BBS Holds 3rd Graduation Ceremony November 25

BBS held its 3rd graduation ceremony on November 25, 2023 at the Babylon Rotana Hotel in Baghdad. 53 students graduated, an increase from 19 the preceding year, marking a significant milestone for the graduates and for BBS as an institution.

Almost all - 90% - of the new graduates are already employed in potent companies, SMEs, startups, and NGOs operating in Iraq such as NBI, Alsaree3, QiCard, AUIB, Miswag, Digital Zone, Zain Cash, Abu Dhabi Bank, Neo, and Abwab, or are running their own businesses such as Alien Burger, GURU, Box Party, Nova, Maya, and Leilani.  They collectively participated in 200 interviews, received a total of 56 job offers in various departments such as HR, Admin, Marketing, Sales, Finance, Accounting, Design, Logistics, and Translation. Also They gained 10 valuable practical experiences through internships, underscoring the caliber of education provided by BBS. The cohort also has a representative male female distribution: 66% are female (35) and 34% are male (18). 75 students started their journey a year ago, and 53 made it through to the end, demonstrating exceptional dedication and commitment.

The event was a great success, with over 400 guests in attendance, including with prominent representatives from the Prime Minister's Office, and the Central Bank of Iraq, the diplomatic community - US, Italy, UK, Finland and the UN - and the private sector including the IFC and dozens of CEOs and members of startups, SME and larger firms. 

The event was started by our MC, Mayram Alyass, BBS Alumna, Class of 2022 where she welcomed the guests and handed the opening speech to Ahmed Tabaqchali, Board Director & Business Lecturer, BBS. After that the audience took a glimpse at BBS future plan and the  warm congratulations to the graduates by listening to Christine M. van den Toorn, Founder & Director, BBS.

Delivering the keynote addresses were Hadeel Hassan, Founder and Managing Partner of Hadeel Al Hassan Law Firm; Bassam Al Ataie, Founder and CEO of Al Saree3; Mujahid Waisi, Founder and CEO of KAPITA; and Saif Al Mufti, Founder and Managing Director of Digital Zone. 

Mustafa spoke about the knowledge he gained from BBS, “we've learned the importance of collaboration, adaptability, and resilience in the face of adversity. These lessons are not confined to textbooks but are etched into our experiences through capstones and countless group projects that simulate real business life.” Heba spoke about how BBS broke norms by  enabling students to pursue their own aspirations in the Iraqi private sector, and break from societal pressures to join the public sector, “Society glorified public sector employment and pushed us all to achieve society’s dream rather than our own."

We wish our new Alumni the best on the next steps in their professional journeys and can’t wait to see what they do next! 

Graduation video