28/08/2016

Vice Chancellor's Speech to Welcome Student upon Resumption of Classes 30 August 2016: 9 am

(under embargo until 12 pm, Monday 29 August 2016)

Duncanson Hall, Tuesday 30 August 9-10 am

Dear Students, Professors, Heads of Departments, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today, we are happy to welcome back all our students. After only one and a half day of registration, almost 1,000 had already registered. Our student seem eager to go back to the lecture halls and resume their studies. We trust that you will continue to show this attitude through your behaviour at all times until the end of your studies.

Last Thursday, the first dinner was served in the temporary mess, which was set up by iPi in less than 1 month. We are very grateful for their efforts, which made it possible to re-open the university in record time. The criminals who burnt down the old mess, thought they had knocked out UNITECH for at least a year, or forever. Instead we rose like a phoenix from the ashes, and we are open for business again.

Ancient mythical phoenix 

​From the outset we have said to the students, that everywhere else in the world, students engage in religious, sports, cultural and political activities while attending classes. Voting massively for a class boycott in week 10 while not having a plan or strategy was therefore unwise. Even more unwise, was to postpone the return to classes on 5 June. Then it was postponed again until 20 June, but by that time acrimony among students prevailed, students refused to return to classes.