Mandela University will host two graduation ceremonies tomorrow, 11 December 2024, at the Madibaz Indoor Centre, and will see the conferral of qualifications on 491 students.
The University’s Chancellor, Dr Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, will preside over the two ceremonies, conferring postgraduate and undergraduate degrees, diplomas and certificates. Of the graduating cohort, 84 students will be awarded master’s degrees, while 28 will achieve the pinnacle of academic success with doctoral degrees.
Vera Afriyie obtains her PhD in Dietetics – the first for the University – with a thesis focused on addressing the nutrition transition among isiXhosa-speaking communities in Nelson Mandela Bay. Her research highlights the decline in traditional food practices caused by urbanization, economic constraints and limited awareness of the nutritional benefits of traditional diets.
Using a culturally tailored, multi-method approach, she developed an intervention that successfully improved dietary diversity and reintegrated traditional foods into daily consumption. Her work offers practical solutions for mitigating the effects of nutrition transition and makes significant contributions to public health nutrition, with recommendations for policy and future research.
Robin Monakali is graduating with her doctoral degree from the Department of History and Political Science, in the Faculty of Humanities, with a thesis titled “Conflict Management Mechanism for Workplace Harassment: A Case Study of a Provincial Government Department in Johannesburg, South Africa”.
“Workplace harassment remains a significant concern in South Africa and globally, affecting organisational culture and employee well-being across all sectors,” she says.
In her study, she argues that harassment is an expression of power and control … any behaviour that is unwanted and/or uninvited,” says Monakali.
To address this, she developed a conflict management framework that emphasises both prevention and intervention strategies to empower organisations to effectively manage workplace harassment.
Amy Lynne de la Harpe, a PhD graduate in Biochemistry, conducted groundbreaking research on the potential use of cannabinoids in breast cancer treatment. Her study focused on a specific cannabinoid ratio that induces paraptosis, a unique mechanism of cell death, in hormone receptor-positive breast cancer cells.
Her findings, which have been well-received in international conferences and publications, contribute significantly to the knowledge base for cancer treatment and highlight the potential of cannabinoids as a therapeutic option.
The graduation ceremonies highlight the University’s commitment to nurturing quality graduates who contribute to innovation and transformational scholarship across diverse fields, in ongoing endeavours to change the world.
Graduands in the faculties of Law, Science, Health Sciences, Humanities and Engineering, the Built Environment and Technology will graduate in the morning, while Education and Business and Economic Sciences make up the afternoon session.
Graduation Ceremony Details:
-
Date: Wednesday, 11 December 2024
-
Venue: Madibaz Indoor Centre, South Campus
-
Times: 09:00 and 14:00
Dr Fraser-Moleketi, a respected advocate for social justice and good governance, will lead the proceedings, inspiring graduates to uphold the University’s values as they pursue their futures.
Graduation is a significant moment in the institutional calendar, celebrating not only the achievements of students but also the contributions of staff, families and communities in shaping future leaders.