The University of Manchester hosts 11th graduation celebration for part-time master’s degree graduates in the Middle East
The University of Manchester, one of the world’s top ranked and most international universities, has hosted its 11th annual graduation celebration for over 200 Master’s degree students from the Middle East, who achieved outstanding academic results. The new graduates are all working professionals in a range of industries who graduated from the University’s part-time Master’s programmes – the Manchester Global MBA, MA Educational Leadership in Practice, and MSc Financial Management. Professor Ken McPhail, Head of Alliance Manchester Business School, led the occasion and gave the keynote address on behalf of the University. The graduation celebration is an occasion unique to the region, for the University.
The guests of honour attending the graduation celebration were Dr. Naji Al Mahdi, Chief of Qualifications and Awards for Dubai, at the Knowledge & Human Development Authority and distinguished alumnus of The University of Manchester (who addressed the new graduates); Alison Hall – Deputy Consul General Dubai at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, who also spoke at the celebration; and Dr. Basem Barqawi, Commissioner, Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA) Ministry of Education in the UAE.
The University’s graduating class of 2024 in the Middle East comprises a total of 205 graduates (46 nationalities and 18 countries of residence with the vast majority residing in the UAE and Saudi Arabia) from across the part-time Master’s programmes delivered in the region. They are working professionals from 23 industries, with Banking & Finance, Healthcare and Pharma, and IT, the top three sectors. 32% of the new graduates are female and more than 90% of the class graduated with distinction or merit. The new MBA graduates are all experienced and highly qualified working professionals in executive, management or specialist roles in various industry sectors across the region; all the educational leadership graduates are actively working in the sector.
The University’s top academic achievers were recognised at the celebration, along with the regional Alumni Ambassadors, and the presentation of the Alumni of the Year award. The graduation celebration was organised by the University’s Middle East Centre in Dubai and was attended by families and friends of the graduates, and corporate and social responsibility partners of the Centre.
Addressing the graduation celebration, Professor Ken McPhail, Head of Alliance Manchester Business School, said: “It is my pleasure to congratulate all our new graduates from the Middle East on your outstanding achievement. A part-time Master’s is a very demanding and rigorous academic programme and you have successfully completed this, overcoming all adversity. Your success will also be recognised by current and future employers and it will become part of your own personal brand story. Our faculty and staff have also played a key role in supporting your learning journey and I pay tribute to them all.
“In the dynamic regional economy of the Middle East, new opportunities are emerging and your Manchester learning experiences will help position you for these new careers as industries – and entire economies – continue to transform. Talent is now recognised as a global resource and you have the knowledge, skills and network to lead in this transforming global economy. Wherever you choose to pursue your career you will always find support through our growing Manchester global alumni community.”
The University of Manchester opened its Middle East Centre at Dubai Knowledge Park in 2006 and, today, it is the largest and fastest growing of the University’s international network of five centres based in key business cities around the world. The Middle East Centre has supported a total of more than 3,400 part-time Master’s degree students in the region and graduated over 2,300. It also supports a regional alumni community of over 5,500 current and former students.
Randa Bessiso, Middle East Director at The University of Manchester, added: “Graduation is a celebration of achieving the demanding standards of a Manchester Master’s degree, while managing the challenges of balancing work-life-study. The degree is awarded to an individual but it’s actually a team effort. Every student faces challenges along their learning journey and behind every successful graduate, there is often a network of supportive family and friends, work colleagues, and fellow students, our academic faculty and the Middle East Centre support team. I would like to pay tribute to all those people who have supported our new graduates’ learning journeys and helped make their achievement possible. We continue to attract high calibre students and the results of this graduating class clearly demonstrates this.”
The University of Manchester Middle East Centre provides access to a dynamic portfolio of part-time business master’s degree programmes for working professionals, including the flagship Global Part-time MBA, Global Executive MBA, and specialist part-time master’s programmes – the award-winning MA Educational Leadership in Practice, and a unique conversion programme – MSc Financial Management. Alongside these, the Centre has introduced a range of executive education short business courses delivered on campus in Manchester.
The University of Manchester is placed among the world’s top universities and one of the world’s leading universities for impact towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Alliance Manchester Business School (AMBS) is triple-accredited and ranked among the world’s leading schools. Most recently, AMBS was ranked 46th in the world and 5th in the UK in the Financial Times 2024 Global MBA ranking.
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