The Durban University of Technology (DUT) Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Thandwa Mthembu officially welcomed first year students during the First Year Orientation 2022 on Monday, 07 February 2022.
The orientation started yesterday (Monday, 07 February 2022) and is set to end on Friday, 11 February 2022. The five-day programme is being held online, via Microsoft Teams from 10h00 and will see DUT management and various departments addressing the new students for a smooth transition from high school to university.
Day 1 saw Prof Mthembu addressing the students and parents to officially welcome them to the DUT Community. Prof Mthembu began by congratulating the first-year students on passing Grade 12 well enough to be admitted to the programmes they had applied for at DUT.
“Given the challenges you had to grapple with in your matric year as a result of COVID-19-rotational sessions you had to endure, and all-you are surely made of sterner stuff. You are highly determined, focused and goal-oriented, to say the least. We are very proud of you. Congratulations again! I would be remiss if I failed to give a special welcome to your parents, guardians and family who are with us today. Thanks for raising and supporting them with a sense of good values and principles, and through thick and thin. Most importantly, thanks for the great choice they and yourselves made to study at this history-making University,” noted Prof Mthembu.
He commended the students and parents for choosing DUT, which is one of the top 5 universities in South Africa. In the next few days and weeks, Prof Mthembu said the first-year students will begin to realise that, unlike in high school where there is heavy dependence on teachers, university requires a great measure of initiative and independence in the work they do.
“You have been admitted to and will enrol in a programme at the end of which you should be the master of the knowledge and high level intellectual and professional skills that that programme is about. It’s about you. Not your parents, your lecturer nor your professor. DUT seeks to produce creative, innovative and adaptive graduates whose contributions to the broader society before and after they exit our University will be impactful,” Prof Mthembu added.
He also warned the students to be careful saying there are many pirates along the way – drugs, demagogues who call themselves activists and all – that might lead them astray. Furthermore, Prof Mthembu added that students were setting off on their University journey at a time where the world, and South Africa in particular, is moving from one crisis to another.
“The future of this world and this country is not ours; but, yours, our youth. It requires new and fresh ideas and innovations from you, not old and hackneyed slogans and chants. Such will not come out of thin air; but, from your mastery of critical thinking and analysis, from your knowledge and high-level skills, and from your creativity and innovations, and from your entrepreneurship,” advised Prof Mthembu.
In addition, Prof Mthembu informed the students that DUT has a range of personal and social development programmes and projects in which the DUT community may participate in. He asked that the students join these programmes and meet new people, learn from them and be part of the success and impact that DUT makes to build communities. In closing, Prof Mthembu urged the students to dare to educate themselves, dare to be exemplary and dare to succeed!
The repeat session on the orientation will be held next week Monday, 14 February 2022 to Friday, 18 February 2022. All first-year students are encouraged to attend.
Pictured: DUT Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Prof Thandwa Mthembu.
Simangele Zuma
