USIU-Africa Student Affairs Council
Remarks from the Chairman Juzer Yunus
VC INAUGURATION OF PROFESSOR PAUL ZELEZA
USIU-AFRICA CAMPUS, NAIROBI
APRIL 07, 2016
Chief Justice Hon. Dr. WillyMutunga, our Guest of Honor, Dr. Fred Matiang’i(Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology),Prof.David Some (CEO - Commission for University Education), ChancellorDr. Manu Chandaria, Trustees, University Council Members, Prof. Paul Zeleza Prof. Freida Brown, Management Board, faculty, staff, my fellow students, distinguished guests, all protocols observed.Welcome to this auspicious event.
Today marks a new beginning for USIU-Africa and before I talk about the man for whom we have gathered here,I would like to address a few things.
We, as the student body appreciate and acknowledge Prof.Freida Brown who has left a legacy that has stretched far beyond the time any of us have spent or will ever spendhere. Thousands of students have passed through her hands and have become great and influential leaders not only in Africa but also across the globe.
As in a game of chess,every move we make,will lead to our own personal fulfilment and becoming alumni who strive for excellence in everything that we do.
First and foremost to achieve academic excellence we need to take advantage of the world-class faculty, library, e-resourcesand other facilities available to us.
Secondly, being in an extremely competitive environment, academic excellence is not enough and I would therefore like to urge students to maximize on the available opportunities and resources;beginning withleadership opportunities throughSAC, SPAC, DRAB, clubs, sportsteams and organizing committees,todevelopyour soft skills and abilities outside the classroom.
Other opportunities include the NEVA incubation hub to sharpen ourentrepreneurialskills,and the student exchange programs that give us a global perspective. Our Academic Research Officecontributes to sharpening of critical thinking skills, and can also assist in publishingacademic articles even before we graduate.
We need to maximize on the wealth of accumulated experience gained bysuccessful alumni and have progressed onto industry by initializing mentor relationships, internships and and other forms of partnerships as we actualize the type of alumni we want to be. The opportunities are endless and with great leadership we can achieve whatever goals we set for ourselves.
This will in turn enable us to connect better with our universityin which we take such pride. Try everything at least once and push yourself out of your comfort zone to continuously strive for more knowledge.
Back to the reason we are all here; Prof. Zeleza- a man witha very bulky CV and a proven track record. He is exactly what this university needs, as he comes at a time when we have completed the strategic plan for 2015- 2020and I believe, his vision and leadership will see us move mountains. I urge my fellow students to read and internalize it, so that we are part of the journey to achieving excellence.
Having spoken to some of my constituents who have interacted with Prof. Zeleza throughout the VC search and 90-day listening process,I believe he is the right person for this position - no one else comes close.On behalf of the student community I can confidently say that we are placing all our support behind him to ensure our university prospers as we continue receiving world-classeducation.
We are here for You Prof. Zeleza. Welcome to the USIU-Africa family
Juzer Yunus
Chairman,
Student Affairs Council