As many as 445 students graduated from College of the North Atlantic - Qatar (CNA-Q) in the presence and under the patronage of HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa  al-Thani at a ceremony yesterday.
“You are the best and the brightest. Embrace life by learning  and use the weapon of education wisely. You are joining today over 5,000 graduates from CNA-Q who are successfully engaged in the process of nation building,” president Dr Ken Macleod exhorted the graduates at the convocation held at Sheraton Doha.
Other guests at the event included HE the Minister of Energy and Industry and CNA-Q’s Board of Trustees chair Dr Mohamed bin Saleh al-Sada; HE the Minister of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs Dr Issa Saad al-Jafali al-Nuami; Ministry of Education and Higher Education undersecretary Dr Ibrahim al-Naimi; Government of Newfoundland and Labrador’s Advanced Education, Skills and Labour Minister Allan Hawkins, Sudan’s Justice Minister Idris Ibrahim Gamil, Qatar Petrochemical Company managing director and CEO and CNA-Q’s Board of Trustees vice chair Dr Mohamed Yousef  al-Mulla, and members of CNA-Q’s Board of Trustees among others.
The students graduated from over 30 programmes. The number of graduates in each discipline are: 160 from Business Studies, 222 from Engineering Technology, 74 from Health Sciences and 68 from Information Technology. “We are so pleased to see strong, capable graduates enter the Qatari workforce year after year. 
As the future leaders of Qatar, you are the motivation to continue offering high-quality technical, hands-on education. With the credentials you have received tonight, you will become the leaders that Qatar has envisioned in the National Vision 2030,” Dr Macleod noted.
In a congratulatory statement, HE Dr al-Sada said, “Your graduation is a great achievement and I am pleased to join you this evening to celebrate a significant and very important milestone in your lives.
To CNA-Q’s 2018 Graduating Class, I am proud to say that your hard work, determination, and commitment to your studies have paid off. Your success serves as an inspiration to your classmates, your colleagues, your family, and to your community.”
“You can be proud, deservedly so, of your achievement. This evening represents one stop in the remarkable journey of your life. You are our business and professional leaders of tomorrow. And as His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani stated: “Human resources are the true asset of this nation.” Your time at CNA-Q has prepared you to move confidently from the classroom to your chosen industry,” added the minister.
Hawkins highlighted the outstanding  partnership between Qatar and the College of North Atlantic  and noted that it has been a big success. 
CNA-Q’s Class of 2018 co-valedictorians, Mohamed Atif Mohamed Khan, a Mechanical Engineering Technology graduate, and Ruqaia Mohamed Zarea, Business Management - Human Resource Management graduate, spoke about their experiences at the college and advised their fellow graduates to make use of the skills for the betterment of the country and humanity. CNA-Q was established as a branch campus in 2002 and offers over 30 certificate, and two- and three-year diploma programmes in four areas: Business Studies, Engineering Technology, Health Sciences and Information Technology.