The Universidad Católica de Murcia (UCAM) and the DIHAD Foundation (Dubai International Humanitarian Aid and Development) recently celebrated the graduation ceremony of the first two classes of the Master's Degree in Sustainable Humanitarian Action. This innovative degree programme, which has the support and sponsorship of the Ahmad bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation and INDEX Holding, combines online and onsite teaching methods and in its first two editions has trained 63 students from 50 nationalities, such as Syria, Nigeria, Iraq, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Gambia, Malawi, Romania, France, Sudan, Ghana, Lesotho, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Algeria, Kenya, Colombia, Panama and Bangladesh, among others.

The ceremony was chaired by His Royal Highness Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Home Affairs of the United Arab Emirates; Abdulsalam AlMadani, President of INDEX Holding and the DIHAD Foundation, and José Luis Mendoza García, UCAM's Director General of Institutional Relations, who was joined by Gonzalo Wandosell, Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business at UCAM and of the DIHAD Humanitarian College.

One of the most touching moments of the event came when José Luis Mendoza presented Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in recognition of his support and contribution to the programme, with a UCAM plaque and diploma accrediting him as Extraordinary Professor in Sustainable Humanitarian Action.

Training leaders for international organisations

The Master’s Degree in Sustainable Humanitarian Action is a unique programme, where students are trained by a multinational faculty with extensive experience and benefit from networking opportunities with humanitarian organisations thanks to the DIHAD Foundation, a federation that brings together more than 600 NGOs worldwide.

The programme is designed to introduce students to the latest innovations and technologies in the humanitarian field, enabling them to further their careers in this sector. This graduation marks an important milestone in the lives of these students, who are now prepared to implement, improve and design humanitarian projects and programmes from a sustainable perspective, as well as to lead international organisations.

International Humanitarian Aid Exhibition

The delegation of the Universidad Católica de Murcia in Dubai, headed by the President María Dolores García, has spent several busy days in Dubai, participating, among other events, in the 20th International Humanitarian Aid and Development Conference & Exhibition, organised by DIHAD. With the slogan ‘Humanitarian Diplomacy and a Journey to the Future’, this event was attended by more than 900 organisations, institutions and companies from more than 160 countries around the world and more than 16,000 people. An event led by Abdulsalam AlMadani, who aims to promote collaboration and generate a positive impact on the lives of those affected by crises and natural calamities.

Ten years of UCAM Spanish Institute in Dubai

Timed to coincide with the attendance of representatives from the Universidad Católica de Murcia, the UCAM Español Institute Dubai — the only centre in the United Arab Emirates affiliated to the Instituto Cervantes — celebrated its tenth anniversary. The ceremony was attended by an extensive diplomatic representation from several countries, including Íñigo de Palacio, Spanish Ambassador to the Emirates; Luis Miguel Merlano, Ambassador of Colombia; Etienne Berchtold, Ambassador of Austria; Jaime Pacheco, Counsellor of the Embassy of Colombia; Andrés Salinero, Commercial Attaché of the Spanish Consulate and Carlos Moreno, Commercial Attaché of the Embassy of Argentina.

At the event, organisations and institutions that have been collaborating with UCAM since the establishment of this branch in Dubai were recognised: the Spanish Embassy, the Association of Spanish Teachers, the Spanish Business Council, the newspaper El Correo del Golfo and the Council of Spanish Residents in the UAE.

UCAM, a university with an international outlook

The Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia is grounded in three pillars: quality teaching, excellent research and evangelisation. UCAM's key cornerstone is internationalisation, with students from 135 countries from all five continents studying at the Murcia and Cartagena campuses as well as online, and with international campuses and agreements with universities and organisations from all over the world. These efforts are reflected in the recognition of prestigious rankings such as QS, which highlight UCAM's international outlook.