Northwestern Qatar Class of 2029 in a group photo.
DOHA: Northwestern University in Qatar officially inducted the Class of 2029, one of its largest, most dynamic incoming classes, at its 18th Convocation ceremony. The event marked the formal entry of first-year and transfer students into the global Northwestern community, capping Wildcat Welcome Week and inaugurating their undergraduate journey.
In his opening address, Dean and CEO Marwan M. Kraidy called on the new students to see Convocation not simply as the start of their studies but as the beginning of a lifelong journey of tajdeed, renewal in Arabic. “Today is not only your first day of university. It is the first day of the rest of your life,” he said. “It is a moment of transformation. You have left behind familiar people and places, and you now stand at the threshold of an extraordinary journey.”
Framing renewal as both personal and collective, Kraidy explained that by choosing Northwestern Qatar, students had already begun a process of redefining their sense of self and purpose. “You embody the richness of our world,” he told them. “Like the classes before you, you all contribute to nurturing and cultivating the community that makes NU-Q what it is.”
He urged students to embrace experimentation, curiosity, and resilience as they face a rapidly evolving global landscape. “Be courageous in your renewal. Reinvent yourselves often. Be open to discovery, to growth, to transformation. Embrace change like your future depends on it, because it does.”
Joining Dean Kraidy in welcoming the new students, Convocation Speaker Miriam Gamoran Sherin, Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education at Northwestern University, described Convocation as one of life’s rare moments when “our worlds pivot.” She reflected: “For all of you in the Class of 2029, today is one of them. These moments are wonderful and exhilarating. But they also can seem overwhelming and even a bit frightening. You know part of the path that you have chosen, but other aspects remain unknown, and will gradually reveal themselves over the next four years.”
Sherin outlined three guiding principles for students as they begin their undergraduate journeys: cultivating their stories, developing the discipline of noticing, and finding strength in community. “Your story is developing and evolving,” she said.
“A moment that is challenging now might in the future feel like a key moment when we learned to do something new, when we persevered through a difficult time, or when we came to see a new part of ourselves. Have patience with yourself, and have confidence that this is a worthwhile and meaningful journey.”
