Women make up 65.76% of all graduates at UKZN autumn graduation

Durban — Almost 8 000 graduands will be honoured at the upcoming University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) graduation.

Between May 6 and 14, at the Westville Campus Sports Centre, UKZN will honour and celebrate 7 795 graduands at its upcoming 2024 Autumn Graduation.

Graduation will be spread over 16 ceremonies.

UKZN corporate relations executive director Normah Zondo said the university looks forward to the graduation ceremonies.

“Preparations are well under way and there is much excitement as graduation season is upon us. Graduation holds special prominence in our academic calendar as it serves as a platform to acknowledge and applaud the tireless dedication, commitment, and hard work of our students, who have met and exceeded the rigorous demands of their respective academic programmes. Graduation is a milestone not just for our students, but also for the families and communities that have nurtured them,” Zondo said.

Zondo continued: “We strongly encourage graduands and their guests to arrive promptly and be seated at least 45 minutes before the commencement of each ceremony. Being punctual ensures a smooth and orderly start to the proceedings and allows everyone to fully enjoy and participate in this momentous occasion. We are looking forward to seeing everybody at graduation.”

Zondo also encouraged graduands to use the Grad Look Up platform (https://gradlookup.ukzn.ac.za/) to view their information, including seat numbers, the date and time of their graduation and qualification details. This online resource helps graduands prepare effectively for their graduation experience.

Of the qualifications to be conferred, 5 164 undergraduate and 2 631 are postgraduate. The ceremony will also celebrate the achievements of 526 master’s and 231 doctoral graduates.

Additionally, 132 individuals will graduate with great distinction, having achieved summa cum laude, while 414 will graduate with cum laude. Women make up 69.57% of the cum laude and 72.73% of the summa cum laude graduands.

Overall, women constitute 65.76% of all graduates at the autumn graduation. This underscores the university’s commitment to advancing gender equality and reinforces the university’s reputation as one of the most transformed universities in the country.

Further breaking down the degrees conferred by each college are as follows: the College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science will award 1 096 degrees, the College of Health Sciences 1 060, the College of Humanities 4 029, and the College of Law and Management Studies 1 610.

Moreover, the university is particularly proud of the 100 graduands with disability for persevering against all odds to achieve academic excellence.

One of these graduates includes top medical student, Dr Maseeha Ismael Bhorat, who matriculated from Crawford College La Lucia in 2017. Currently, she is a medical intern at Groote Schuur Hospital.