The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon Rebecca Kadaga, has urged graduands of Cavendish University Uganda to be more innovative and work on improving import substitution.

Kadaga, who was officiating at the university’s 9th graduation ceremony held at Speke Resort, Munyonyo, appealed to graduands to think outside the box and be more innovative as they have been given a chance to graduate unlike their colleagues.
“Certainly today is the new normal. When I arrived I felt the absence of the big numbers of graduands, their parents, flower sellers and the inevitable photographers that would have been at this graduation,” she said adding that “You that are here have qualified yourselves for greater things; you need to work towards adding value.”

The university’s 1st virtual graduation ceremony was held on Thursday 28 May 2020.
“Due to the Covid 19 situation many institutions closed and the many young people await graduation. Your university provided you with online classes that have set you apart, and the sky can only be the limit,: Kadaga said adding that “This pandemic has shown that we can manufacture many things like the masks, Kira motors, and sanitizers. I’m sure you can innovate.”

The University Chancellor, H.E Benjamin Mkapa, who is a former President of Tanzania, congratulated the graduating students for the hard work put in throughout their stay at the university for the journey for education is never easy.
“As we celebrate this graduation, the university wanted to balance the need to grant students the opportunity to get employed. I thank you for enduring this journey, which included sitting exams and passing them highly,” he said.

The Commencement Speaker and former Commissioner General of Uganda Revenue Authority, Doris Akol said that in order to remain relevant and competitive in the world the graduates needed to adopt innovate ways of thinking, combined with behavioural change in order to thrive.
“Victory is not for the swift but the diligent. So from today as you proceed into the world I would like to suggest that all of us should be difference makers and solution providers. Be positive oriented and always remember a setback is your setup for your comeback,” Akol said.

A total of 809 students graduated from Cavendish University with the awards as follows: 55 certificates; 122 diplomas; 559 graduates with Bachelor’s degrees from different disciplines; 4 Post Graduate Degrees and 69 Masters Degrees.