- The Hon Dr. Chrysostom Muyingo, Minister of State for Higher Education, representing the Ministry of Education and Sports
- The Vice Chancellor, Mbarara University of Science and Technology
- (MUST)
- Members of MUST Council
- Honorable Ministers
- Your Excellences, Members of the Diplomatic Corp
- Hon Members of Parliament
- The Executive Director, NCHE
- Vice Chancellors and Representatives of Sister Universities
- Deputy Vice Chancellors, MUST
- Religious, Civic and Local leaders
- Members of MUST Senate
- Teaching and non–teaching staff
- Parents, Guardians and Sponsors
- Graduands soon to be graduates
- Continuing students
- Distinguished Guests
- Ladies and Gentlemen
Today is a great day and qualitatively different from 2001 when this University graduated only 109 out of a student body of less than 700! Today, 1465 graduands will receive different degrees and Diplomas! H.E the President and Ugandans of good faith must be delighted about this success. From the opposition to establish the University, to poor funding and all sorts of huddles! Against all these, here we are graduating well over (1000) one thousand students out of a student body of close to 5000.
A new campus with rapidly growing facilities, new relevant faculties and Departments, all in just over 10 years. If this is not resilience, then, what is? We have the potential and we can only be positive about the future. What a commitment and what a journey! And it is only just begun.
Achievements
Mr. Chancellor Sir and Hon Minister, as Chairman of the Mbarara University of Science and Technology Council, I am proud to share a distillate out of many significant achievements of this past year.
MUST emerged as the winner at the Ultimate National University Quiz, 2023. This victory, Mr. Chancellor Sir, embodies hard work, dedication and a sense of competition, the true spirit of MUST. I do request our guest of honor to present them medals of honor . We congratulate this beacon of hope exceptional team that included the following:
- Ms. Ahirirwe Leticia a Year IV Bachelor of Science in Agriculture and Livelihoods, Faculty of Interdisciplinary Studies.
- Mr. Edgar Reagan Ssenyonga, Year IV, Medicine.
- Mr. Silver Evans Makanga, Year III, Bachelor of Science.
- Mr. Atukwaase Vitah,
- Coaches: Mr. Solomon Agum, the Principal Assistant Academic Registrar. (Team’s Researcher)
- Ms. Angella Nakato Muyingo, MUST Public Relations Officer. (Coach)
- Mr. Edson Nuwagaba, their committed driver.
Ladies and Gentlemen, academic success to graduate, is attributable to many stakeholders but let me single out only the Government, the University Academia and support staff and Students and you great committed parents, without whom we would not be here. Parents, graduands, ladies and Gentlemen, the success and euphoria tonight is a result of long hours of real and hard work. I call it real because it is not guess work nor chancing neither a leap of religious faith. It is not leisure fare nor anything left to whom it may concern. It is a life time commitment! Long hours of reading, teaching, research, marking many scripts! And above all administration providing fertile ground for hard work. All this is well appreciated by the University Council.
We have among you parents who are or used to be teachers. There is never a time when a teacher misleads or deliberately gives false information. There may be challenges here and there but once in a lecture room, I yet have to learn that any teacher gives wrong information to students to fail! It is sanctimonious commitment to knowledge transfer. We deeply appreciate the work and commitment of Professors and all lecturers. Thank you very you very much and God bless you.
To ongoing students, the beacon is right in your eyes. Do not take your eyes off the ball! You are here to do only one thing: study and graduate!
To the PhD Graduates, your research is only as useful and it will be applied for the benefit of community. Publishing scholarly articles and good presentations at international conferences is good but making a difference at the community, is JUST as scholarly and gratifying for the common good.
Therefore, as we move forward into 2024, our focus ought to shift to translating research into actionable and implementable projects. We believe that knowledge must contribute to national development and working with private sector, become an income generating source to the University. The MUST has a center for innovation. Hon Minister, the challenge is commensurate funding and hope that having listened attentively, a solution will be found.
As I conclude: Search for the next Vice Chancellor
The University Council has initiated the search for the next Vice Chancellor. The process that is clearly spelled out in the UOTIA act 2001 as amended will be followed meticulously to the letter.
I will end my remarks thus “success is best when shared” and MUST we must succeed! God bless you immensely.
For God and my Country.