SETU graduates continue to make history as the first graduates of the south east’s university
History continues to unfold at South East Technological University this January with the final series of conferring ceremonies for the class of 2021/22 taking place on the Carlow and Waterford campuses.
Over 2,000 graduates will be conferred this week with awards in a range of disciplines, from technology, business and engineering to the arts, humanities and science bringing the total number of graduates in SETU’s first year to a remarkable figure of 4,733.
Graduates will receive awards ranging from level 6 to level 10, showcasing the valuable opportunity SETU offers learners to progress from certificate to doctoral level at any stage of their career.
The January ceremonies will see the award of 31 doctorates to graduates across both campuses and the largest annual military graduation in the State from a higher education institution, with over 220 officers and enlisted personnel being awarded SETU qualifications.
Speaking at the ceremonies, Prof Veronica Campbell, President of SETU acknowledged and celebrated the evolving nature of how and when our learners access education, “At SETU we promote lifelong learning and our students join us from diverse walks of life and through different access pathways. While some of you came to college straight from school, others joined higher education later in life. Regardless of how you entered this institution, you are all leaving with a university level qualification that will allow you to pursue the next stage of your career with the appropriate skills, the ability to continue to learn and as individuals, prepared and ready for the workplace.”
Looking to the future, Prof Campbell’s address also gave graduates and guests a sense of the global ambition of the south east’s new university, “We are a multi-campus university and that brings great opportunities for synergies and new ideas. We aspire to be a leading European University, invested in our region and working for our region.
“We will continue the strong ethos of supporting access to higher education and in having in-place enablers to ensure that our students reach their academic potential. We will expand our research and innovation activities and engage regionally, nationally and internationally to drive regional economic, cultural and social prosperity.”
Prof Campbell concluded by reminding graduates that they hold a very special place in SETU’s history, they are the first graduates of South East Technological University. “Your names are among the first signed into the SETU graduates roll book. Generations of graduates will follow you in ceremonies like this but you are the pioneers.”
