Change the world

04/02/2019

Students at Nelson Mandela University (NMU) must work consistently, manage their finances, ask questions and lead a healthy lifestyle. This was part of the message from vice-chancellor Professor Sibongile Muthwa when she welcomed thousands of new students to the university on Saturday.

Students at Nelson Mandela University (NMU) must work consistently, manage their finances, ask questions and lead a healthy lifestyle.

This was part of the message from vice-chancellor Professor Sibongile Muthwa when she welcomed thousands of new students to the university on Saturday.

She urged them to emerge as well-rounded citizens, socially aware, ambitious, positive and set on their individual paths to make a difference and change the world. “We set out to instill values and develop student attributes that will enable each of you to leave this university confident, willing and able to contribute to a better society and a better world.”

Thousands of parents and new students arrived to hear Muthwa speak.

She welcomed about 7,000 first-years, selected out of 122,000 applications.

“You have done yourself proud in being selected to study at [NMU],” she said.

“We thank you for choosing this great university and we look forward to all your contributions to making it even greater.”

Muthwa said she also expected all students to attend all academic-related activities, meet their deadlines and give back to the community.

“These are a cornerstone of a student success,” she said.

“What our university stands for is a place that inculcates and reflects values of social justice and equality.

“It offers what we regard as breakthrough education, advancing scholarship that will contribute to the improvement of humanity, and which will diminish social exclusion.

“Our institutional posture is to promote inclusive engagement and we advocate for social and intellectual affirmation of diverse scholarly pursuits.

“Ours will seek at all material times to be a restless scholarship, and students will engage with and question established truths and push back the frontiers of received wisdom.

“We do this as a university that is aware there is persistent inequality in [our] society.

“Therefore, we set out to instill values and develop student attributes that will enable each of you to leave this university confident, willing and able to contribute to a better society and a better world.”

Mikhail October, 18, an accounting student, said his goal was to pass all his modules.

The former Victoria Park High School pupil said Muthwa’s speech had been motivating and inspirational.

“I have a lot to learn and I know that through this new experience I am going to grow as a person,” he said,

Salma Chitsonga, 17, who is from Port Shepstone in KwaZulu-Natal, said she wanted to fully embrace the university’s offerings.

“I want to make new friends, get involved in sport.

“I have chosen to study tourism management and I know I will enjoy it,” she said.

Chitsonga’s mother, Prudence Gumbi, said the family had chosen NMU as it was in the Eastern Cape.

“This province is much safer than KZN. We are very happy she chose to study here.

“Tourism was her choice and we are very happy for Salma and proud of her.”

NMU spokesperson Zandile Mbabela said every year brought excitement as new students were welcomed

“It’s always amazing to be part of the students’ journey from when they come in to when they cross the stage during graduation,” Mbabela said.

Official lectures are expected to start next Monday.

Muthwa said she expected all students to attend all academic-related activities, meet their deadlines and give back to the community

This article appeared in The Herald of 4 February 2019 written by Deneesha Pillay 

pillayd@tisoblackstar.co.za

To read more articles in the Herald, go to: https://www.heraldlive.co.za/

 

A copy of the Vice-CHancellor's speech is downloadable from this page.

Watch the recorded video of the speech

Contact information
Ms Zandile Mbabela
Media Manager
Tel: 0415042777
Zandile.Mbabela@mandela.ac.za

Files you can download