Today's Edition
SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)
Khalifa University of Science and Technology (KU) held its 2025 graduation ceremony over two days at ADNEC on June 11-12, celebrating 1,112 graduates from both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
In all, 163 students received their PhD degrees, while 193 received their master’s, and a total of 725 students received their bachelor’s degrees, making the overall numbers 1,112, including 31 PhDs in medicine graduates.
As part of the UAE's Year of Community, the ceremony celebrated significant achievements, including a record-breaking number of Biomedical Engineering graduates, a robust group from the inaugural Nuclear Engineering programme, and the awarding of degrees in the Master of Science in Sustainable Critical Infrastructure programme.
The launch of the bachelor's programme in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence also highlighted the university's increasing focus on future-oriented disciplines.
Speaking to Aletihad, Professor Ebrahim Al Hajri, President of Khalifa University, praised the graduates' achievements and their growing role in shaping the UAE's innovation landscape.
"The 2025 graduates have now become part of a community of Khalifa University alumni who are not only advancing in their careers but shaping industries in the UAE and the region. Wherever these graduates go next as industry professionals, researchers, scientists and academicians, we encourage them to carry the same habits and values – integrity, curiosity, and the willingness to learn – which they have built over the years at Khalifa University, consistently top-ranked in the UAE for the 7th consecutive year."
He added: "While I offer my congratulations to the new graduates, we are also proud of them and firmly believe they will live up to the reputation of Khalifa University wherever they are placed. Khalifa University's alumni hold senior positions in both government and private sector organisations, creating value and offering their expertise. We believe these 2025 graduates will similarly emulate the previous cohorts of graduates who are also launching new commercial ventures, receiving industry awards, and earning places on regional and global platforms."
Pioneering Research and Innovation
He noted that the graduating class of 2025 has greatly contributed to research and innovation that remains integral to Khalifa University's core mission and strategy.
"These students were involved in projects across key fields such as robotics and AI, biotechnology and healthcare, aerospace and sustainable space propulsion, as well as defence technologies – advancing the university's mission of academic excellence and national impact."
Professor Al Hajri highlighted that student projects in areas such as smart agriculture, wearable technology, biofuels, carbon capture, telecommunications, and artificial intelligence demonstrate the innovation and technical expertise driving the future of the UAE and the broader region.
The mission of Khalifa University, he noted, aligns with the UAE's priorities in space, energy, and health by transforming laboratory innovations into startups, achieving notable successes in areas such as decarbonisation, CubeSats, advanced materials, and healthcare.
"In research and innovation, Khalifa University leads with more than 300 patents and total invention disclosures crossing 700," he said.
The University President emphasised initiatives like the HusTab Health Analysis Pipeline, an AI-driven health system for wearable data, indoor air quality evaluations in UAE schools, coral monitoring near the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, and studies on protein alterations associated with infertility and cancer. He also mentioned the university's partnerships with Stanford, Airbus, and Boeing.
The university's graduates have developed start-ups through its innovation and entrepreneurship programmes via the Khalifa University Enterprises Company (KUEC) and the Khalifa Innovation Center.
Additionally, it introduced the UAE's first dual master's programme in partnership with Arizona State University, centred on entrepreneurship.
Prof. Al Hajri further explained how Khalifa University has prepared them to lead: "At Khalifa University, work experience is built into the learning process, and many of our students intern with top UAE and leading international companies in various sectors such as energy, telecom, and defence research, gaining exposure to the roles they will step into."
Khalifa University marked a milestone in its sustainable journey with the launch of "Sustainability Strategy - A Pathway to Net Zero 2050", a comprehensive five-year roadmap, and the university's first greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions report, he noted.
"We have also launched a Dh1 million sustainability challenge through which we are planning to offer grants for the most impactful research projects," Prof. Al Hajri said.
"In addition, Khalifa University is the Co-Chair of the UAE Universities Climate Network (UCN) and centres its works on four key pillars: Student Youth Engagement, Communal Activations, Research & Innovation, and Campus Carbon Neutrality," he added.
A Rewarding Education Journey
Also speaking to Aletihad graduates from various disciplines, shared their education journey and future goals.
For Hessa Aljarwan, who holds a PhD in Engineering Systems and Management, the graduation "marks the start of a greater responsibility-to give back, lead with integrity, and pursue impact over titles." Her research explored how indoor environments affect brain activity, aiming to design healthier office spaces.
"Khalifa University gave me the freedom to explore neuroscience and architecture," she said, adding that she plans to pursue research, design and entrepreneurship.
Abdel Gafoor Haddad, a PhD holder in Robotics, focused his research on reinforcement learning for UAVs.
"My PhD introduced reinforcement learning techniques for UAVs with slung loads, enabling them to pick and place items accurately – even when conditions like cable length or load mass change. It addresses the challenge of real-world adaptability," he explained.
The university's comprehensive support, global exposure and participation in hackathons were pivotal in shaping his research.
Mariam Alzaabi, who holds a Master's in Computer Science (AI), said: "This degree came with challenges, but each one pushed me to grow – technically and personally."
Her research developed energy-efficient AI models for underwater navigation.
"It addresses the limitations of conventional AI, especially where energy efficiency is critical," she explained.
Fatema Almarzooqi, who holds a Bachelor of Aerospace Engineering (Excellent with Honors) and led the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics’ KU Chapter, won national awards, and joined CubeSat projects with global partners.
"Today is not just about earning a degree - it is about perseverance and service to our country."
"I want to keep contributing to aerospace through innovation and service," she said.
Aysha Al Jasmi, Bachelor of Biomedical Engineering degree holder, called her KU experience "truly rewarding and it deepened my interest in the field".
She thanked her family and shared how the university's evolving curriculum and her internship at KAIST, Korea, expanded her skills.
"I plan to pursue postgraduate studies, but first I want hands-on experience," she said.
