Her Excellency Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Al Qasimi will address the fourth NYU Abu Dhabi Commencement Ceremony on May 24. Al Qasimi is the UAE State Minister for Tolerance, appointed in February 2016. Previously, Al Qasimi was the Minister of Foreign Trade and Minister of International Development and Cooperation, and was first appointed by His Highness Sheikh Zayed in 2004 as Minister of Economy, the first female minister in the UAE.

Al Qasimi is the first female speaker at an NYUAD Commencement. Al Qasimi was named by Arabian Business Magazine as one of the most influential Arab personalities between 2010-2014 and was 42nd on a Forbes Magazine list of the 100 most powerful women for 2015. Al Qasimi was also included in the Wall Street Journal’s list of the 50 most important international women to watch. Prior to being appointed Minister of Economy, Al Qasimi worked in computer science, graduating with a Bachelor of Computer Science from California State University.

As Minister of State for Tolerance, Al Qasimi has launched the UAE Charter of Tolerance, Coexistence and Peace as well as the National Tolerance Programme which is based on the teachings of Islam, the UAE constitution, Sheikh Zayed’s vision, the country’s ethical values, international conventions and common human values.

Also speaking at the Commencement Ceremony is William Berkeley, Chair of the NYU Board of Trustees. President Andrew Hamilton, Vice Chancellor Al Bloom and Nafisatou Mounkaila, class of 2017, will also address the ceremony.

“Her Excellency has been a dedicated sponsor of trade and diplomacy in the service of creating a more cooperative and peaceful world, a leading voice for the values of diversity, inclusion, cross-cultural understanding and environmental sustainability, and a passionate advocate for the critical role of education in addressing the key issues of this century,” said Bloom.

The class of 2017 comprises over 150 students from around 60 countries.