Victoria University recently celebrated its 8th graduation ceremony at the prestigious Speke Resort Convention Centre, where close to 2,500 students were graduated in different disciplines. The event marked a significant milestone in the academic journey of graduates who celebrated with the faculty, family, and friends after years of hard-earned achievement.
Vice Chancellor Dr. Lawrence Muganga congratulated the graduands upon their commitment and hard work; adding that the day was a testament to their resilience and commitment to academic excellence. “We are proud of each of our graduates and look forward to celebrating together,” Dr. Muganga said in his address.
The ceremony showed that Victoria University was still setting a benchmark in the highly competitive education sector through quality education and integrating advancing technology into its curriculum. In this regard, the university is determinedly offering a portfolio of academic programs geared towards addressing pressing country and continental needs.
Present to grace the event, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa praised stakeholders of the university for their unparalleled dedication towards making good quality education responsive to the changing demands of the global economy. Particularly he spotted one of the largest investors in the institution, Mr Sudhir Ruparelia for his unrelented contribution to a sector where profit is not the driving factor but an unhestating commitment to service to humanity through education.
Thank you, Mr. Sudhir Ruparelia, for investing in a sector where you don’t expect profits but only to offer service to humanity,” Tayebwa said, acknowledging the philanthropic spirit behind the university’s development.
In his address, Tayebwa emphasized the need for research and innovation in overcoming the challenges Uganda goes through. He urged the leadership of the university to focus on and conduct groundbreaking research targeting solutions to African needs, reducing dependence on foreign-funded projects that may not always be tailored toward the best interests of the continent.
I call upon the University Chairman, Directors and its management to invest more in research and conduct ground-breaking research to help us get solutions for our continent and Uganda. Most of the research we have is foreign-funded and they fund those serving their interests. Let us invest in research that is tailor-made to address our issues as Africa in order to be transformative,” Tayebwa said.
The Deputy Speaker also praised Victoria University for its courses relevant to the socio-economic needs of Uganda. The Speaker emphasized that the curriculum at Victoria University is tailored in a way that the graduates leave the university with knowledge and skills that can address challenges facing the country, therefore making meaning contribution in their communities.
He further encouraged the graduands to prepare for the broader African market, citing the importance of intra-African trade and travel. Tayebwa noted that “It is cheaper to travel to Dubai than to Mombasa, but if we use our education sector in an approach that serves the whole continent, especially through signing the Africa Free Trade Area, we are going to be one community.”
Tayebwa called on the graduates to learn other critical languages like Kiswahili and French necessary to become world citizens who can prosper in the rapidly competitive world. He noted that the knowledge and skills derived from Victoria University shall be important in the journey to tussling both local and international opportunities.
While this event at Victoria University attests to the ever-graduating classes who are able and prepared to make positive contributions towards the development of Uganda and Africa as a whole, the institution ensures that an educationally innovative climate of research and global outlook is fostered.
It wasn’t just academic achievement being celebrated but also a university that can shape future leaders and change agents for Uganda and beyond.
