Doha, Qatar — Texas A&M University at Qatar, a Qatar Foundation partner university, graduated 126 engineers during commencement exercises held 11 May at the Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC).
The Class of 2023 includes 112 students who graduated with bachelor’s degrees in chemical engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and petroleum engineering, and 14 students who graduated with master’s degrees in chemical engineering. The Class of 2023 includes 54 Qatari graduates and 72 female engineers, and represents 23 nationalities.
To date, Texas A&M at Qatar has awarded a total of 1,514 degrees, with 43 percent awarded to Qatari graduates, and 43.5 percent female graduates.
The Honorable Timmy T. Davis, Ambassador of the United States of America to the State of Qatar, was the night’s invited speaker.
In his remarks to the graduates, Ambassador Davis said, “A degree from Texas A&M opens doors, but it doesn’t do the work. It is a calling card that then demands you represent this institution, your family, and yourselves with honor and a consistent demonstration of the values you learned here.
The Ambassador offered the graduates lessons from his own life experiences. He said, “Make mistakes. Make as many mistakes as you can. And learn. I am convinced that your 20’s are for trying things you are unsure of and getting some of it wrong.”
“There are a million things you will not do because you’re concerned how it looks. You’re concerned what people think. Live your life as fully, as completely, and as joyfully as you can. Use the incredible education you got here not to become like everyone else, but to become the person you know you want to be.”
Faisal Mamdouh Ashour, a Class of 2023 chemical engineering graduate, was selected to address his fellow graduates during the ceremony. He highlighted how the Class of 2023 will continue to carry the Aggie core values of respect, excellence, leadership, loyalty, integrity, and selfless service on their journeys ahead.
“To the class of 2023, you have made your batch truly proud,” Ashour said. “We excelled in our academics and professional development, we participated in research projects and presented in conferences, we interned in different companies and sectors and represented what aggie engineers are capable of doing, we won in international competitions and triumphed in sports, and we did all that as the spirted Aggie community we strive to always be.”
He continued, “Today we leave this commencement as engineers, but don’t forget Aggies, you are not just engineers, you are Aggie engineers. This means that you not only carry academic excellence, great competence and being a higher value engineer, but you are equipped with leadership and comradeship qualities that we as Aggies are known for.”
Dr. César Octavio Malavé, dean of Texas A&M at Qatar, congratulated the graduates on their resilience and resourcefulness in completing their degree, and their readiness to join a workforce that demands innovative thinkers to devise creative solutions to the world’s challenges of today and beyond.
Malavé said, “We are so proud of your determination, your perseverance and your success. And we look forward to seeing all you will accomplish in your careers. As you begin the next phase of your lives — whether you are joining the workforce or continuing on to graduate studies — remember what sets you apart: You are Aggie engineers. Your world-class engineering education has prepared you to become an engineering leader. Go forward with this bold thinking and pledge to make a difference in the world that needs your innovation and energy — now more than ever. You are part of Texas A&M’s legacy of excellence, and you are role models and mentors to future generations of Aggie engineers.”
After the degrees were awarded, BG Joe E. Ramirez Jr. '79 (ret.), vice president for student affairs at Texas A&M University, inducted the graduates into The Association of Former Students, Texas A&M’s alumni organization that comprises the nearly 575,000 graduates of the university and is known worldwide as the Aggie Network.