College of Science, Engineering & Technology

'Uzoyithola kanjani uhleti ekoneni?'

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Proud supervisor Dr Thabo Nkambule (NanoWS) (right) with his very first PhD student, Dr Savia Marais

"Graduands, you did it!" These were the words of Dr Thabo Nkambule of Unisa’s Nanotechnology and Water Sustainability (NanoWS) research unit, who was delivering the Chancellor’s address at the autumn graduation ceremony for the College of Science, Engineering and Technology (CSET).

"Your graduation is one of your finest achievements yet. You have made dramatic strides as independent-minded, spirited, responsible and career-focused adults. University graduation is one of the most important early milestones of life, and you have all worked hard and come so far to achieve this important accomplishment. This is a defining moment, one that should be recognised for its immense significance. It is an act not only of personal commitment and support from your loved ones, but also one of pride."

Nkambule went on to say, "A university qualification is a weapon and a tool for life—one that opens many doors for anyone who is lucky enough to have it. But graduation is not an end goal in itself. It is instead a part of the larger journey of humanity. The road that lies ahead won’t be easy. There will be obstacles and missed exits, potholes and roadblocks. Nothing worthwhile is easy. But that doesn’t mean we give up on ourselves. We will keep pushing, because we know we can achieve our dreams and because we are worth it."

CSET academics came out in numbers to support #Graduation2019

Unisa is not only the largest university in Africa, but it produces the highest number of graduates in the country. For the 2019 autumn graduations, the number of qualifications is more than 30 000, which makes the institution an epicentre of knowledge production.

Provisionally included in this figure are 109 doctorates, 190 master’s degrees and 1 278 honours degrees. Graduates with both three and four-year bachelor degrees number 9 566, while there are 16 389 undergraduate diplomas and certificates. Of the colleges, the College of Education has produced the most qualifications at 16 302, while the Gauteng Region heads the overall list with 7 023 degrees.

In total, 30 690* students will receive qualifications during Unisa’s current graduations that began on 4 March and will finish on 28 June 2019.

Graduation ceremonies will be held in Pretoria, Mbombela, Polokwane, Cape Town, Durban, East London and Bloemfontein.

*These statistics are still provisional.

#Halala to Mr Dear, who graduated with a National Diploma in Mechanical Engineering

#Halala to Luyanda Hawker, who graduated with a National Diploma in Electrical Engineering

Kambule encouraged graduates to continue working very hard, referencing the 90s song Uzoyithola kanjani uhleti ekoneni? (How will you get what you want by sitting on the street corner?), which was made popular by the late Mandoza and his kwaito group, Chiskop.

A graduation ceremony is a joyous occasion—the celebration of a dream come true. Nowhere was this more evident than in the cheerful voices from the audience in the fully packed ZK Matthews Great Hall. Proud parents and loved ones could not resist the temptation to ululate as about 239 graduates knelt down to be capped by Prof Veronica McKay, Acting Vice-Principal: Teaching, Learning, Community Engagement and Student Support (TLCESS).

CSET students hail from diverse backgrounds and are largely attracted by Unisa’s state-of-the-art Science Campus, high-quality programmes, responsive academics and affordable fees. CSET offers undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications in a wide spectrum of disciplines. If you’re thinking of a qualification in science, engineering or technology, think #UnisaCSET.


* By Thembeka Ntuli-Mpapama, Communication and Marketing Specialist, College of Science, Engineering and Technology

and

** By Nelsiwe Nkambule, Assistant Communication and Marketing Specialist, College of Science, Engineering and Technology

*** Twitter handle @UnisaScience

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Publish date: 2019-03-28 00:00:00.0

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