29th MUST Congregation Celebrates Graduation of 1323 Students, Honors Posthumous Awardee

May 27, 2023, was a joyous day at Mbarara University of Science and Technology as the university saw the graduation of 1323 students (838 males and 485 females). At the ceremony, one student graduated posthumously. It was inspiring to see the graduates and their families gathered together to celebrate the prestigious moment that marked the culmination of their studies.

The opening prayer was led by Rt. Rev. Emmanuel Ntazinda, the Bishop of Kibungo Diocese Rwanda and Hon. Dr. John Chrysestom Muyingo, the State Minister for Higher Education in the Ugandan Cabinet, graced the ceremony as guest of honor and thanked the university staff and students for their hard work under challenging conditions as mentioned by the Vice Chancellor and Chairman Council in their remarks. He also assured graduates that their degrees were authentically awarded and that they were valid. “Don’t be scared of the ongoing media talks about fake degrees, it is soon going to be sorted and we shall let you know through the right channels.”

The chancellor, Professor Mark Lwanga Olweny, congratulated the graduates and wished them all the best. He also urged them to strive to be like the alumni who have made it in their chosen fields, particularly those who have achieved success in leadership roles. He reminded everyone that even though they had earned their degrees, the best was yet to come.

The Chairman Council Dr. Warren Naamara presented to the chief guest top researchers of the university and Dr. Bajunirwe Francis was recognized as the MUST’s all time Top Researcher. This was as a result of the academic audit. “I wish to let you know that in order to understand the productivity of our academic staff, the Council directed all academic staff to undertake a self-academic audit”. The Academic Audit showed telling findings, especially indicating that while research/innovation activities at MUST appear to be on the upward, more needs to be done considering that Govt had provided funds to staff for research and innovations.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Celestino Obua expressed gratitude to the parents and guardians for their commitment and to the MUST staff for their dedicated service. He also congratulated the students and praised them for the hard work they had put in to reach such a day. The Vice-Chancellor also clarifed the ongoing media concern of expired programs at MUST.

Dr. Miiro Emmanuel the valedictorian thanked the University administration, lecturers, and fellow students for making it to the 29th graduation ceremony “We applaud our alma mater, for providing avenues for collaborative innovation among students from different disciplines such as the Hepi-Tuitah Research Training and CAMTech Hackathons among others.”

SUMMARY of the number of students who graduated at the 29^th graduation ceremony

Watch the full ceremony via the link below;