Khalid Abdelkareem, a student at the University of Bath in the UK, at his home in Abu Dhabi. Pawan Singh/The National
Khalid Abdelkareem, a student at the University of Bath in the UK, at his home in Abu Dhabi. Pawan Singh/The National
Khalid Abdelkareem, a student at the University of Bath in the UK, at his home in Abu Dhabi. Pawan Singh/The National
Khalid Abdelkareem, a student at the University of Bath in the UK, at his home in Abu Dhabi. Pawan Singh/The National

Coronavirus: UAE students braced for muted graduation celebrations during virtual ceremonies


Kelly Clarke
  • English
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On Wednesday, Hafsa Ahmed will take a short walk around her near-deserted university campus before heading back to her room to graduate online, alone.

The 22-year-old Pakistani student is one of hundreds in the UAE who will be graduating virtually this year due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Ms Ahmed said Wednesday will mark a “bittersweet ending” to her four year journey at New York University Abu Dhabi.

"It is slowly sinking in that we are graduating online," she told The National.

“Over the past couple of weeks it has been a step by step realisation that it is happening this way, so I’ve gotten used to the idea, I can't change it.

“This whole process has been hard. We are taught to look at the silver linings but it’s tough when a farewell like this has come so suddenly.

“I’ve had friends in the UAE take repatriation flights to their home countries without the chance to say goodbye.

“A graduation ceremony is a type of closure for students, it’s hard to get that in these current times, but I’m grateful for the effort that has been made by our university.”

Studying a Bachelor of Arts in Social Research and Public Policy, Ms Ahmed submitted her final thesis and project earlier this month.

Hafsa Ahmed, a student at New York University Abu Dhabi, will take part in her virtual graduation on Wednesday. Courtesy: Hafsa Ahmed
Hafsa Ahmed, a student at New York University Abu Dhabi, will take part in her virtual graduation on Wednesday. Courtesy: Hafsa Ahmed

The occasion marked the end of an era for the senior and brought a close to a “memorable, fantastic and emotional” university experience.

On Wednesday afternoon, she will join hundreds of classmates and login to NYU Abu Dhabi’s virtual commencement ceremony to celebrate the Class of 2020.

The event will include a video tribute to the graduating class, an individual degree conferment where students' names will be called out, as well as speeches from NYU president Andy Hamilton, vice chancellor Mariët Westermann and two time Pulitzer Prize winner, David Levering Lewis.

“I am looking forward to it but it will be very different to what we all planned,” said Ms Ahmed.

“We were sent a little goodie bag that contained our graduation caps and gowns, an alumni pin and a congratulatory card from the leadership.

“We were also given a booking slot so we could go and have our graduation picture taken.

“My parents were meant to fly in from Pakistan a week before the ceremony so I could introduce them to my friends and professors, so it’s sad to be losing out on that.

“It wears down on you, I can’t help but be nostalgic about what could have been.”

Ms Ahmed said she will be having a muted and “socially distanced celebration” with some of her peers at her campus accommodation in Abu Dhabi.

For 22-year-old Khalid Abdelkareem, his ceremony has been cancelled all together.

Studying at the University of Bath in the UK, he travelled back to his family in the UAE on March 12 as global lockdown measures began to tighten.

“I was expecting to come back in mid-April but as we saw things getting worse, I brought my flight forward,” he said.

“I left my student halls very suddenly and didn’t even get to say goodbye to a lot of my friends.

“After four years of study and living together, it was a split decision that I had no control over.

“Our graduation ceremony has been cancelled and so has our end of year ball, which is something I’ve been looking forward to since starting university.”

Khalid Abdelkareem's graduation ceremony was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Pawan Singh / The National
Khalid Abdelkareem's graduation ceremony was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Pawan Singh / The National

The electrical and electronic engineering student said he and classmates were given the option to attend a later, joint graduation, but he declined.

“The university asked us if we wanted to be invited to another graduation event either in November or in June 2021, but a lot of us declined,” he said.

“Very few of us can travel back to the university because most of us will be in full-time employment.

"It’s especially difficult for overseas students like me. I have a job placement in the UAE that I’ll be starting in the summer, I can’t then take time out to travel to the UK for the sake of an hours-long ceremony.

“Plus, that feeling of being a fresh graduate would have been gone by then. It’s really sad but I just have to get on with it now.”

Throughout the world, the class of 2020 has had to push forward with a non-traditional graduation experience amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

While practicing social distancing, university communities have come up with creative ways to celebrate their commencement virtually.

At the Business Breakthrough University in Tokyo, Japan, mobile robots were used to host a unique graduation ceremony for students on March 28.

The robots had tablets attached to them where each student was in “virtual attendance” via a Zoom call.

At.4.30pm on Wednesday, Katarina Holtzapple, a senior at NYU Abu Dhabi, said she will be watching her graduation take place on her laptop from the comfort of her dorm room.

