Some of the students who graduated with a diploma at International Islamic College’s 14th convocation ceremony.
ONE thousand graduates of International Islamic College (IIC) received their degrees, diplomas and certificates at its 14th convocation ceremony.
It was officiated by IIUC’s royal patron, Tunku Besar Tampin Tunku Syed Razman Tunku Syed Idrus Al-Qadri and held at the IIUM Cultural Activity Centre in Gombak, Kuala Lumpur.
A total of 24 outstanding graduates also received excellence awards at the ceremony.
It also saw the graduation of the pioneer batch of 32 from the Sijil Kemahiran Malaysia (TVET) programme.
Among the notable graduates was Muhammad Haziq Samrat, 28, who is disabled.
Also known as Haziq Skateboard, he graduated with a Bachelor of Business (Entrepreneurship), offered in collaboration with Federation University of Australia.
Although he was born without limbs from the waist down, that did not deter Haziq from engaging in extreme sports such as wall climbing, skateboarding and swimming.
He was also a recipient of the Inspiration Award at the 11th convocation ceremony.
Mohd Sharizal Zainal Abidin, 40, who received a Diploma in Creative Animation, also proved that age is no barrier.
“Challenging myself to pursue studies while working was not easy but I persevered.”
He noted that the diploma was a second chance for him as he could not continue his studies after Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM).
Following several years working as a clerk at IIC, Mohd Sharizal decided to pursue his studies through the Open and Distance Learning (ODL) mode.
The father of three collaborated with many production companies during his time as student and is now head of department at a broadcasting and media production firm.
Several non-Muslim graduates also received their scrolls, including Haris Anbarasan, 21, who graduated with a Diploma in Law.
“I value the experiences gained during my studies at IIC,” he said.
Vickneshkumar Suberamaniam, 27, an Information Technology graduate, said there were several times when he felt dispirited.
“But I never gave up as I wanted to finish what I started,” said Vickneshkumar, who chose IIC for its cultural diversity, Islamic ambience and because its programmes are recognised by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA).
There were other non-Muslim graduates at the convocation ceremony, a reflection of IIC’s diverse student body.
