Staff Reporter
AT the 19th Graduation Ceremony of the International University of Management (IUM) Windhoek campus, Attorney General Festus Mbandeka, the keynote speaker, commended the class of 2023 while also advising students to be prepared for life after university.
“It is fitting for you, as graduates, to celebrate this important milestone in your life after many years of hard work, sleepless nights, challenging assignments and exams, and even facing disappointments from repeating modules and receiving unfavorable marks. But you made it. Now, the world and the nation eagerly await your contributions and the knowledge and skills you have acquired. However, be mindful of the reality and challenges you will face in the job hunting journey. It won’t be easy, but it is not insurmountable,” he remarked.
Mbandeka emphasized the country’s economic crisis, stating that it makes it impossible for the job market to absorb all the graduates produced by universities each year.
“We must become enterprising, and being enterprising requires two things: creativity and courage. You need creativity to identify opportunities and shape them to your advantage, to view the world differently, take a different approach, and be different. To do that, you need the courage to go against the crowd and be willing to stand alone if necessary,” he added.
During the 19th 2023 winter graduation event at IUM’s Windhoek campus, the university awarded degrees to 1,972 graduates. According to the university, the number of students has increased by 541 since the 2022 winter graduation.
The awards presented today included 888 honors degrees, 77 postgraduate certificates, 75 master’s degrees, and 1 PhD. Additionally, the university conferred its first master’s degree in Nursing Science to eight graduates, as well as six postgraduate degrees in Environmental Science.
Professor David Namwandi, the founder of IUM, congratulated all the graduates for the year 2023. He mentioned that while the university celebrates the accomplishments of its students, it is also a somber day because one of the students who was set to graduate passed away in the early morning hours. Her degree will be received on her behalf by the family.
