DOHA, QATAR: Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar) proudly celebrated its Class of 2026 at its 25th annual Commencement ceremony held Monday, May 4, at the Sheraton Grand Doha Resort & Convention Hotel.

The occasion marked the achievements of 69 students from undergraduate and graduate programs, including Art History, Graphic Design, Interior Design, Painting and Printmaking, and the MFA in Design, who will now join a growing global network of VCUarts Qatar alumni.

Despite the challenges of moving to online learning during the spring semester, the Class of 2026 upheld VCUarts Qatar’s standards of quality and academic rigor to deliver high-caliber work under evolving conditions.

Opening remarks were shared via a recorded address by several members of Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) leadership, including Dr. Michael Rao, President of VCU; Dr. Arturo Saavedra, Executive Vice President and Provost of VCU; and Dr. Carmenita Higginbotham, Dean of VCUarts and Special Assistant to the Provost for VCUarts Qatar.

This year, President Rao shared a message of hope and encouragement with the graduates: “We know this celebratory moment comes amid challenges…which makes your achievement even more meaningful. You are graduating at a time when the world needs thoughtful, creative leaders more than ever. I am confident you will go forward with creativity and compassion to shape a future that is more positively connected than ever before.”

Additionally, from VCUarts Qatar, the University’s leadership team, including Dean Amir Berbić, associate and assistant deans, department chairs, faculty, and staff, were in attendance to support the graduating class.

Marking the occasion, Dean Amir Berbić reflected on the challenges that graduates overcame during their final semester.

He noted that the shift to virtual learning that required students to complete their senior theses and final projects from home—away from the studios, labs, classrooms, and creative community that they were accustomed to—did not stop them from continuing to push their work forward.

“That took real perseverance. It required discipline, flexibility, patience, and determination,”  Dean Amir Berbić said. “You kept making, thinking, researching, revising…even when the conditions were far from what you had imagined for your final semester.

“What this class demonstrated was about more than resilience, though there was certainly plenty of that. You showed maturity, focus, and a real commitment to your work and to one another.

“You proved that meaningful creative work does not depend on perfect conditions. It depends on curiosity, rigor, resourcefulness, and the willingness to continue when the path changes unexpectedly.”

This year’s Commencement speaker was Sheikha Reem Al-Thani, Deputy CEO of AL RIWAQ, Public Art, and Rubaiya Qatar at Qatar Museums (QM), who had led major exhibitions and public art initiatives that have elevated Qatar’s cultural profile regionally and internationally.

Addressing the graduating class, she encouraged them to embrace uncertainty and remain committed to depth over speed in their practice, noting: You are stepping into a world that is very different from the one I entered. There is more visibility. More opportunity. More infrastructure. But with that comes expectation. Resist the pressure to rush. Meaningful work takes time. It takes time to understand context, to build something thoughtful, and to create work that resonates. Don’t let speed define your value. Depth will always matter more. You are graduating in a place that is still shaping its cultural identity - that is rare. You are stepping into something still being written. And that means—you are part of that story.”

The title of Valedictorian was bestowed upon two students this year, Khawla Zaki Al-Essa (GDES, 2026) and Sruthi Subash (GDES, 2026), who hold the highest academic ranking among the graduation class. Their joint speech reflected on a journey that was far from linear and expressed deep gratitude for the support of family, friends, and the VCUarts Qatar community.

They left their peers with a note of optimism: “We are not graduating in a time of simplicity,” said Al-Essa, “we are graduating in a time that asks more of us. But perhaps that is exactly why our work matters. You just need to keep showing up. Keep creating, and keep questioning. So wherever we go next, whether we design, research, or create, I hope we all carry that responsibility with us. Not as a burden, but as a purpose.”

Subash echoed the sentiment saying, “This moment marks our entry into the next chapter of our lives. The future can be unpredictable and things may seem bleak, but one lesson I have learned through my time here at VCUarts Qatar is that love and support can get you far in life. Our departure is both melancholic and exciting. I'm sad to be leaving the community that I have built for the last four years, as I am sure most of you are as well. But to know that I am going out into the world with such creative and talented people as all of you makes me feel hopeful for our futures. This is not the end, but our beginning.”

About Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar

Established in 1998 through a partnership with Qatar Foundation, VCUarts Qatar is the international branch campus of Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of the Arts, ranked No. 2 in the U.S. among graduate schools of fine arts.

VCUarts Qatar operates within the 27-year alliance between VCU and Qatar Foundation that underscores the commitment of each institution to excellence, inquiry, discovery and innovation in a global setting.

VCUarts Qatar offers students the opportunity to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in graphic design, interior design, kinetic imaging and painting and printmaking, a Bachelor of Arts degree in art history, and a Master of Fine Arts degree in design.  A vibrant community with global reach, VCUarts promises to instill in students a lifelong passion for education and the arts.

VCUarts Qatar offers valuable opportunities for cross-cultural exchange and connects VCUarts to the influential art and design world of the Middle East and beyond. The campus attracts renowned contributors to contemporary visual culture for speaking and teaching engagements, and hosts two major international events:  Tasmeem Doha, a biennial art and design conference; and the biennial Hamad bin Khalifa Islamic Art Symposium.

For more information about VCUarts Qatar, please visit: https://qatar.vcu.edu/

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