900 students graduate in UC mid-year ceremony

28 July: Almost 900 students will graduate from the University of Canberra in the mid-year round of graduations.

Three ceremonies will be held in the Great Hall of Parliament House tomorrow. Students will graduate ready for careers in a range of professions from health to science to communication.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Stephen Parker said the graduations were a great start to the University of Canberra’s 40th anniversary celebrations, which will formally launch on Monday.

“On the eve of our 40th anniversary it is appropriate to celebrate the achievements of our latest crop of graduates. They join more than 60,000 University of Canberra alumni who are pursuing successful careers around the world,” Professor Parker said.

“I hope these most recent graduates together with our other alumni and friends will participate in our 40th anniversary festivities.”

Graduate profiles:

Ceremony one, 10am
Faculty of Communication and International Studies, Faculty of Design and Creative Practice, Faculty of Information Sciences and Engineering, Faculty of Law

Clare Haeney, Bachelor of Business Informatics, has already hit the ground running in her career being hired as a business analyst at The Treasury after completing an internship there as part of her degree. She’ll be given the day off tomorrow, though, so she can deliver the graduation address.

Ms Haeney says the best thing about her role is she’s not tied to her desk: . “I prefer to be out speaking to people rather than sitting at a desk all day,” she said.

“Business informatics is focused on bridging the gap between business and information technology.”

David Bensley, Bachelor of Arts, wants to assist in improving the life expectancy of indigenous people. In 2003 he was offered a defence indigenous scholarship he will graduate from the University of Canberra with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in communication and psychology.

“I wanted to study humanities as I hope to work in the area of indigenous policy and contribute to the welfare of indigenous people.  Health has a special role for me as many of my own family have suffered from Glaucoma and Diabetes,” he said.

“I received great support from the Ngunnawal Centre they removed every obstacle from my path and made it impossible for me to consider giving up on my studies. My hardest period was when I snapped an Achilles tendon during a sporting match. I wanted to give up as I couldn’t drive or get around, however the Ngunnawal centre organised people to assist me with lecture notes and made that difficult period much easier. This was a turning point and I was determined to finish after this.”

The desire to help his country was the driving factor for Syed Hossain to complete a Masters in International Customs Law and Administration at the University of Canberra.

Mr Hossain from Bangladesh attended university under an AusAID Australian Leadership Awards Scholarship.

“I want to be able to become a better researcher and this Master does enable me to assist my country through greater knowledge and confidence me when I work with my peers.

“I am sure this will open up new horizons for me when I get back home and I will look forward to working in International trade once I return home,” said Mr Hossain.

Mr Hossain has spent the past 18 months in Australia along with his wife and two year old daughter.

These scholarships are aimed at those who have the potential to assume leadership roles that can influence social and economic policy in their individual countries.

Ceremony two, 1.30pm
Faculty of Education, Faculty of Health, Faculty of Science

Simon Foster, PhD in applied science, researched seafood in his first career as a chef, now he researches. Dr Foster’s PhD examined how sea life deals with arsenic found marine environments.

“I enjoyed my [sous chef] job, but I was working long hours, and that was hard on my wife and kids,” he said. “I’ve always been passionate about the environment and sustainability so I decided to study environmental science.”

Ceremony three, 5pm
Faculty of Business and Government

The ravage of HIV-Aids in her country is one reason Tanzanian-born Rahima Dossa, Master of Public Administration, is looking forward to graduating with her Masters in Public Administration from the University of Canberra.

The issues of poverty and HIV-Aids concern Ms Dossa the most and she believes her Masters will give her the opportunity to work in the public sector in Tanzania and help develop policy in this area.

“Having worked with the UN and World Bank, I am really passionate about creating awareness of the HIV-Aids problems in my country.

“It is important that we get the message to all the young people through better education and programs”, she said.