More than 3000 graduands will graduate this Spring

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2016

More than 3000 graduands will graduate this Spring

Spring graduation figures are well up this year with close to 900 more students than last year’s record number – 3160 graduands will this year receive their qualifications either in person or in absentia.

More than 2200 students will receive their qualifications in person at one of four ceremonies to be held at the Aotea Centre on Tuesday September 27, while a further 970 qualifications will be conferred in absentia. All four ceremonies will be webcast live, enabling well-wishers to watch from around the world.

It is the University of Auckland’s third graduation event for the year, making a total of 15 graduation ceremonies held to recognise the academic achievements of close to 10,000 University of Auckland graduates this year.

The oldest of next week’s graduands is 72 and the youngest is aged 20. Also included in the ranks are 356 Māori and Pasifika students. There are 159 doctoral students, with a quarter of them graduating from the Faculty of Science, followed by Engineering (28) and Medical & Health Sciences (24). Of the 75 people gaining more than one qualification on the day, 72 are gaining two, and three people are gaining three.

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Stuart McCutcheon says a university qualification has a lifetime impact on students, their families and the community at large.
“Given that, compared to those who do not hold degrees, graduates can expect to have lower unemployment rates, higher salaries, better career prospects and better health, we are proud of the value that the University and our graduates add to their lives and to the wider community,” he says. “Universities New Zealand estimates this value is between $1million and $4million for each graduate over their lifetime.”

The traditional graduation procession departs from a marquee outside Old Government House at 9.30amand proceeds through the city in ceremonial order down Bowen Avenue, Victoria Street East, and up Queen Street to the Aotea Centre where the graduation ceremonies will take place from 10.30am.

Speakers at the ceremonies are Peter Cullinane, Founder and CEO Lewis Road Creamery; Gareth Cronin, Vice President of Engineering, Wynyard Group; Pravir Tesiram, Partner, TGT Legal and Finlay Macdonald, Journalist.

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