By, Nursyakeren Mansor
GOMBAK, 6 December 2025: A pregnant graduate from Algeria, Dr. Sassi Assia, received her Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Health Sciences in the recent IIUM 41st Convocation Ceremony.
Dr. Sassi shared that being a doctor is her childhood dream as she was raised with almost each of her family members being a specialised doctor.
“Having a PhD was a dream since I was a little girl, my sister is a doctor, my dad is a doctor, my mom is a national doctor. It’s always been a dream for me to pursue knowledge, doing something that I really like and helping others once I am done with the training, In sha Allah.”
“It’s a very difficult journey and as a foreign student, it’s not very easy for us. Especially with this PhD, I almost quit three times, but Alhamdulillah, I made it all the way to the end,” expressed Dr. Sassi.
She attributed her motivation to the unwavering support she received from her friends, family, and husband.
“Just keep going, everything else is just noise, focus on the end goal on why are you doing this. Every time you feel like you want to quit, ask yourself why you are doing this and just close your eyes, think about it, and then go back, do your best.”***
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