University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa has said that this year’s graduation for the class of 2020 will be a virtual one which will be streamed on national television due to the global coronavirus pandemic.
The online graduation will hold on Friday and will be streamed live on SABC 3 at 1.30pm and broadcast on Ukhozi FM.
According to the Institution, the decision to host a virtual graduation has been made in accordance with the national lockdown and social distancing regulations to safeguard all South Africans from contracting Covid-19.
The spokesperson for UKZN, Normah Zondo, said the University’s annual graduation ceremonies are at the heart of the academic calendar.
“For graduands, it is their proudest moment – a joyous and grand occasion shared with peers, family and friends. Although we are unable to host a traditional physical graduation ceremony, we are elated at the opportunity to gather in a virtual space and celebrate in a new and unconventional way. The virtual ceremony will entail the conferring of degrees on graduands who have succeeded in fulfilling their academic requirements and whose names appear on the graduation programme. The virtual ceremony will feature an address by UKZN’s Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Nana Poku and congratulatory messages by four Deputy Vice-Chancellors,” she said.
In addition to the live broadcast on SABC 3 (DSTV Channel 193), graduands will join via the link: https://virtualgraduation.ukzn.ac.za/.
This link will only be active and accessible on Friday.
On the day, UKZN will confer a total of 9 963 degree certificates, 6 505 of which will be awarded to undergraduate recipients and 3 458 to postgraduates. There are 414 Masters (thesis) and 228 doctoral graduands.
Overall there are 104 summa cum laude and 270 cum laude graduands.
As has been the trend in previous years, women graduands continue to excel with women making up 70 percent of the summa cum laude graduands and 67 percent of the cum laude graduands, Zondo said.
“The university is especially proud of the achievements of 80 graduands with disabilities, 31 of whom have completed postgraduate studies. Two exceptional achievers will graduate with PhD’s and six with Masters,” she said.
There are 276 international graduands, 217 of whom will graduate with postgraduate certificates.
Overall, 1 609 degrees will be conferred in the College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, 5 087 in the College of Humanities, 2 254 in the College of Law and Management Studies, and 1 013 in the College of Health Sciences.
