Gala Convocation 2021: Celebration 5 of 7 – 28th June

Jumping into the unknown is always tough. Transition from one stage of life, specifically from one school to a university is a big deal! While leaving school is certainly a milestone worth marking, it needn’t be the end of your relationships built at school.

Saying goodbye to teachers and friends and 'kia ora' to a whole lot of new things. It’s a big time in the life of our graduating students and there are probably heaps of mixed feelings flying round in their head. For the first time, life isn’t going to be all laid out for them. The freedom is awesome, but it can be scary deciding what to do next too.

With this grand graduation ceremony, we leveled the gap that many of our students felt because of staying away from the campus. Our campus, teachers, and the staff of IHS yearned for the students to return to the campus. Saying sayonaras in a grand and royal yet groovy style has been our signature and we kept up with the tradition.

On 28th June, H.E. Simon Penney, British Consul General for Dubai and Northern Emirates and Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for the Middle East, was invited as the Chief Guest to our gala convocation ceremony.

H.E. Simon Penney has spent many years in the banking sector with extensive experience leading corporate and financial institution groups and teams across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.

His previous roles in the Middle East include Head of Corporate and Investment Banking at First Gulf Bank and Chief Executive Officer, Middle East and Africa with the Royal Bank of Scotland. He has also worked for ABN AMRO Bank in South Africa and the UK, in consulting at PwC and in project finance within the construction industry.

"This is why the current time is such an exciting one; all of you here today have a whole world of opportunities open to you. Not just in Dubai but globally. The World genuinely is your oyster, and you must seize the opportunity your education here at IHS has provided you."
- H.E. Simon Penney

With all our young adults heading off in different directions, it seems like a strange time – the end of an era – and it is a difficult to come to terms with. But we are excited as a new chapter awaits them all.

Best of luck class of 2021!