Monash South Africa's third graduation

29 March 2006

Seventy-three students were awarded undergraduate and postgraduate degrees last month at a Monash South Africa graduation ceremony at Monte Casino in Fourways, Sandton.

At the Monash South Africa graduation (from left): Terence Eder from Johannesburg (Bachelor of Arts honours degree in communications) who undertook his honours year at Monash’s Gippsland campus; Naseera Fakira (Bachelor of Arts) from Lenasia, Johannesburg; and Raakhee Moon (Bachelor of Business and Commerce) from Botswana.

In his address, Monash Vice-Chancellor Professor Richard Larkins said it was a special occasion for Monash South Africa as this was the third cohort to graduate from the campus.

"We have been delighted with the progress of this campus, and we feel we have an excellent and committed staff and state-of-the-art teaching facilities," he said.

"We know Monash South Africa will go from strength to strength and become a most important part of the higher education environment in South Africa and contribute to the further development of the country, and of Africa in general, by providing education and relevant research and policy development of the highest quality."

Of the graduating students, 21 were awarded degrees from the Faculty of Arts, 29 from the Faculty of Business and Economics and 16 from the Faculty of Information Technology.

The Faculty of Education presented three students with Graduate Certificates in Higher Education, and the Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences presented four masters degrees to students who had studied in Australia.

Monash South Africa Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Tyrone Pretorius congratulated the graduates on their achievements. He said Monash's commitment to international education had led to the establishment of the South African campus in 2001, with an enrolment of just 40 students.

"The pace and rate of development has been intense," he said. "Now, five years later, we are looking at an enrolment of almost 1200 students. Monash South Africa is committed to providing a quality, campus-based undergraduate program.

"We see the typical Monash graduate as one who will be equipped to live, learn and work globally, who will have been inspired by our internationally-focused, research-led teaching and who will wish to use his or her talents to improve the world."

At the graduation, the occasional address was delivered by Rhodes University Chancellor Professor Gert Gerwel, who spoke on the role of higher education in Africa.