Thursday, 17 March, 2016

The University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD) celebrated the achievements of its spring 2016 cohort this week with a formal scholarship ceremony to mark the academic prowess of over 50 of the establishment’s new students. Marking the accomplishments of the students who met the rigorous academic standards set by the university in order to achieve scholarships of between 15 and 50 per cent, a scholarship fund totalling AED 1.8 million will support students over the course of their studies. Amongst the top performing students celebrated at the ceremony was Seyedeh Nadia Mahnaei, who joined UOWD in January with a 50 per cent scholarship worth AED 108,800. Having previously attended The International School of Choueifat, Sharjah, the Iranian student achieved a remarkable 98 per cent high school average. “I chose to study at UOWD because of the strong reputation of the University and the fact that upon graduation I can choose a degree from either the University of Wollongong in Dubai or a degree from the University of Wollongong Australia,” Ms Mahnaei commented. “Learning that I was eligible for a 50% scholarship was very exciting – it will motivate me to study hard to maintain my good grades in order to retain the scholarship over the course of my studies.” The successes of Emirati high fliers Shirin Abdul Noor Abdul Rahim Mozaffar, Bachelor of Commerce student, Mariam Al Marzooqi, Master of Quality Management student and Tasneem Ali Al Naqib and Fatma Almarzooqi, both Master of Engineering Management students, were also celebrated. Brett Lovegrove, Director of Administration and Strategy at UOWD, said of the occasion: “Along with our scholarship fund we’ve also awarded a significant number of bursaries for students facing financial hardships, grants for the family of students currently studying at the University and funds for alumni who want to return to pursue further studies. As one of the oldest private accredited universities in the UAE, it’s an honour to continue to be able to assist so many people to achieve their dream of attending an internationally renowned university.”