Fourth Graduation Ceremony of Grameen Caledonian College of Nursing
The fourth graduation ceremony of Grameen Caledonian College of Nursing (GCCN), Dhaka was held on Tuesday. Chancellor of Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) and Nobel Peace Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus and Vice Chancellor Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) Professor Pamela Gillies conferred awards on top students for their outstanding achievements in the academic career.
Grameen Caledonian College of Nursing (GCCN), Dhaka, held its fourth graduation ceremony on 15 December through an exciting and jubilant event. Nobel Peace Laureate and Chancellor of Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU), Professor Muhammad Yunus presided over the ceremony as the Chancellor of GCU.
Professor Pamela Gillies, Vice Chancellor of Glasgow Caledonian University, Professor Miller, Deputy Vice Chancellor of GCU, flew in from Glasgow especially to be present at the event.
Professor Barbara Parfitt, Founding Principal, GCCN, former Dean of Nursing college of GCU, also attended the event as a special guest representing Glasgow Caledonian University.
Professor Frank Crossan, Executive Director of GCCN, Principal Niru Shamsunahar and guests, staff, students and their families comprising 250 people attended the ceremony.
Forty-seven students, all daughters of Grameen Bank borrowers, from villages of Bangladesh graduated and celebrated their success at the award winning college, bringing the total number of students to graduate from GCCN to 174.
During his speech, Professor Yunus congratulated the graduating class on their achievement and announced plans for moving the nursing college into a permanent building in two years conforming fully to international standards. Professor Yunus also informed the audience that a second nursing college would be constructed in Chittagong in the next two years.
Professor Pamela Gillies, Vice Chancellor of Glasgow Caledonian University congratulated all the graduates and reiterated her commitment to develop the Nursing College as a world-class nursing college. She said GCU will provide all the support to make that commitment become a reality very soon. She expressed her satisfaction with the quality it has achieved already.
A partnership between GCU and Grameen Healthcare Trust, the Grameen Caledonian College of Nursing was established in 2010 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The visionary college offers international standard nursing education and clinical practice to its students, as well as raising the status of the profession in Bangladesh and providing opportunities, education and training to women from impoverished backgrounds across the country.
Grameen Caledonian College of Nursing educates young women to serve in the Bangladesh healthcare sector demonstrating that Bangladesh’s nurses can undertake education at an international level and go on to high standards of clinical practice. GCCN's nurses have an excellent reputation and employers are very keen to offer them positions as soon as they graduate.
Grameen Caledonian College of Nursing is now approved by the Ministry of Health to confer BSc degrees, and is accredited by Dhaka University. The college grew from 150 students per year to 500 students by 2016. GCCN received the Unilever International Award in 2014 in an event in London, for its work to establish the nursing college and bring healthcare to people.
Graduating class of 2015 of Grameen Caledonian College of Nursing with Chancellor of Glasgow Caledonian University and Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus at their graduation ceremony on December 15. Also seen in the photo are Vice Chancellor of Glasgow Caledonian University Pamela Gillies, Executive Director of GCCN Frank Crossan, Principal of GCCN Niru Shamsunnahar and Founding Principal Barbara Parfitt.
