“When I found that I had been awarded Cum Laude and the Dean’s Merit Awards, I was shocked, surprised and very excited. I feel extremely happy and very proud of myself,” said the elated Dean Emmanuel Aldrin Naidoo. 

His mom was also over the moon with his proud achievements.  

“My mother was completely shocked, she was not expecting the news but she is very happy and proud of his my achievement,” he said happily. 

The 26-year-old from Pietermaritzburg has completed his Bachelor of Technology Degree in Structural Engineering, his first and only choice of study. He graduated during the DUT Spring Virtual Graduation ceremony which was held online on the DUT website: www.dut.ac.za and DUT YouTube channel: DutCampusTv, on Monday, 30 November 2020 at 12pm. 

“I finished my National Diploma at DUT Indumiso Campus which took three years, before starting my BTech, which had an 18 month waiting period to qualify. Once I was accepted to study it took two years to complete my BTech. However, the commute to campus was a challenge as I live in Pietermaritzburg and the BTech structures course is only offered in Durban, so being on time for lectures, tests and exams was often stressful,” he said. 

Naidoo explained that although he would have preferred a proper graduation, he feels that it was in everyone’s best interest, and also the best option was a virtual ceremony, considering the high risks involved with COVID- 19 virus. 

However, he did mention that there were tough and fun parts to being a student. 

“What I found fun was the projects given for each module as they were very practical for design in relation to the civil consulting industry. What was tough was the projects relied on students to have design and consulting experience, as I was employed in the construction field, I had to do more research and gather information from various sources in order to understand the tasks required,” he said. 

For Naidoo, the passage to achieving merits was not easy, as he feels that it is very difficult to succeed in these times without a qualification. 

“I was motivated in the hope of completing a course that would increase the chances of a long and successful career ahead. I also chose to study most weekends as I felt this was necessary in order to give me the best chance of passing. In the end I can say it was worth it,” he said.   

Naidoo imparts some sound advice to future DUT students, saying that they should work as hard as they can, it’s worth it and it will pay off in the long run. 

Currently, Naidoo is employed with a company called Nelson Allopi and Associates. He is also considering furthering his studies and completing a Master’s Degree. 

Pictured: Dean Emmanuel Aldrin Naidoo 

Waheeda Peters