On Thursday, the second day of Villa College's 2026 graduation ceremony, degrees were conferred on students who completed programmes offered in partnership with the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol), United Kingdom. At all three of the day's sessions, degrees were conferred by Professor Sir Steven West CBE DL, Vice-Chancellor of UWE, who attended as a special guest. As Villa College Vice Rector Associate Professor Dr. Ali Najeeb noted, Sir Steven has not missed a single Villa College UWE graduation ceremony since the partnership began, other than during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to figures shared by the Vice Rector, UWE programme graduates made up 46 percent of the 1,237 students who graduated across the six sessions held over the two days. This year marks 21 years of UWE's transnational education and 11 years of its partnership with Villa College. Over the past decade, more than 3,000 students have graduated from UWE programmes at Villa College, and more than 1,000 are currently enrolled. With this year's graduates, the total number of Villa College graduates has passed 27,000.

The first session was dedicated to business programmes offered by the Qasim Ibrahim School of Business. A total of 213 students graduated from programmes including the MBA, the MSc Accounting and Finance, and bachelor's degrees in business management and accounting. Enas Ahmed, who completed the BSc (Hons) Accounting and Finance, spoke on behalf of the graduates. Addressing the session, the Vice Rector said success in business should be measured not only by salary and position, but by the benefit one brings to others and to society. He also advised the graduates to work with honesty and integrity.

In the second session, degrees were conferred on 187 graduates in law and nursing, among them graduates of the MSc Nursing (International), LLM Commercial Law, LLM Global Business and Finance Law, and LLB (Hons). Esha Adil Naseem, who completed the LLM Global Business and Finance Law, spoke on behalf of the graduates. The Vice Rector highlighted how quality nursing education has spread beyond Malé to the atolls, and the top positions that graduates of Villa College's law programmes have achieved in the national bar examination.

The third session saw 169 students graduate from the MSc in Information Technology, the BSc (Hons) Computer Science and the BSc (Hons) Nursing (International). Areeb Hussain, who completed the MSc in Information Technology, spoke on behalf of the graduates. The Vice Rector singled out the male nursing graduates as role models for other young men who wish to study in the field, and urged the computer science graduates to put their own thinking first, even as they use artificial intelligence. He also said he hopes that, once Villa College becomes a university, it will be able to start joint degree programmes with UWE.

Speaking at all three sessions, Sir Steven said the partnership, which began in 2015 with a small number of students, is one of UWE's most successful, and that UWE is proud that students can earn internationally recognised qualifications without leaving the Maldives. He also paid tribute to the vision of Villa College's founder, Honourable Dr. Qasim Ibrahim, and to the college's leadership.

Addressing the graduates, Villa College Rector Dr. Ahmed Anwar said the ceremony was not merely a formality for awarding certificates, but an occasion to celebrate the perseverance the graduates showed in balancing their studies with work and family responsibilities. He said the UWE Vice-Chancellor's constant presence at Villa College's graduation ceremonies is a source of encouragement for the college.

The Vice Rector also highlighted Villa College's international achievements. It is the only higher education institution in the Maldives to hold a QS Five Star rating, and it ranks among the world's top 100 institutions for Quality Education (SDG 4) in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings. He noted that Villa College has successfully completed the final stage of its accreditation by the UK's Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA), and that it is the only off-campus partner included in UWE's AACSB accreditation process.