The outgoing students belong to 38 different nationalities. Kamal Kassim / Gulf Today

Imran Mojib, Special Correspondent

Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ajman His Highness Sheikh Humaid Bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, conferred degrees on 220 graduates of the various colleges under Gulf Medical University (GMU), Ajman, at the 16th Convocation Ceremony held on Wednesday.

Crown Prince of Ajman Sheikh Ammar Bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, GMU Founder President Dr. Thumbay Moideen and GMU Chancellor Prof. Hossam Hamdy were present on the occasion.

Awarding the certificates to the graduates, Sheikh Humaid congratulated them on their achievement and urged them to continue their specialised studies and excel in their careers, advising them to utilise the knowledge to help the society and the nation. Addressing the Emirati graduates, he said that the country is proud of their achievement.

The 220 graduates this year included 67 students of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS), 21 of Bachelor of Physiotherapy (BPT), 33 of Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD), 50 of Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD), 28 of Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences (BBMS), 5 of Bachelor of Science – Medical Laboratory Sciences (B.Sc. MLS), 5 of Bachelor of Science – Medical Imaging Sciences (B.Sc. MIS), 9 of Bachelor of Health Science - Anesthesia and Surgical Technology (BHS-AST) and 2 of Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).

The outgoing students belong to 38 different nationalities including UAE, GCC, other Arab nations, India, Pakistan, USA, UK, Germany, Canada, Dominica, Hungary, Norway, Netherlands and Russia.

Addressing the gathering, Dr. Thumbay Moideen thanked the Ruler of Ajman for the government’s continuous support to the institution.  He acknowledged the contributions of the academic team headed by the Chancellor. Congratulating the graduates, he assured them of GMU’s support always.

He said that the GMU is now into its 22nd year of operation and is now among the most in demand private medical university in the region besides being a well-known brand.

“Our network of Thumbay Academic Hospitals is one among the biggest network of academic hospitals in the country with the addition of Thumbay Medicity in Ajman, which comprises the new 350-bed Thumbay University Hospital with the first-ever long-term care facility in the Northern Emirates, the Thumbay Dental Hospital and Thumbay Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Hospital .We have been unique and trendsetters in the country and have attracted students from 80 countries, faculty and staff from 50 countries and treat patients from over 175 nationalities,” he said.

GMU Chancellor Prof. Hossam Hamdy said that the number of colleges under GMU has reached six and the number of the undergraduate and the postgraduate programmes has increased from 15 to 26. He added that GMU established for the first time in a private university an integrated system of healthcare and academia thus improving the level of health services, education and scientific research. He also said that the new clinical facilities in the campus have significantly increased the training facilities for students.

Elaborating on GMU’s global collaborations in academic and research, Prof. Hossam Hamdy said that the University attaches great importance to international cooperation. During this year, the university signed and activated more than ten international agreements with leading international universities, in the United States, Europe, China, India, Japan, Korea, the Gulf States and the Arab Republic of Egypt, making the active cooperation agreements reach 49 agreements.

“In the field of scientific research, the university has paid great attention to this and has established international research laboratories that cooperate with a large number of international research centers and work with their counterparts in the UAE, especially in the field of immunology research to treat cancer,” he said.

Prof. Hossam Hamdy advised the graduates to be led by the values of empathy, altruism, conscience, truthfulness, teamwork and fear of God, throughout their careers.

Gulf Medical University has been making immense contribution in education, healthcare and research in the UAE. Thumbay Medicity in Ajman has evolved as a regional hub of state-of-the-art medical education, healthcare and research, with specialized academic hospitals, a leading medical university and world-class research facilities.