His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and President of the University of Sharjah (UoS), witnessed the graduate students’ commencement ceremony on Thursday morning at Sharjah University City Hall

In his speech at the graduation ceremony, His Highness emphasized the need to pursue the journey of knowledge with determination and perseverance with the same resolve as their forebears. He evoked the image of Gulf traders navigating dark seas guided only by the stars, drawing a parallel with today’s scholars navigating the vast ocean of knowledge.

“Before navigation systems and satellites, Gulf merchants crossed the open sea in the darkness of night guided only by the stars,” he said. “They memorized the sky as you memorize your books and read the wind as you read your research. They would disappear for months into the unknown, not because the journey was easy, but because the destination was worth it. When they returned, they did not return for themselves, but with what could feed families and build communities. The sea was never their destination; it was the path. The destination was always here, in their homeland among their people. Today, you are the inheritors of that legacy. You have traveled the seas of knowledge as your ancestors once did, endured the pressures of research, the difficulty of questions, and the long nights of study. Now you return not to the shore, but to the society that awaits you.”

Al Qasimi praised the graduates for completing advanced degrees through carefully chosen specialized programs, noting that their academic paths have prepared them for leadership roles across critical sectors.

“What you hold today in graduate degrees across diverse fields is not merely an addition to your résumés,” he said. “It is a tool capable of shaping decisions and informing policy. Many of you already work in the institutions and vital sectors of this country, which means what you have learned will not remain theory in a book. It will become a decision in a meeting, a solution to a problem, or a vision in a project. Knowledge without action is like an archer without a bow, arrow, or string.”

His Highness also stressed that the UoS’s greatest achievement lies not in its buildings or laboratories, but in the minds it has shaped and the ideas it has brought to life. He pointed to the University’s sustained efforts to prepare students at every level, noting that its graduates possess a sense of pride rooted in substance rather than scale. “You have graduated from a university that defines itself not by what it has built in infrastructure, but by what it has produced in intellect, research, and innovation,” he said. “Today, the University of Sharjah has secured its place among the world’s leading institutions, as recognized by major international rankings. Each year, we highlight our progress across global evaluation platforms, where our standing continues to rise. Yet, as the University’s Chancellor noted, numbers are not the ultimate goal. I will step away from that relentless race for rankings to highlight what truly matters.”

At this point in his speech, His Highness drew attention to what he described as the University’s real wealth: its people. With more than 21,000 students enrolled, including 5,800 new students this academic year, the university has become the top choice for students across the country. He also praised the global expertise of its academic community, whose contributions have shaped 158 academic programs, and its graduates, who have gone on to serve in diverse fields as ministers, engineers, and doctors.

“Our pride lies in a community that brings together students, faculty, and staff from 111 countries,” he said. “They carry the University’s name and values with them and act as its ambassadors wherever they go. Once again, we affirm that our true wealth lies in people.”

Turning to families, Al Qasimi acknowledged the often-unseen sacrifices behind each graduate’s success. “Behind every graduate receiving a degree today stands a father who worked tirelessly in silence, a mother who prayed in the quiet hours before dawn, and a family that believed in the future,” he said. “You were not distant supporters, but the very foundation upon which this achievement was built. Today, before your sons and daughters, husbands and wives, you have the first right to pride.

” He also paid tribute to the University’s faculty and administration for their dedication to guiding students through academic challenges. “To those who taught with sincerity, guided with mastery, and answered every question with patience until it illuminated a mind, you have our deepest gratitude,” he said.

In closing, Al Qasimi urged graduates to measure success not by knowledge alone, but by what they give back. “Leave here with one certainty: the difference is not made by those who know more, but by those who give more,” he said. “What you hold today is not just a certificate, but a contract between you and society. Contracts are not fulfilled by signatures, but by commitment. The sailors I spoke of earlier are remembered not because they sailed, but because they returned and built. History does not remember those who left, but those who left a mark. Make your mark, so those who come after you will remember.”

The graduation ceremony began with the UAE national anthem, followed by a recitation of verses from the Holy Quran. Afterwards, H.E. Prof. Esameldin Agamy, Chancellor of the University of Sharjah, delivered a speech in which he expressed his gratitude and appreciation to His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi for honoring the ceremony with his presence and for personally congratulating the graduates.

Prof. Agamy congratulated the graduates and framed their achievement within the long arc of human civilization, where knowledge has stood as both catalyst and compass. He described learning as the product of minds that believed in its value, stressing that knowledge is not merely an accumulation of information but an intellectual and moral responsibility, one that must be carried forward as a force for progress and reform.

Addressing the graduates directly, Agamy underscored the discipline and commitment required to pursue graduate studies, urging them to remain steadfast on the path of specialization. “When you chose to enroll in graduate programs at the University of Sharjah, you did not simply choose an academic track,” he said. “You took a position on life itself. Graduate studies are not an additional stage of education, but a fundamental shift in how you think, from receiving knowledge to producing it, from accepting answers to questioning them, and from complying with knowledge to interrogating it.”

He also reflected on the University’s trajectory since its founding, noting that its recent standing in leading global rankings serves as an objective acknowledgment from the international academic community of the quality of its teaching and research. These achievements, he said, are not isolated milestones but the outcome of a dynamic academic and research ecosystem, shaped by every faculty member who teaches, every student who investigates, and every thesis that is examined.

In closing, Agamy extended his congratulations to families and parents, as well as to UoS faculty, recognizing their collective efforts in helping students realize their academic ambitions and aspirations.

On behalf of the graduates, Sheikh Rashid bin Saqr bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, a Master’s graduate in Communication, delivered a speech expressing the graduates’ pride and happiness at completing their studies at the University of Sharjah, which was established and nurtured by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, as a beacon of knowledge and enlightenment. He also expressed his sincere gratitude and appreciation to His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi for his visionary leadership, continuous support, and efforts in guiding the University of Sharjah towards excellence and leadership.

In his speech, Sheikh Rashid bin Saqr bin Mohammed Al Qasimi highlighted the efforts of the University’s administration and faculty in guiding students, developing their skills, and ensuring they received the highest level of support and preparation for the future. He also expressed his gratitude to his parents for their unwavering support and for providing the care and encouragement that enabled their children to continue their academic journey.

Concluding his remarks, Sheikh Rashid bin Saqr bin Mohammed Al Qasimi congratulated his fellow graduates on their success and graduation, and encouraged them to remain committed to research, knowledge, and lifelong learning. He urged them to continue expanding their knowledge, describing learning as “the mission of the noble and the path of scholars.”

At the final part of the ceremony, H.H. Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi personally presented degrees to the graduates, congratulating them on their achievement and academic distinction. He wished them continued success in their future endeavors and called on them to serve their country with dedication and purpose.

A total of 426 graduate students graduated across doctoral, master’s, and diploma programs, representing a broad spectrum of disciplines. They included graduates from the colleges of Sharia and Islamic Studies, Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, Business Administration, Engineering, Health Sciences, Law, Communication, Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy, Sciences, Computing and Informatics, and Public Policy.

The ceremony was attended by Sheikh Saqr bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, chairman of the Sharjah Charity International; Sheikh Haitham bin Saqr Al Qasimi, deputy head of the Ruler’s Office in Kalba; and Halima Al Owais, chairperson of the Sharjah Consultative Council. They were joined by senior officials, members of the University of Sharjah’s Board of Trustees, and a large gathering of parents and families.