Alumni Success Stories

“Success coupled with achievement feeds my soul with positivity and keeps me going” – The story of Tariq Abu Samra

Startups and building an empire is Tariq Abu Samra’s passions in life. With his sights set on owning his own business one day, he wrote his first business plan when he was in eighth grade. From an early age, he knew he would put in all the effort it takes to turn his dream into a reality.

“My passion is to inspire and empower individuals through sports” – The Story of Sarra Lajnef OLY

Tunisian born Olympic swimmer, Sarra Lajnef fell in love with the sport at the tender age of only four. In pursuit of her ambition to make it to the Olympics, she relocated to France - a brave decision for a 15-year-old girl who had to leave the comfort of her family home behind to follow a lifelong dream.

“Pitfalls are opportunities to learn, grow and succeed" - Viacheslav Shakhov

Viacheslav Shakhov is known for his dedication and willingness to walk that extra mile to achieve his goals. As the Head of Investment Management Practice at Cooper Fitch, a Recruitment, HR Advisory and Executive Search Consulting firm, he is the youngest manager in the company.

“Challenges provide opportunities to learn and grow”, says Robert Rabie

Australian Robert is an accomplished international player in the construction industry with two decades of success leading multi-million dollar infrastructure projects and initiatives.

Richard Gouverneur - “Be willing to innovate, or risk becoming irrelevant”

Richard Gouverneur is naturally inquisitive and enjoys exploring new ways of doing things. He consistently drives a change agenda, as he believes that one needs to challenge the status quo and be willing to innovate or risk becoming irrelevant.

“My MIB degree was the key to unlocking my career on an international level” - Montaha Hidefi

Since graduating from UOWD, Montaha Hidefi has worked with an international remit in the UAE, the Netherlands and Canada and is now a published Author and Creative Colour Consultant, with a passion for global travel.

“I’m driven by the need to make a difference” - Ibrahim Al Najjar

As IT Director of DP World, UAE national Ibrahim Al Najjar has an important strategic role in shaping Dubai’s transportation and logistics industry – a sector that impacts significantly on people’s lives, both locally and internationally.

Madiha Khalid - “BBA graduate paves the way for more females in Senior HR Roles”

Thanks to the lessons learned and qualifications gained during her time at University of Wollongong Dubai, BBA graduate, Madiha Khalid is now heading up the HR division of the largest multinational in Pakistan.

Meet Aashish Sharma – A UOWD graduate that aims to go global with Nepalese-born beverage brands

A serial entrepreneur and graduate of University of Wollongong Dubai has revealed his plans of global presence after taking on ‘the greatest challenge of his life’ by founding Nepalese-based beverage company, Singapore Beverage Nepal.

"My university education was my stepping stone to gain global exposure" - Farhana Zaman

Farhana Zaman, believes in working hard and that good results are a matter of time. Travelling the world, she gained a wealth of experience working in five different industries in four different countries in a period of only eight years.