Omani graduates celebrate their success

Omani university graduates celebrated their academic achievements at an awards night held in RMIT University's Storey Hall.

Graduating students and senior guests on stage at the Awards Night.

Among members of the Omani Students Society of Victoria (OSSV) who took part were 27 RMIT graduates.

"The graduation ceremony is one of the most important annual events of the year, with most Omani students in Victoria gathering on that night," Hilal Al Maqbali, President of OSSV and final-year PhD student at RMIT, said.

The event was attended by H.E. Dr Hamad Al Alawai, Consul-General of Oman, and Mr Musllam Al Amri, the Vice-Consul.

Also at the ceremony were Steven Connelly, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor International and Development and Vice-President of RMIT, Khalid Al-Ghutarifi, the President of OSSV, and a large number of Omani students and representatives from various clubs and societies.

Held to commemorate and celebrate the stories of the graduates, the ceremony functions as a "graduation", reunion and farewell in one.

"Some of the graduates will go back to work in Oman: other lucky students will get the chance to do postgraduate studies," Mr Maqbali said.

The annual event is looked forward to by Omani students, most of whom will not have family present for their graduations.

"It is when most of the Omani students come together to meet each other and at the same time to celebrate the graduation of their friends," Mohammed Al Bahri, a recent Omani graduate from Monash University, said.

This is the fifth year that the graduation ceremony has been held in Storey Hall.

"We greatly appreciate the continued support and active participation of RMIT University," Mr Maqbali said.

Founded in 2002 with the goal of providing all Omani students with a feel of a home away from university studies, OSSV regularly organises events for Omani students.

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