Guest speaker Professor Peter Zilla

12 December 2019 | Video Nico Badenhuizen. Photo Brenton Geach.

Guest speaker at the 10:00 ceremony on Thursday, 12 December, was cardiac surgeon Professor Peter Zilla of the Chris Barnard Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery. He urged graduands to develop the life mantra, “curious with purpose”.

“Graduation is a highlight we share all around the world … however, it comes with privileges and responsibility. One of the privileges is that higher education gives us the tools to be curious with purpose … And now society needs you to go out and ask questions with purpose.”

He said higher education also prepared graduands for leadership. Leadership was not management, however, but rather ongoing curiosity, exploring uncharted territory and finding creative solutions.

“Life on purpose should be your governing principle,” he said, referring to his hero, Dr Viktor Frankl, an Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist and a Holocaust survivor.

“His mantra stated that the detour through purpose is faster and more successful than the direct route. Let me assure you, your curiosity and purpose will make your life both colourful and meaningful.”

Citing examples from his own life and pioneering work, Zilla said, “You are the leaders of tomorrow. Challenging circumstance can only break your spirit if you stop asking questions and if you stop believing that you can come up with creative answers.”


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December graduation 2019


The University of Cape Town will be celebrating the graduation of 1 960 of its students over six graduation ceremonies on 12, 13 and 23 December, which include the conferral of three honorary doctorates and the presentation of the UCT Book Award and the UCT Creative Works Award. This graduation season, we also bid a fond farewell to our chancellor, Mrs Graça Machel, who has been the titular head of the university for the past 20 years. Her compassionate and dedicated service to the university will be deeply missed.
Farewell Chancellor Graça Machel
 

Our stories: inspirational graduates


UCT part of PhD graduand’s destiny As Olivia Matshabane prepared to receive her PhD from UCT this month, she said the highs have outweighed the lows during her journey. 20 Dec 2019
Former Miss SA’s road to graduation Tamaryn Green will graduate with her MBChB from UCT on Monday, 23 December, and says she will forever remember the “challenging yet fulfilling” seven-year journey. 19 Dec 2019
Through dysphoria to a doctoral degree Velile Vilane’s journey to a PhD from the Faculty of Engineering & the Built Environment goes beyond the degree – it’s about coming into being. 12 Dec 2019
Balancing a baby and the books Rejoice Gorni, a student at UCT’s Graduate School of Business, returned to lectures just days after giving birth to complete her PGDip in management. 12 Dec 2019
‘Education was my only hope’ Monica Damane, who will graduate on Thursday, 12 December, with her MSc in engineering says the road to this achievement has been far from easy. 11 Dec 2019
‘I refused to be called a failure’ Having endured personal setbacks and defied the odds, Furaha Abwe will graduate with his PhD in Architecture and Planning on Thursday, 12 December. 11 Dec 2019
Swimming upstream – the second-chance graduand This week UCT celebrates its inspirational graduands, students such as staffer Nombuso Shabalala who reclaimed her life after a traumatic event had left her becalmed. 10 Dec 2019
Burn the boat to win the island Having worked her way through to her doctoral studies, Delta Ndou will soon don the sought-after red robe to receive her PhD in Media Studies at UCT. 10 Dec 2019
Dream big and apply yourself fully Musa Kika arrived at UCT to study for an LLM, but his master’s was upgraded and he will be graduating in December with a PhD. 09 Dec 2019
Graduation speakers
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