Although difficult times have led to the cancelation of many gatherings and social events AUK has made it a top priority to serve their graduates by not postponing their graduation. A graduation is a joyous day in the lives of everyone involved. It is when students get to hold their heads up high, knowing that the day they have been waiting for is finally here.

The day has come when they get to celebrate the perseverance they had (even when they felt like giving up), the education gained throughout the years and their courage to embark on a new path. It is also a very important day in the eyes of all their loved ones. Seeing your family member or friend be rewarded for all the hard work they have put forth is priceless.

Standing there proudly during your graduation ceremony is an unforgettable moment, and taking that away from so many students would have been disappointing in many ways. That is why AUK proudly shifted their focus to setting up a virtual graduation to celebrate this very important milestone for their future pioneers.

AUK held a virtual graduation commencement for the Class of 2020 on Saturday the 18th of July, 2020 where 286 students—67 from the College of Arts and Sciences, 114 from the College of Business and Economics, and 105 from the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences—officially became AUK graduates, amongst whom were 7 graduates with highest honors, 18 with high honors, and 14 with honors. The ceremony was held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Prime Minister of the State of Kuwait.

During the ceremony, AUK President, Dr. Rawda Awwad gave the opening speech virtually which welcomed His Highness Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Prime Minister of the State of Kuwait, parents, and graduates on behalf of the Chair of the Board of Trustees, Sheikha Dana Nasser Al-Sabah and the members of AUK’s Board of Trustees. Dr. Awwad then proceeded to praise the graduates’ efforts in overcoming unpredictable circumstances by stating “Throughout the pandemic, our priority first and foremost was your security and safety, and instructional continuity to enable you all to complete your degrees…and you accomplished all of this while completing your courses online and engaging virtually with our faculty and staff.  Many of you also completed your degrees in the fall and you were working and taking care of others. You all took AUK into your homes whether online, in spirit or in your actions.”

Aisha Adel AlSaqabi shared the most valuable lesson that she learned from her education at the University:

“If I had one takeaway from AUK, it is that it has taught me to be fearless. Not to be silent or passive but to be vocal and active, to be loud about the things I deem important and how to investigate the big questions of life that often left me uncomfortable but always led me to think beyond the boundaries of the classroom.”

Next, the commencement keynote address was given by the Prime Minister of the State of Kuwait, His Highness Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah in which he emphasized the importance of education, “The world is developing at an astounding rate, particularly in light of the Corona pandemic, which makes it imperative for us to keep pace with this development through the digital transformations across all country sectors, especially in the educational sector.  Revising the education system in Kuwait is no longer a matter for debate, nor can it be delayed. Amending curricula and developing them in line with the labor market has become a pressing national necessity for building the future homeland,” he said.

The graduates were each acknowledged in a slideshow with their pictures, majors and names mentioned. The ceremony was then finalized with the president congratulating the graduates and wishing them well with their future endeavors. The full ceremony can be viewed on AUK’s Instagram account @AUK_Official and YouTube channel AUK Videos.

We got to hear from some of the graduates on why they chose their majors:

Additional honor students class of 2020:

For more information about AUK, or to watch the ceremony visit auk.edu.kw or their Instagram page @AUK_Official.

About the American University of Kuwait (AUK):
The American University of Kuwait (AUK) is an independent, private, equal opportunity, and coeducational liberal arts institution of higher education. The educational, cultural and administrative structure, methods and standards of AUK are based on the American model of higher learning. The language of instruction is English. More information on the American University of Kuwait can be found at www.auk.edu.kw
AUK received its institutional accreditation from the Private Universities Council (PUC)—Ministry of Higher Education in the State of Kuwait, as of February 1, 2006. In addition, the Intensive English Program is accredited by the Commission on English Language Program Accreditation (CEA); the College of Business & Economics is accredited by The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB); the College of Arts & Sciences is accredited by the American Academy for Liberal Education (AALE); the BSc degree program in Computer Science is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering & Technology (ABET); the BE degree program in Computer Engineering and the BE degree program in Electrical Engineering are both accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.