“I have family in the US and Croatia so I am co-ordinating getting everyone together on a video call to watch the ceremony with me, there will be about 15 or 20 of us,” the 22-year-old said.

“My immediate family should have been with me in person but that just couldn’t happen because of the pandemic.

Katarina Holtzapple will have family from the United States and Croatia watching her online graduation ceremony. Courtesy: Katrina Holtzapple
Katarina Holtzapple will have family from the United States and Croatia watching her online graduation ceremony. Courtesy: Katrina Holtzapple

“When I realised I couldn’t fly back home to the US to do the virtual graduation with my family around me, that was tough.

“It’s very different to how I planned my graduation but the reality has settled in now.”

The fourth year student, studying film and social research and public policy, said she will be in her dorm with her three roommates on the day, but will leave the full celebrations until next month.

“I fly home on Wednesday so we’ll be having a belated get together with my family because my cousin in the US is graduating too.”

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

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Emirates exiles

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Jonny Macdonald
Abu Dhabi-born and raised, the current Jebel Ali Dragons assistant coach was selected to play for Scotland at the Hong Kong Sevens in 2011.

Jordan Onojaife
Having started rugby by chance when the Jumeirah College team were short of players, he later won the World Under 20 Championship with England.

Devante Onojaife
Followed older brother Jordan into England age-group rugby, as well as the pro game at Northampton Saints, but recently switched allegiance to Scotland.

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to volunteer

The UAE volunteers campaign can be reached at www.volunteers.ae , or by calling 800-VOLAE (80086523), or emailing info@volunteers.ae.

Teaching your child to save

Pre-school (three - five years)

You can’t yet talk about investing or borrowing, but introduce a “classic” money bank and start putting gifts and allowances away. When the child wants a specific toy, have them save for it and help them track their progress.

Early childhood (six - eight years)

Replace the money bank with three jars labelled ‘saving’, ‘spending’ and ‘sharing’. Have the child divide their allowance into the three jars each week and explain their choices in splitting their pocket money. A guide could be 25 per cent saving, 50 per cent spending, 25 per cent for charity and gift-giving.

Middle childhood (nine - 11 years)

Open a bank savings account and help your child establish a budget and set a savings goal. Introduce the notion of ‘paying yourself first’ by putting away savings as soon as your allowance is paid.

Young teens (12 - 14 years)

Change your child’s allowance from weekly to monthly and help them pinpoint long-range goals such as a trip, so they can start longer-term saving and find new ways to increase their saving.

Teenage (15 - 18 years)

Discuss mutual expectations about university costs and identify what they can help fund and set goals. Don’t pay for everything, so they can experience the pride of contributing.

Young adulthood (19 - 22 years)

Discuss post-graduation plans and future life goals, quantify expenses such as first apartment, work wardrobe, holidays and help them continue to save towards these goals.

* JP Morgan Private Bank 

Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

The Uefa Awards winners

Uefa Men's Player of the Year: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)

Uefa Women's Player of the Year: Lucy Bronze (Lyon)

Best players of the 2018/19 Uefa Champions League

Goalkeeper: Alisson (Liverpool)

Defender: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)

Midfielder: Frenkie de Jong (Ajax)

Forward: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)

Uefa President's Award: Eric Cantona

Richard Jewell

Director: Clint Eastwood

Stars: Paul Walter Hauser, Sam Rockwell, Brandon Stanley

Two-and-a-half out of five stars 

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MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg result:

Ajax 2-3 Tottenham

Tottenham advance on away goals rule after tie ends 3-3 on aggregate

Final: June 1, Madrid

Du Plessis plans his retirement

South Africa captain Faf du Plessis said on Friday the Twenty20 World Cup in Australia in two years' time will be his last.

Du Plessis, 34, who has led his country in two World T20 campaigns, in 2014 and 2016, is keen to play a third but will then step aside.

"The T20 World Cup in 2020 is something I'm really looking forward to. I think right now that will probably be the last tournament for me," he said in Brisbane ahead of a one-off T20 against Australia on Saturday. 

While you're here
Need to know

Unlike other mobile wallets and payment apps, a unique feature of eWallet is that there is no need to have a bank account, credit or debit card to do digital payments.

Customers only need a valid Emirates ID and a working UAE mobile number to register for eWallet account.

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Family: Six sisters

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Where to donate in the UAE

The Emirates Charity Portal

You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.

The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments

The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.

Al Noor Special Needs Centre

You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.

Beit Al Khair Society

Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.

Dar Al Ber Society

Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.

Dubai Cares

Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.

Emirates Airline Foundation

Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.

Emirates Red Crescent

On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.

Gulf for Good

Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.

Noor Dubai Foundation

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).

Tell Me Who I Am

Director: Ed Perkins

Stars: Alex and Marcus Lewis

Four stars