AUST 6TH Commencement Ceremony 2015/2016
The African University of Science and Technology held its 6th commecement ceremony for the 2015/2016 academic session on the 8th June 2016. The university graduated a total of 73 graduates from 9 African countries. 56 graduated with M.Sc. degrees and 17 with Ph.D.s The graduates represented all 5 program areas – Computer Science, Material Science,Petroleum Engineering, Pure and Applied Mathematics, and Theoretical and Applied Physics.
AUST Holds 6th Commencement Ceremony
In his opening remarks, AUST President Prof. Kingston Nyamapfene highlighted how these new graduates represent the top 1% of talent in their fields, not only in Africa, but across the globe. He left no room for doubt in the minds of the audience about the quality of AUST graduates by providing evidence to support his claim, including the competitive process through which the best undergraduates are admitted into AUST and the rigorous requirements for publishing in “A”-rated journals before doctoral candidates can receive their degrees.
Guest speaker Professor Ibidapo Obe, a distinguished former professor of Systems Engineering, former Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, former President of the Nigerian Academy of Sciences, affirmed the statements made by the President on the quality of AUST graduates, some of whom he had sought and hired at the University of Lagos.
He encouraged the doctoral graduates to consider careers, where is has seen the difference AUST graduates are making and to address the growing human capacity needs there. He further inspired both graduands and other attendees with his insights into how science graduates should put their newly acquired knowledge to uses that are of direct benefit to society and expressed his own concerns over the continuing shortage of high quality graduates in STEM fields.
In addition to friends and family of the graduands, attendees included strong representation from the diplomatic community and representation from multilateral agencies, such as ECOWAS, The World Bank, the African Capacity Building Foundation, among others, as well as a representative of the NUC’s Executive Secretary and representatives of sister institutions, the National Assembly, other government agencies and parastatals.
