Graduation season brings joy
- Wits University
Wits to award honorary doctorates to Ambassador Abdul Minty and Dr David Fine, and 5 341 Witsies to graduate in the first celebrations of the year.
Two outstanding South Africans who have been instrumental in advancing global peace and innovation will be recognised during the April graduation season, to be held from 17-26 March.
Ambassador Abdul Minty, an anti-apartheid struggle stalwart and a key figure in South Africa’s nuclear disarmament programme, and Dr David Fine, an entrepreneur and prolific innovator with 150 patents, will be awarded honorary doctorates in science on the first day of graduations at Wits University.
The University will award Minty at the Faculty of Science morning graduation ceremony on 17 April. The honorary doctorate recognises Minty’s role in exposing the apartheid government’s nuclear armaments programme and for his role in the quest for democracy. He was a leading figure in dismantling this programme. In so doing, he subsequently advanced the interests of world peace and the use of science for human development, rather than for destruction.
Minty is currently the South African ambassador to the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency. In this capacity, he continues to champion the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and the need for nuclear weapon states to disarm in a transparent and verifiable manner.
The University will award Wits alumnus, Dr David Fine, at the Faculty of Science afternoon graduation ceremony on 17 April. Fine has made a significant contribution to the scientific understanding of chemical engineering processes, combustion engineering, and air pollution. From making air travel safer through detecting chemicals that can cause cancer, to developing advanced technologies to find buried landmines, Fine’s curiosity has resulted in innovations that have impacted society for over 45 years.
Although now based in Boston, USA, Fine’s strong links with the African continent endure. In 2022, he donated some R50 million towards the establishment of the Angela and David Fine Chair in Innovation at Wits. His philanthropic endeavours have also advanced research and innovation at Leeds University, and helped promote collaboration with Wits University; a partnership that benefits students and academics.
沙巴体育官网_2024欧洲杯博彩app@ the April Grads
This first cluster of graduations for 2023 will also see thousands of families and graduands descend upon Wits University to celebrate the culmination of years of hard work. A total of 5 341 Witsies will join the more than 200 000 alumni who have journeyed through the academic adventures at Wits and proudly call Wits their academic home.
Overall, 22 graduation ceremonies will be held during this period. The Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management has 1 846 graduates; Humanities, 1 401; Engineering and the Built Environment, 1 075; and Science 1, 019 graduates.