None
Thursday, 22 September 2011

Reflecting on almost two decades of graduation ceremonies, I'm struck by the substance behind the often used statement that ‘the strength of our University is built on its graduates'.

Beyond the outstanding personal achievement in the transition from undergraduate to graduate, or from graduate to postgraduate, there is significant benefit from wider community recognition of the highly educated and highly-employable qualities of our graduates.

They leave the University in a wonderful position to contribute positively to communities locally, nationally and internationally. It's a fact that nations with populations that are well educated are nations in which most people - even those who have not had access to higher education - enjoy greater prosperity, well-being and political and environmental stability.

Knowledge, curiosity, inquiry, enthusiasm and commitment are all hallmarks of our graduates and they also mark out the success of the University's teaching and research programs.

Also striking has been the increasing imperative to fulfil the potential and aspiration of graduates to work internationally in a range of cultures, communities and careers. And again, the success of our graduates in all these areas increasingly builds our reputation as a high-quality global university.

Another wonderful feature of our graduation ceremonies is the occasional address delivered by a person of distinction who through success in a chosen field speaks from personal experience. And there is the very important valedictory address which brings a student voice to the occasion.

Over the years, these addresses have covered every manner of subjects. Overall, the main messages have revolved around our graduates' determination to pursue excellence and be bold in their endeavours, backed by confidence in their abilities.

Above all, our graduations highlight the fact that the University's motto - Seek Wisdom - is perhaps more relevant than ever to new generations of graduates facing a world where global knowledge has become the new currency.

Finally, I think there is something to be said for the US interpretation of graduation ceremonies as a ‘commencement', recognising, amidst all the celebrations of completion, that this is really a beginning - not only of thousands of individual careers but also of the new energy and ways of thinking that our graduates bring to the various fields they enter.

Vice-Chancellor Alan Robson

Tags

Groups
UWA Forward