HEC Paris honors Class of 2016 at Qatar Foundation Graduation ceremony
Celebrations were in order on May 3rd for 650 students who graduated from nine institutions at the Qatar Foundation 2016. With HEC Paris one of the nine participating schools, Dean Peter Todd, who visited Qatar for the occasion, congratulated the school’s new graduates for having successfully completed the Executive MBA and Specialized Master in Strategic Business Unit Management.
The Qatar Foundation Convocation, organized in honor of the new graduates, was held at the Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC). This year’s batch included 45 Executive MBA (EMBA) and 49 Specialized Master in Strategic Business Unit Management (SBUM) participants of HEC Paris in Qatar along with those from other degree programs offered by HBKU and other universities operating in partnership with Qatar Foundation.
Amongst its distinguished graduates, HEC Paris was particularly proud to welcome to its growing base of influential alumni Her Excellency Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani – Vice Chairperson and CEO of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF) – as one of the prominent graduates of this year’s EMBA.
Following her successful graduation, she commented: "This is a very special moment in our lives, as we transit from the classroom to the workplace. After we graduate, we must not stop learning and seeking fulfilling experiences. We must continue to keep up with the latest knowledge in our chosen fields."
Professor Laoucine Kerbache, Dean & CEO of HEC Paris in Qatar, added: "The overwhelming response from aspiring professionals, particularly from Qatari men and women, is heartening and serves as evidence that these programs run parallel to the needs of Qatarization. We are confident that these will have a significant impact on building a new breed of entrepreneurial leaders who will influence the future course of leading business organizations in Qatar," he added.
This year’s cohort comprised 40 Qataris out of 49 participants in the SBUM program and 23 Qataris out of 45 participants in the EMBA program – a true reflection of the growing popularity among Qataris for the programs offered by HEC Paris in Qatar. Of these, 34 participants among this year’s graduates were women. Notably, the two programs attracted 31 non-Qataris representing 16 different nationalities.