The first group of NMMU George graduates who qualified with the Higher Certificate Veldfire Management, with the Executive Dean of Science, Prof Azwinndini Muronga, Prof Quinton Johnson, Campus Principal (back, centre) and lecturers Hannes van Zyl (front, third from left), Tiaan Pool and Gerhard Engelbrecht.

NMMU’s 2016 graduation season was held at the Civic Centre in George recently. A record number of students were awarded postgraduate degrees, undergraduate degrees, national diplomas and higher certificates in four faculties - Science, Business and Economic Sciences; Education; Engineering and the Built Environment and Information Technology.

Overall around 10% of NMMU George graduates gained their qualifications with distinction.

In an inspiring address, Prof Derrick Swartz, NMMU Vice-Chancellor, appealed to the graduates to look beyond their own self-actualisation and to use their ideas or careers to help build a better future and create opportunities for the next generation - to change the world so that it becomes more socially just and inclusive of all the peoples who live in it. He urged the graduates to “uncompromisingly stand for the values of Madiba” and to give back to society as brand custodians and alumni.

Forestry Lecturer, Andrew McEwan (centre) with BTech cum laude graduates Ullrich Hechter, Noxolo Ndlovu, Lindo Dlamini and Jason Mennell.

Science Faculty
Some 60% of the George Campus graduates this year came from the Science faculty, with excellent growth at BTech-level where a third of the Science graduates across the Agricultural Management, Forestry and Nature Conservation programmes qualified with BTech degrees - 15% with distinction. The National Diploma Agricultural Management rendered the largest number of NMMU George Science Faculty graduates, followed by the niche programmes – Forestry and Nature Conservation – along with Game Ranch Management and Wood Technology.

New Higher Certificates
The introduction of new qualifications at the NMMU George Campus during the past two academic years also saw the first set of students qualifying with the Higher Certificate in Veldfire Management. 16% of the students, mostly part-time candidates, achieved the qualification Cum Laude.