Villa College holds graduation for 1,488 students across 54 programs

A total of 1,488 students graduated from various programs at Villa College. The graduation ceremonies were held on the 17th and 18th of this month, across six separate sessions.

This year, students graduated from 54 programs run by the college. A total of 843 students graduated from Villa College's own programs, while 645 students graduated from Villa College’s affiliated programs with the University of the West of England (UWE).

Seventy percent of the students graduating from Villa College this year are female, while 30 percent are male.

The first batch of students from the country’s first engineering degree programs graduated this year: Bachelor of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering, and Bachelor of Mechatronics Engineering. The first batch of students from the country’s first Master of Counseling, Bachelor of Aviation Management, and Bachelor of Arts in Interior Architecture and Design programs also graduated at the ceremony.

Guests of honor attended various sessions of the graduation ceremonies held at Villa College. The guest of honor for the first session was the Minister of Cities, Local Government, and Public Works, Adam Shareef Umar. At the ceremony, he thanked the Rector of Villa College and praised Ahmed Anwar, describing him as an educational expert who has worked to provide education to the people of the Maldives.

State Minister for Higher Education Ahmed Shafiu was the chief guest at the second session of the ceremony. He stated that Villa College is a vision, and he is happy to see it become a reality.

The third session of Villa College’s graduation ceremony was honored by Health Minister Abdullah Nazim. He noted that Villa College is one of the most important higher education institutions in the country.

The second day of the Villa College graduation ceremonies was dedicated to the University of the West of England programs. UWE Vice Chancellor, Professor Stephen West, attended the ceremonies.

Professor West said Villa College graduates have joined UWE Bristol’s global learning community, which includes more than 300,000 students from 174 countries. He stated that the university's strong partnership with Villa College provides Maldivian students the opportunity to receive a world-class education within the Maldives.

Villa College Rector, Dr. Ahmed Anwar, said that with education comes greater responsibility. The more knowledge one has, the more duty there is to reform society. He said the students now have the opportunity to serve the welfare of society.

Villa College Vice Rector, Dr. Ali Najeeb, noted that student enrollment has increased by 10 percent compared to last year.

Villa College offers many of its own programs, along with partnership with various renowned international universities.