Dignitaries in attendance included Australian Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, His Excellency Douglas Trappet; Kenyan Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, His Excellency Mohammed Gello; Murdoch University Vice Chancellor, Professor John Yovich AM; as well as Executive Director of Dubai Knowledge Village and Dubai International Academic City, Dr. Ayoub Kazim.
Murdoch University Dubai Pro-Vice Chancellor, Professor John Grainger, welcomed the guests and the graduates and their families, and spoke of the hard work put in by the first batch of Murdoch University Dubai students in their pursuit of quality postgraduate education. He also expressed his admiration for the high-calibre graduates: “The Murdoch MBA degree is designed to be challenging, and maintains very high, international standards of education. The fact that each of our graduates achieved their goals is a tribute to their individual and group tenacity, perseverance, intellect and confidence to succeed in all their endeavours, even under stressful conditions. They each deserve our admiration and congratulations on their remarkable achievements.”
Murdoch University Vice Chancellor, Professor John Yovich AM congratulated the graduates and encouraged them to use their newly acquired knowledge for the betterment of their careers and the society as a whole: “These are challenging times, yet you will be well equipped with an open and inquisitive mind, a thirst for knowledge and adventure, and the resourcefulness gained during your time studying with Murdoch University. We hope that as you launch into applying your recent skills to your careers that you continue to be proud of your association with this great Australian University, which values equality for all and encourages diversity, collaboration and global responsibility.”
The Vice Chancellor also expressed his appreciation to the team responsible for setting up the Dubai campus, including Murdoch University Deputy Vice Chancellor (Faculty, Enterprise and International)
The newly appointed Australian Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, His Excellency Mr. Douglas Trappet, congratulated both the students and the University for the achievement, and expressed his commitment to both maintaining and advancing strong educational ties between Australia and the United Arab Emirates.
Mr. Emmanuel Dunseath, MBA, addressed his fellow graduates and spoke, in his valedictorian speech, of the motivation behind his and his classmates’ decision to pursue the degree, as well as the challenges faced by the first graduating batch in their journey to achieving their goals. “All of us graduating had different reasons for doing an MBA. Some, like me, wanted to move up in the career ladder. Some wanted to dispense with the ladder altogether, and start their own businesses. Some wanted to make their own businesses better.”
Mr. Dunseath also spoke of the inspiration he gained during the course of the year: “In the process of doing the MBA, I began to get ideas, big ideas. In fact, the best thing about doing the course and interacting with so many interesting people was how it opened up our minds to a world of opportunities. It broadened our horizons.”
Executive Director of Dubai Knowledge Village and Dubai International Academic City, Dr. Ayoub Kazim said: “I am very pleased to see the first batch of students graduating from Murdoch University, one of our key education partners in Dubai International Academic City. The school offers an excellent model for a curriculum that caters to the dynamic needs of industries.”
The total list of the first batch of MBA graduates (Class of 2009):
Ms. Noor Al Aidarous
Mr. Rajesh Auplish
Mr. Puneet Bhatia
Mr. Abdelkarim Boutaour
Mr. Emmanuel Dunseath
Ms. Shatha S. Hajjat
Ms. Sreejith Haridas
Ms. Sharon Ann John
Ms. Zohreh Momeni
Mr. Behrang Ravari
Mr. Ehsan Ravari
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Find out more about Murdoch Dubai:
www.murdochdubai.ac.ae
