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Her Excellency Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi to speak at NYU Abu Dhabi’s Fourth Graduation Ceremony

Scenes from the first New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) commencement at the university's Saadiyat campus in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, May 25, 2014.

Press Release

Ceremony to also include welcome remarks by William R. Berkley, Chair, NYU Board of Trustees

Her Excellency Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Al Qasimi, Cabinet Member and the UAE’s Minister of State for Tolerance will deliver keynote remarks at NYU Abu Dhabi’s fourth graduation ceremony on May 24, 2017 at the University’s campus on Saadiyat Island.

This year’s graduating class comprises over 150 students from around 60 countries. The graduating class represents some of the world’s leading young minds in the fields of arts, humanities, social sciences and sciences.

Her Excellency Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi was appointed the Minister of State for Tolerance in February 2016, with the primary mission to promote tolerance and instil its core principles as a fundamental value in the UAE community and the world.

NYUAD Vice Chancellor Al Bloom announced: “We are deeply privileged that Her Excellency Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, Cabinet Member and Minister of State for Tolerance of the UAE, and President of Zayed University, has accepted our invitation to deliver the keynote address at our 2017 Commencement. Her Excellency was appointed Minister of Economy in 2004 by His Highness Sheikh Zayed, as the first woman in a ministerial role in the UAE. From 2008-13 she served as Minister of Foreign Trade, and then from 2013-16 as Minister of International Cooperation and Development. Throughout her extraordinary career, Her Excellency has been a dedicated sponsor of trade and diplomacy in the service of creating a more cooperative and peaceful world, a leading voice for the values of diversity, inclusion, cross-cultural understanding and environmental sustainability, and a passionate advocate for the critical role of education in addressing the key issues of this century. Her Excellency’s participation in our 2017 Commencement will powerfully reinforce this university's mission and offer a model of inspirational leadership for a global world. Our community will be truly honored by her presence.”

Her Excellency Sheikha Lubna currently serves as President of Zayed University, and is the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the International Institute for Tolerance. She sits on the board of the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation and the Emirates Foundation for Youth Development. Her Excellency is also a member of the Governing Board of Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at The National University of Singapore.

Her Excellency was identified by Arabian Business Magazine as one of the most influential Arab personalities between 2010-2014 and was 42nd on a Forbes Magazine list of the 100 most powerful women for 2015. Her Excellency was also included in the Wall Street Journal’s list of the 50 most important international women to watch.

In addition to Her Excellency, NYU Board Chair William R. Berkley, NYU President Andrew Hamilton, NYU Abu Dhabi Vice Chancellor Al Bloom, and Class of 2017 student speaker Nafisatou Mounkaila will also offer remarks to graduates.

About NYU Abu Dhabi

NYU Abu Dhabi is the first comprehensive liberal arts and research campus in the Middle East to be operated abroad by a major American research university. NYU Abu Dhabi has integrated a highly selective undergraduate curriculum across the disciplines with a world center for advanced research and scholarship. The university enables its students in the sciences, engineering, social sciences, humanities, and arts to succeed in an increasingly interdependent world and advance cooperation and progress on humanity’s shared challenges. NYU Abu Dhabi’s high-achieving students have come from over 115 countries and speak over 115 languages. Together, NYU's campuses in New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai form the backbone of a unique global university, giving faculty and students opportunities to experience varied learning environments and immersion in other cultures at one or more of the numerous study-abroad sites NYU maintains on six continents.