ADDIS ABABA –Addis Ababa University (AAU) celebrated the graduation of 5,574 undergraduate and postgraduate students at the Millennium Hall yesterday.
Opening the ceremony, AAU Interim President Samuel Kifle (PhD) highlighted the record-breaking number of 2,837 postgraduate students. This surge signifies the university’s growing emphasis on research and its transition towards becoming a full-fledged research institute.
Additionally, 51 percent of the undergraduates are female, demonstrating AAU’s commitment to gender equality in education. The graduates come from AAU’s extensive academic structure, which includes 10 colleges, 2 technology institutes, 11 research institutions, and 17 campuses.
AAU Chancellor and Education Minister Professor Birhanu Nega urged the graduates to be mindful of the complex challenges facing Ethiopia, Africa, and the world. He emphasized the importance of educational institutions in fostering truth-seeking and knowledge-based learning.
Prof. Birhanu also encouraged the graduates to embrace ethical conduct and promote national unity as they embark on their professional journeys.
The graduation coincides with another significant milestone for AAU – its transition towards becoming a self-administered and autonomous university. The chancellor noted that the graduating class is the first to experience the benefits of recent educational reforms, including the one-year freshman program and the implementation of a leaving examination to ensure enhanced learning quality.
Addis Ababa University’s 74th Grand Graduation Ceremony marks a chapter of academic excellence, a commitment to research, and the empowerment of a diverse and socially responsible generation of graduates, it was stated.
BY STAFF REPORTER
The Ethiopian Herald July 7/2024
