KAUST graduates celebrate ‘journey of discovery’ at 10th Commencement ceremony

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-By Caitlin Clark, KAUST News

The University celebrated its 10th Commencement ceremony on December 13, 2019, welcoming 103 master's degree and 93 Ph.D. graduates to the KAUST global alumni community.

Presided over by senior leadership, faculty and the KAUST trustees and led by Dr. Tony Chan, the University's president, the ceremony also featured speeches by 2019 Ph.D. graduate Yasmeen Najm and KAUST's founding President Dr. Choon Fong Shih.

Celebrating 10 years

"his Commencement is special because it is our 10th Commencement and also the 10th anniversary of the University itself," President Chan noted in his opening remarks.

"Ten years is a very short time for a university, but for KAUST, it is a significant milestone," he said. "We have risen from the sands of Thuwal to become a globally recognized university with a scholarly community of faculty and students…[and w]e have taken an essential first step towards King Abdullah's vision of reviving the House of Wisdom from a millennium ago."

"As we celebrate our first decade, we have many achievements we are proud of, from groundbreaking research…to our rising global stature… at the same time, we face many challenges and opportunities going into our second decade," he continued. "We must grasp new opportunities such as those presented by Vision 2030 that are opening up for us, as well as expanding new scientific and technological frontiers."

President Chan advised graduates to remember "that we will look to you to make a positive and lasting impact in the world…You leave the University at a time of tremendous change and great promise, whether here in the Kingdom or in an increasingly complex and interconnected world."

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