Largest batch of graduates does Dar Al-Hekma proud

Dar Al-Hekma celebrated the graduation of its 11th batch of undergraduates and the eagerly awaited first class of MBA graduates on Monday.
A total of 222 students — the largest number in Dar Al-Hekma’s history — received their degrees in the Dar Al-Hekma auditorium. The bachelor’s degree programs produced 207 graduates and 15 MBA students passed the ranks to alumni.
Thoraya Obaid, member of the Shoura Council, delivered the keynote address at the event. Having served the United Nations for over 35 years, Obaid inspired the audience with reflections on her diverse life experiences — giving the class of 2013 a glimpse of the reality that awaits them and invigorating their aspirations.
“It is our duty as elders in this society to open doors of leadership to young people, so they can form the future according to their vision, aspirations, and challenges. I see youth discussing possible solutions for difficulties that their local or national society faces, but through well-planned, creative, and serious teamwork. Young ladies, I wish you success and unique accomplishments,” said Obaid.
Pioneering female Saudi artist and historian Safeya Binzagr was awarded the Dar Al-Hekma Annual Prize for Outstanding Achievements for her contribution to fine art in the Kingdom. With the establishment of Darat Safeya Binzagr Museum in 1995, she has created a forum for research and learning in an otherwise tapering area — the cultural heritage of the Kingdom. Through her paintings, books, and ancient collections of jewelry, clothing, and furniture, Binzagr has captured and preserved a Saudi Arabia prior to the 1970s.
Commenting on the great strides the institution has made, President Suhair Al-Qurashi said: “Upon marking its 11th graduation day, the total number of students that have graduated from Dar Al-Hekma has reached 1,323. Among those are 135 master’s degree holders and 10 Ph.D. holders. Many of the graduates have attained international recognition for their work and contribution to society. As an institution, we’ve built a number of national and international strategic alliances, fortified our education, and are now on our way to launching more graduate level programs. These accomplishments in a brief journey of 14 years bear testimony to our continual realization of the mission on which the foundations of Dar Al-Hekma were built.”
Dar Al-Hekma’s graduating class included several students who have made commendable achievements this year.
A team of three graduating students in the Management Information Systems program (Yasmin Moosa, Nada Rashid and Laraine Anne Valles) won first place in the Kingdom-wide Pearl Initiative Case Study Contest for reducing corruption and increasing transparency and accountability.
Graduates Badria Moudir and Dalia Sayed, with a team of seven students from the Hekma School of Law and Diplomacy, won first place in the third Annual Middle East Vis Pre-Moot, a competition that sets ground for the upcoming official rivalry, the Willem C. Vis Annual Arbitration Moot. The pre-moot was held in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
There were four students who memorized the Holy Qur’an and graduate Zahar Al-Sayed completed 1,850 hours of community service during her studies, hitting the record number of hours served by any student at Dar Al-Hekma