At the Pearl Continental Hotel on June 6, 2026, Habib University’s 9th Convocation Ceremony celebrated the resilience and brilliance of the Class of 2026. The milestone event marked the graduation of 276 change-makers. Armed with a transformative liberal arts and sciences education, these graduates are stepping into a chaotic world ready to challenge the status quo with critical minds and purposeful commitment.
Honoring a Founding Legacy and Embracing New Horizons
The ceremony opened with a poignant moment of reflection as the community gathered to honor the university’s late founding chancellor, Mr. Rafiq M. Habib. Affirming the institution’s continuity, Mr. Mohammad Bashir, Chairman of the Board of Governors, pledged to steadfastly carry forward his enduring legacy.
Following the formal and reverent confirmation of his appointment, the newly instated Chancellor, Mr. Mohamed Ali R. Habib, reaffirmed Habib University’s foundational commitment to equity and inclusion. Accepting the mantle with profound humility and remembrance, he stated:
“I assume the responsibility of the Chancellor with humility and deep respect for those who came before me. It is both an honor and a profound responsibility to follow in the footsteps of my uncle, Mr. Rafiq Habib, whose vision gave birth to this remarkable institution.”
Valedictorian Address: A Community Defined by Action
Delivering a moving address, Valedictorian Syed Shaheer Abbas Rizvi (Electrical Engineering, Class of 2026) captured the enduring camaraderie of his peers, the evolving role of AI in modern education, and the urgent need for empathy that transcends global borders. He reminded the audience of the collective agency held by the graduating class, stating:
“If there is one difference between Habib and us, we’re a community, we write our own stories… The resistance begins by refusing to look away. It starts by reading history with care, so that we may not repeat it.”
The Radical Call for Humility: Address by President Wasif Rizvi
In a captivating and urgent address, President Wasif Rizvi called upon the graduates to confront a world fractured by ecological collapse and a profound “crisis of cognition” driven by modern narcissism. Contrasting conventional higher education models with Habib University’s foundational emphasis on Tawaduʿ (humility), he underscored that true intellect cannot exist without a grounded sense of self, stating:
“Humility is not manners added on top of a clever mind. It is the faculty without which you cannot truly know anything at all… Let the measure of your life be not what you will gather, but what you will repair, and the repair has no end because the violence has no end.”
Commencement Address Delivered by Cofounder Careem, Mudassir Sheikha
Tech pioneer Mudassir Sheikha, co-founder of Careem, delivered an urgent call to action, challenging the graduates to reject complacent career paths. He urged the class to leverage their elite education toward solving critical, real-world crises rather than settling into conventional roles, declaring:
“Society will nudge you to go down the safe path, but this path is not for you. Comfortable survival is not for the brightest minds in our country. We need your endurance.”
State Dignitaries Applauded Habib University’s Societal Impact
The ceremony featured prominent civic and economic leaders who commended the university’s contributions to higher education. The Governor of Sindh praised the institution’s exceptional academic quality, projecting a global trajectory:
“A time must come when people mention Harvard and Oxford, they mention Habib University in the same breath.”
Following his remarks, State Bank of Pakistan Governor Jamil Ahmad highlighted the distinctiveness of the graduates’ training. He observed that a Habib education transcends mere automation, instilling a foundation of empathy and ethical values that remains irreplaceable by modern technology.
The ceremony proceeded with the conferring of undergraduate degrees upon the proud graduates of both the Dhanani School of Science and Engineering (DSSE) and the School of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (AHSS). The institution’s highest student honor, the Chancellor’s Yohsin Medal, was awarded to Social Development and Policy graduate Janita Baloch, capping off an extraordinary academic journey that also earned her the Dean’s Medal and Best Thesis Award.
Closing the memorable event, the Class of 2026 was given a final, collective charge to navigate their future paths with unwavering integrity and to serve their communities with lifelong compassion.
Relive the highlights of the 9th Convocation Ceremony in our official photo album
