Schapiro, and dean Kraidy. The graduates heard from Dima Khatib, managing director of AJ+, and Dena Takruri, senior presenter and producer at AJ+, during their virtual graduations in 2020 and 2021.
At the first virtual ceremony, the class of 2020 had a virtual guest appearance by Stephen Colbert. A graduate of Northwestern University, Colbert noted their resilience on the path post-graduation, and asked them to “stay strong, be brave, be daring, and have a wonderful life."
The graduates of the classes of 2020 and 2021 attending the ceremony make up Northwestern Qatar’s ninth and 10th graduating classes. Combined together, they represent more than 22 countries, including Qatar, China, Egypt, Gambia, India, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Korea, Lebanon, Morocco, Pakistan, Palestine, the Philippines, Singapore, Sudan, Sweden, Syria, Tanzania, Tunisia, Ukraine and the United States.
Approximately 100 students from the two classes will attend the in-person graduation. The class of 2022 will hold its graduation ceremony the following evening where more than 100 students will join Northwestern’s global alumni network of 250,000 alums on the 10th anniversary of Northwestern Qatar’s first graduating class.
The Class of 2020.
