VCU School of the Arts in Qatar graduates fifth class

The Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar held its fifth commencement ceremony on May 27 in Doha, Qatar, distributing bachelor of fine arts degrees in communication, fashion design and interior design to 33 new graduates.

Janine James, the founder of The Moderns, a multidisciplinary design firm in the United States, was the ceremony’s keynote speaker. She told the graduates to be proud of their college experience.

“This ceremony marks the culmination of a great deal of hard work and perseverance,” James said. “I feel sure that it marks a transitional moment of self-realization, as well. The graduates among us have, after all, spent the past four years fulfilling an intensive and rigorous curriculum — one designed to foster not just first-rate designers but well-rounded individuals prepared for the challenges and responsibilities of a highly complex world.”

The VCU School of the Arts in Qatar is housed in the Qatar Foundation for Education, a non-profit organization founded in 1995 by the Emir and Head of State of Qatar, His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani. VCU Qatar offers specialized programs in various design professions.

VCU President Eugene P. Trani, Ph.D., attended the commencement just one week after presiding over VCU’s commencement ceremonies in the United States.

“All of us continue to be very excited about the VCU School of the Arts in Qatar,” Trani said. “This school and your class are an inspiration for higher education and the benefits of collaboration everywhere.”

VCU Qatar regularly organizes and hosts exhibitions, gallery events and world-class design conferences and hosts an annual fashion show. Students also receive real-world educational experiences. In this vein, this year’s graduates had worked on signage systems and navigational devices for a new luxury hotel and had designed the interior layout and furnishing of Qatar Shell Research and Technology Centre in the Qatar Science and Technology Park.

Trani praised school officials and graduates for their work on the various projects, pointing in particular to an annual design conference, Tasmeem Doha 2006.

“By continuing to offer the only conference of its kind in the Arab world, VCUQ is making a great contribution and is establishing itself as a leader in its field,” Trani said. “For three years in a row, you have brought together some of the most creative people in Qatar and abroad, and you are to be commended for your efforts.”

Farah Al Ali Al-Maadeed, 16, the youngest member of the graduating class, earned valedictorian honors. During her four years at VCU Qatar, Al-Maadeed received a slew of awards, including the Mimar Award for best freshman, the Al Ahli Bank Scholarship for academic excellence in her sophomore year and the Qatar Minstry of Education Award in both her junior and senior years.

“Studying at VCUQ was a wonderful experience, not only from an educational aspect, but also being part of the VCUQ community, enjoying the company friends – the whole atmosphere was great,” Al-Maadeed said.