Honoring the Class of 2020: 13,000 Students Graduate in Virtual Commencement
On 14 May 2020, under the patronage of Asir Gov. Prince Turki bin Talal bin Abdulaziz, the Class of 2020 had their degrees conferred by University leadership via virtual presentation. The 22nd batch ceremony was moved to a virtual format in response to the coronavirus pandemic, orders from national directives, and recommendations from global public health organizations. More than 13,000 graduates of the Class of 2020, from 29 colleges, received their diplomas during a live-streamed commencement ceremony.
The commencement ceremony was organized by the General Directorate of Information Technology (iT) in cooperation with other university entities. It started with a speech delivered by His Royal Highness Prince Turki bin Talal, congratulating the graduates of 2020. His Royal Highness said: “I convey the love and care of His Royal Majesty the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, may Allah protect them. I congratulate you for concluding your flourished efforts.”
His Royal Highness stressed the fact that the youth are the pillar of this nation and the fulfillment of its vision is their responsibility. He added that their academic achievement will be an addition to their bright futures. His Royal Highness also reminded us of the importance to being committed under these circumstances for we are going through difficult times. However, he noted, we must realize that every decision our wise leadership makes is for our best interest. Every decision aims to benefit the citizens in general and the youth in particular, and by Allah’s decree, we will overcome this pandemic.
Following After, His Excellency King Khalid University Rector Prof. Falleh Al-Solamy delivered a speech commending His Royal Highness's patronage of the graduation ceremony. He also praised the care and attention paid to education by our wise leadership and the efforts of the Ministry of Education and His Excellency the Minister of Education Prof. Hamad Al Shaikh.
His Excellency Rector Al-Solamy concluded his speech by addressing the graduates, confirming that King Khalid University will always be their second home and it will always be proud of their achievements. He confirmed that this ceremony celebrates the parents' and families' efforts and support as well.
Vice Rector for Educational and Academic Affairs, Prof. Saad Du'ajim, gave a speech expressing his gratitude to the Kingdom's wise leadership and Asir Gov. Prince Turki bin Talal bin Abdulaziz. He then congratulated the graduates and confirmed that they will contribute to the development of our country. Vice Rector Du'ajim was followed by Dean of Admissions and Registration, Dr. Abdulmohsen Algarni, and the Dean of Graduate Studies, Dr. Ahmed Al-Fayea. They thanked the Kingdom's leadership and congratulated the graduates.
Special thanks to iT for continuously developing and maintaining mission-critical applications. The Commencement 2020 website, which received nearly 200,000 visitors within a few hours of going live, was developed quickly and within the time frame suggested. Please see https://grad22.kku.edu.sa. CIO Dr. Mohammed Alsaqer explained that role of technology has never been more important, noting that the development of the website required coordinated efforts between iT and other entities. The website was well designed with scalable options for pictures, videos, and a digital information book for the graduates. The book contained the names and information of around 13,000 graduates, offering a feature where a congratulation card for every graduate can be viewed. Around 50,000 visitors used this feature with widespread social media sharing.
