Close to 900 students at Khalifa University graduate in virtual ceremony

Dressed in graduation robes, students came up on screen holding their scrolls

The graduation was held virtually with the students appearing on screen.

Khalifa University held a virtual graduation ceremony for 885 students on Wednesday.

Dressed in gowns and caps, students came up on screen with their scrolls in hand to mark the end of their courses.

The ceremony was streamed live on the university's YouTube channel.

During the online event, 666 students were awarded their bachelor’s degrees in applied mathematics and statistics and various other disciplines of engineering.

Another 168 students received their master's degrees in applied chemistry and various branches of engineering.

Another 51 students were awarded PhDs in nuclear and robotic engineering.

“Our virtual graduation ceremony comes at an exceptional time when the entire world today is going through hardships," said Arif Al Hammadi, executive vice president of Khalifa University.

“Our students, graduates and faculty have shown exemplary persistence and determination in these times," he said.

“We are on the threshold of entering the next 50 years of our young nation’s life.

“We are honoured that Khalifa University through its advanced research and innovative solutions is firmly a part of this success story and the distinction the country has achieved in various fields including the science and research sectors.”

Mr Al Hammadi said some graduates were part of the team that worked on the Emirates Mars Mission’s Hope Probe.

The university is one of the region's best. This year one of its departments was ranked among the top 25 in the world.

The petroleum engineering department at Khalifa University was rated 21 worldwide, a jump from 28, in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2021.

The best UAE universities - in pictures

United Arab Emirates University in Al Ain has a strong standing in research and offers one of the country's main medicine degrees. Randi Sokoloff / The National

Khalifa University has rapidly climbed the global rankings in recent years but was knocked off the UAE top spot this year by UAEU. It boasts a nuclear engineering school staffed by top nuclear scientists, many of them from South Korea. Chris Whiteoak / The National

With its its striking architecture, American University of Sharjah offers about two dozen major degrees including humanities, engineering and business to about 5,000 students. It often scores strongly in global rankings and is particularly popular with Arab expat students. Alamy Photo

University of Sharjah was established in 1997 and is one of the country's largest, with about 14,000 students enroled. It also has campuses in the town of Dhaid and in Kalba, in Sharjah's east coast enclave. Wikicommons