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BUiD celebrates success at Graduation Ceremony

The British University in Dubai extols its second cohort of graduates

Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Successful students of the British University in Dubai were awarded their degrees yesterday.

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chancellor of the University, congratulated the 21 graduates in front of a gathering of parents, family members, employers and other VIP guests.

At the occasion BUiD also acknowledged the support extended by its founders, contributors and UK partners since the foundation of the University.

"These students have worked hard and achieved excellent results and they are to be congratulated, as are the founders, contributors and partners who had the vision and have enabled BUiD to be established and operated to the highest British standards," said Sheikh Ahmed.

For the founders of University - the Al Maktoum Foundation, British Business Group, Dubai Development Investment Authority, National Bank of Dubai and Rolls-Royce - the ceremony marked a successful outcome from their years of planning and investment.

"Rolls-Royce is proud to be a founder of BUiD , and is delighted that another batch of students has benefited from the university's ability to deliver top quality masters programmes while also developing its research capability," said Terry Holland, Regional Executive of Rolls-Royce, one of the founders of BUiD .

The expertise of BUiD 's British partners has shaped the intellectual and career development of the new graduates. BUiD is organised around specialised Institutes, offering distinctive disciplines, each linked to a leading UK partner university. Representatives from these UK institutions will be in attendance at the event.

The graduates are from a wide range of backgrounds and career histories. All the degrees offered at BUiD are at Masters level, meaning that students are often experienced individuals from the world of work. The majority combined part-time study with regular employment in order to obtain their new qualification. Over half the students at BUiD are UAE nationals.

"Each student's achievement represents a huge honour both for them and for the university. It clearly reflects the high international standards for which the institution and students alike are striving and are now being recognised for," said Vice-Chancellor Dr. Abdullah M. Alshamsi.

The University's contributors are also excited about the ceremony. For Dubai Duty Free, the Emirates Group and Hyder Consulting, among others, donations to the university are a mechanism for ensuring that today's students develop into the future professionals who will be in great demand in a booming economy.

"Working closely with the British University in Dubai is an important strategic decision that facilitates closer ties between higher education and, in the case of Atkins, strengthens our contribution to design of the built environment, particularly in key areas such as sustainability, " said Tim Askew, Middle East Regional Managing Director of Atkins, one of BUiD 's contributor companies.

"We look forward to enhancing this mutual benefit and extending this relationship further in the years ahead," he added.

As the ceremony closed, lecturers and administrators returned to the university, preparing themselves for the task of recruiting and educating the next wave of dedicated postgraduate students.

-Ends-

About the British University in Dubai
The British University in Dubai ( BUiD ) is the Middle East's first research-based, postgraduate university. The University was established to facilitate access to world-class education, training and research in the Middle East. BUiD aspires to the highest, internationally recognized British standards as reflected in its partnership with the University of Edinburgh, the University of Birmingham, the University of Manchester, Cardiff University and the Cass Business School at City University, London. Each has a five or five-star rating in the UK national Research Assessment Exercise that signifies research of international standard.

The not-for-profit university offers full and part-time Masters Degree programmes and Continuing Professional Development courses in Information Technology, Project Management, the Built Environment, Finance and Banking, Education and IT Management.

All BUiD 's current Masters Programmes have received Accreditation Eligibility Status from the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research's Commission for Academic Accreditation.

The founders of the University are the Al Maktoum Foundation, the Dubai Development and Investment Authority, Rolls-Royce, the British Business Group and the National Bank of Dubai. The University is governed by a Council under the chairmanship of Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum.

The Emirates Group, DUCAB, Atkins, Dubai Duty Free, Hyder Consulting, the Emirates Foundation and DUGAS are supporters of the university through financial contributions or the provision of scholarships.

For further enquiries call BUiD on +971.4.391.3633.

© Press Release 2007