AD University holds annual alumni reunion Iftar

Abu Dhabi University (ADU) hosted its annual Alumni Homecoming reunion Iftar to celebrate its 15th anniversary. Held in the spirit of the Holy Month of Ramadan, the reunion provided an opportunity for ADU alumni to strengthen and foster ties between fellow alumni.

More than 100 alumni have come home for the ADU reunion to join in the celebrations and reconnect with friends, faculty and staff. Organised by the Employability and Alumni Relations Office, a division of the Student Affairs Department, along with the Community Relations Office, the event was attended by Professor Waqar Ahmad, Chancellor at ADU, Salem Mubarak Al Dhaheri, Executive Director of Community Relations and Rachel Baldwin, Director of Student Affairs.

Baldwin commented, “We are proud to have celebrated 15 years of excellence and development with our pioneering group of alumni who were integral in our success story and have gone on to distinguish themselves and come back to share their own success stories. ADU advocates a culture of achievement through engaging academics, global accreditations and affiliations, empowering its diverse students to be the leaders of tomorrow. The university boasts an impressive record of institutional achievements in several areas including academic, research and community engagement.”

The event was sponsored by a number of prestigious partners including Western Motors, Amira Jewels, Pearly Smile Dental Care and Elyzee Day Surgery Care Medical Center. A portion of the ticket sales will be donated to ADU students interested in interning abroad.

Baldwin added, “We are immensely grateful to see the spirit of sharing and tolerance come alive at the event, which was evident by the rich diversity of alumni who have attended. ADU extends its thanks to the sponsors for their support and contribution in making this event another success for the university.”

Malcolm Cooper, General Manager of Western Motors said, “We are pleased to have been part of this grand alumni homecoming, which allows us to further strengthen our relationship with one of the emirate’s leading universities."

Kellye Ann Blackburn, Senior Manager of Employability and Alumni Relations, said, “It was a great pleasure welcoming ADU Alumni at this Homecoming Iftar reunion, some of which have flown in from their home countries to be part of the reunion. We aimed to make our guests leave with a renewed sense of pride and excitement of the university’s next chapter of development.”

The reunion provided an opportunity for ADU alumni to strengthen ties.

As part of the event, ADU awarded Chemical Engineering graduate, Fasila Hanifa, for her outstanding contribution in offering career and employment support to ADU students. Hanifa helped a number of students receive full-time employment at reputable institutions.

ADU alumni were eligible to enter a raffle draw to win a premium diamond set from Amira Jewels and a 2019 Jeep Compass. ADU gave away the special prizes to the two lucky winners of the raffle draw held during the event.

Including this year's 1782 graduates, the university has graduated more than 16,000 students since its establishment in 2003. Abu Dhabi University has allocated Dhs13 million to scholarships and financial aid for the second semester of the academic year 2018-2019. Since the programme’s inception, ADU's Scholarships and Financial Aid Fund has eased the financial burden of more than 8,643 students through contributing over Dhs151 million.

During the Holy Month of Ramadan, ADU has launched the ‘Our Youth Our Responsibility, Our Zakat Our Immunity' initiative for the ninth consecutive year in collaboration with the Zakat Fund. The initiative, which is open to the public for donation, aims to extend aid to 500 students of different nationalities who are eligible to receiving zakat as per the criteria set forth by the Zakat Fund.

Donors can donate either via cash or bank cheque by submitting the donations directly to the Zakat Fund or Abu Dhabi University, using the name of the initiative ‘Our Youth Our Responsibility, Our Zakat Our Immunity'. Donors can also transfer the donations via bank to the Zakat Fund account number: 16420661, IBAN AE300500000000016420661 (Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank) or by sending an SMS with the code U or using 8010 for Dhs10 donations, 8050 for Dhs50 donations, 8100 for Dhs100 donations and 8200 for Dhs200 donations.

Abu Dhabi University is a private, multi-campus university committed to meeting the education, skills and knowledge needs in the United Arab Emirates and neighboring countries through qualifications and standards that are respected across the world.

Although young, the university is recognised as a world-class institution committed to excellence in teaching, student experience, research and corporate education. It houses the only architecture programme to hold accreditation by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).