Newcastle Business School has celebrated the graduation of its first cohort of students from its partner institution the Qatar Finance and Business Academy (QFBA).

And following an official ceremony in Qatar, a number of students and their families also made the trip to the UK to visit the Business School, meet fellow graduates and mark their success in Newcastle.

Northumbria’s Newcastle Business School began working with QFBA in 2016 to offer a range of professional and academic programmes. The partnership comes as Qatar progresses its strategic Vision 2030 to become an international centre for finance and a leading player in the Middle East.

This year the first cohort of more than 20 students graduated in International Banking and Finance. As well as strengthening Northumbria’s international reputation for academic and teaching excellence, the students’ success will help drive Qatar’s growing profile as a global financial hub.

Commenting at the time of the partnership announcement, QFBA’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Khalid Al Horr, said: “The partnership with Northumbria will help power the financial sector in Qatar and the region with a generation of well qualified professionals, capable of elevating the profile of their organisations as well as Qatar as a financial hub that attracts investments and businesses.”

Professor John Wilson, Pro Vice-Chancellor for the Faculty of Business and Law at Northumbria, said: “This is an exciting time for both Qatar and QFBA as the country establishes itself as a global financial hub. We are extremely proud to be working alongside them and with such talented students who are now ready to make their mark – and we were equally delighted to welcome some of these first graduates to Newcastle Business School.  

“While this is our first cohort of graduates, the programme continues to grow. We already have more than 150 applicants for next year, which is a clear measure of success. But it’s not just about teaching at QFBA - we now have a growing doctoral community, and academics engaging in joint research projects. In collaboration with QFBA we are also developing professional development courses so that we can work with the business community in the region as well.”

As well as Qatar, Northumbria’s global footprint includes operations in London, Malaysia, Singapore and Amsterdam.