Humanities Graduates Advised to be Role Models

BY: .

‘Tonight’s ceremony is the consummating moment of what I believe has been a solid and productive partnership between the University, parents, spouses and industry in nurturing and developing human capital for this country and the region.’

These words by keynote speaker, the Vice-Chancellor of the Great Zimbabwe University, Professor Rungano Jonas Zvobgo, were well received by graduates and the audience at the College of Humanities 2014 Graduation ceremony.

Zvobgo called on all graduates to make a mark on their communities as they went into the world of work. ‘The teaching profession is passionate and requires honesty, dedication and discipline.  The greatest role model of a child’s or student’s life is usually the teacher. Be the model that you want the young ones to follow.’

He said graduation reflected the transition from full time study to the world of work.

‘The credibility of an institution of higher learning is often determined by the quality of the graduate in terms of his or her adaptability to the work environment. What that says is how relevant the university is to the student and secondly to the demands of the world of work.

‘It is how the graduates are readily accepted into the world of work which justifies the relevance of the institution and its existence. This, too, is testimony of the university of the 21^st century. This university can only claim to be a university of higher learning if it distinguishes itself from the rest of the country and beyond,’ said Zvobgo.

He pointed out that Higher Education today had become a global entity. ‘With the infusion of information communication technologies (ICTs), even we Africans have become active citizens of the global village. I salute UKZN’s goals especially goal number one which is to promote an African led globalisation through African scholarship by positioning the University, through its teaching, learning, scholarship, research and innovation, to enter the global knowledge system.’

He touched on the partnership between the Great Zimbabwe University and UKZN for the training of Great Zimbabwe University staff to obtain PhDs saying it would go a long way towards increasing quality standards.

Zvobgo praised UKZN’s commitment to quality and excellent service through the vision to become the Premier University of African Scholarship.

During his address, he requested all Zimbabwean students and other international students to stand and charged them to go back home and build their nation. ‘Make it the home you want it to be.  Remember to always ensure your relevance as a teacher by actively researching into your fields of specialty.’

‘Ensure that you are always up to date with rapid and radical technocratic developments and new trends, theories and practices. Knowledge learnt today might not be relevant tomorrow. Just as knowledge is dynamic so too must you be, as a personal professional culture.’

In his closing remarks to the graduates, Zvobgo said: ‘You walk this journey as authentic ambassadors of this prestigious Institution. How well you conduct yourself and perform your mandate will be clear testimony of how adequately this University has prepared you for service to the great nation of South Africa.’

‘It will also be testimony of how relevant the University is to this country’s vision to grow the nation's most critical human resource. Remember, the teacher is the key driver of national development and the mother who nurtures the baby from the cradle to adulthood.’

-           Melissa Mungroo