JEDDAH — Dar Al-Hekma University hosted two graduation ceremonies last week to accommodate the biggest batch of its graduates in the past 15 years. The 15th bachelor's batch and fifth master's batch celebrated their graduation. The 339 graduates represent the biggest batch in the university's history yet. The donors and graduates' fathers' ceremony will be held on June 12. "Dar Al-Hekma University created programs to stimulate and develop creativity; these programs existed since 2006 as we anticipated the future needs. The university will continue on its path and will keep graduating accomplished women, leaders and entrepreneurs who are ready to serve the country, take the responsibilities and preserve our values," said Dr. Suhair Hassan Al Qurashi, president of the university. Dr. Al Qurashi made a brief presentation on the successes and achievements of the university's graduates which will remain engraved in the memory of the institution for years. To name a few achievements that the students had in 2017; Maha Moussa won first prize at the STEAM Innovation Challenge held by King Abdullah University of Science & Technology (KAUST); Tasnim Ismail won first place at the Kingdom level and third at the Middle East level in the Unilever Design Competition; Duaa Amer, Nouf Bannan, Tala Bukhari, Ayah Hashim, Lina Samaha, Wid Massoud and Rahaf Zaini won first place in the Seventh Annual Vis Middle East Pre-Moot held in Kuwait; Ghaida Qari, Dania Al-Khawaji, Nebras Benger and Rahma Al-Hafeez won a $20 research grant from KAUST and Mai Zaidi, Salma Balqasim, Mashael Al-Rayes, Maram Balubaid, Nawal Qabbani, Rahma Al-Hafeez, Dania Al-Khawaji, Gidaa Qari, Saba Bari, Nebras Banger and Bayan Al Shehri participated at the American Speech–Language–Hearing Association conference. On the first day of the program, the valedictorian speech was delivered by the honors student and architecture graduate Asil Sahhab who directed her words to her beloved university saying, "thank you for not preventing us from understanding reality. Thank you for your leaders who brought the world to us and took us to the world from here. Thank you for making us leaders, for marching us to success in all fields and for making us accomplished women that carried the trust to the highest degree, making dreams a reality full of achievements." On the second day, the valedictorian speech was delivered by the honors student and Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences graduate Nebras Banjar. "From here everything begins, inside our classrooms, in the hallways and corridors, between essay writings, assignment submissions, loyal friends, reverend faculty, our beloved president and a tons of ambition. From here we graduate accomplished women, leaders and entrepreneurs." Khuloud Attar received this years' Outstanding Alumna Award. Attar graduated from the Graphic Design Department in 2007, and is the first Saudi woman to establish the first design magazine "Design Magazine" in the Kingdom. The magazine takes care of all the updates in the world of interior design and graphic design, and seeks to integrate creativity into the fabric of society and to open wide horizons to a new flood of creative, innovative and in-depth talents in self-expression. The first issue was published in 2008, and now 20,000 copies are being distributed in and outside the Kingdom, and this week "Design Magazine" celebrated its 50th anniversary.
