Alumni & Convocation

Let me start by welcoming you all to the UNIVEN Alumni fold. Thank you for taking the time to participate in the July 2021 online elections of Convocation, in which I was elected to serve as President of the Convocation. The other members elected to serve on the Executive Committee of Convocation are Vice-President Mr Rudzani Mushweu and additional members Ms Shonisani Tikva Masutha, Ms Letsobana Virginia Moagi, Ms Salome Kobola Makgoka, Adv. Sipho Mashele and Adv. Mpho Mashao. Our election came during a truly remarkable year in which all of us were touched in some fundamental way by the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa. The spread of COVID-19 taught us that in-person alumni activities could be complemented by digital programmes such as webinars, livestreams and social-media discussions. As UNIVEN Alumni, we should embrace these online programmes to achieve our intended goals. The challenges of the pandemic will remain a feature of the coming years, but they will not hinder our efforts to execute our mandate to advance the interests of graduates and registered students. We will continue to use online programmes to support these objectives.

All former students are the lifeblood of their alma mater. You should be proud of being an integral part of this institution.

The prestige of the institution rests with its alumni and what they do. The positive contributions alumni make—whether through time, skills, financial support or donations in kind—will undoubtedly help the University grow and develop. We sincerely hope that our five-year term of office will be characterised by togetherness, development and success. I encourage graduates from diverse fields and professions to come forward and provide support, ideas and solutions to the many challenges facing the University. Among the greatest challenges are the financial difficulties experienced by missing-middle and postgraduate students, as well as graduate unemployment. We invite you to join us on this journey to help students complete their studies. We also invite you to help unemployed graduates find employment or create employment opportunities for themselves. The University of Venda adopted a 2021–2025 Strategic Plan which, among its aims, sought to produce graduates who are not only job seekers but also job creators. We will remain in touch and hope to hear from you soon.