An in-person commencement ceremony marked the graduation of the Class of 2022 from Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar) at Multaqa Student Center in Education City recently.

Sixty-six students from VCUarts Qatar Class of 2022 Art History (8), Fashion Design (8), Graphic Design (18), Interior Design (18), Painting + Printmaking (9) and MFA (5) programmes are graduating from the university this May.

The in-person celebration, held after a hiatus of two years, was filled with enthusiasm and positive energy of graduating students and with congratulatory messages of faculty, staff, friends, and proud family members.

Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) Secretary General, HE Hassan Al Thawadi, was this year’s commencement speaker. His keynote speech was delivered by Fatma Al Jaidah on his behalf. Al Jaidah is the  Q22 Destination and Experience Director at SC, a Graphic Design graduate of VCUarts Qatar Class of 2007.

When she delivered the speech, Al Jaidah shared her recollection of her own time at VCUarts Qatar. She said that 15 years ago, she was like them, the graduating students, eager and ready to go out into the world and pursue her passions and aspirations .

We are full steam ahead as we race toward delivering what will be an amazing FIFA World Cup later this year. Our vision for the FIFA World Cup has always had one thing at its heart: legacy. The World Cup itself will bring an unprecedented number of visitors to Qatar. But the legacy that’s left behind can only be judged when the final whistle blows and the football finishes.

She said that the most important part of any legacy is people. People like the class of 2022 – future leaders, artists, designers, and creative minds. She said that the graduates represent the best of Qatar and what the country has to offer.

Dean Amir Berbić
Dean Amir Berbić
Class of 2022 co-Valedictorians Gayatri Maelathil and Noof Al-Naama
Class of 2022 co-Valedictorians Gayatri Maelathil and Noof Al-Naama

The event was attended by faculty, staff and senior leadership of VCUarts Qatar, led by Dean Amir Berbić, who told the assembled students that the best is yet to come.

There will be many uncertainties as you step out into the world, but bravely facing uncertainties is what art and design school graduates excel at. After all this, all of you came through arguably one of the greatest higher education challenges ever because of the pandemic. And yet you thrived!

VCU Richmond President Dr Michael Rao, reminded the graduating students about the significance of being part of the VCU family. He said that what they do in Richmond parallels with what they do here in Doha – and vice versa.

You are graduating into a family that is much larger than the excellent faculty and administrators you know here, and larger than your class. The VCU family is worldwide.

The emotions of the new graduates – as they shared the ups and downs of their journey at VCUarts Qatar – was captured by co-valedictorian and Graphic Design graduate Gayatri Maelathil who said that the past four years have changed her and her life.

Noof Al-Naama, the other co-valedictorian said that studying design at VCUarts Qatar defined her path, not only in terms of interior design styles but also in fine arts. She said she was able to find the balance between the past and the future, where the Qatari values remain preserved despite the developments in the country.


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