A TOTAL of 1 085 students yesterday graduated at the Lupane State University (LSU)’s 11th graduation ceremony since the opening of the university in 2005.

Only a fraction of the 1 085 graduates who received accolades for excelling in their studies attended yesterday’s graduation ceremony which was held at the university’s main campus in Lupane, Matabeleleland North.

The rest of the graduates followed proceedings online.

This was done as part of the Covid-19 mitigation measures to minimise gatherings.

From the total number of graduates, 58 percent were females.

Among the graduates, 449 were conferred with post-graduate degrees and the university recorded its first PHD graduate while 474 received undergraduate degrees and 152 graduated with diploma certificates.

President Mnangagwa, who is also Chancellor of all State universities conferred degrees and diplomas to the limited graduates.

Delivering his keynote address, LSU Vice Chancellor Professor Pardon Kuipa said the graduation was being held under extraordinary circumstances due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said the higher and tertiary education sector had to quickly adapt and adopt to the new normal when Covid-19 disrupted normal learning.

“The 2020 second semester was something we never imagined. Our plans and normal routines were disrupted but we rose to the challenge and completed the semester against all odds. Our students and staff exhibited considerable flexibility during the peak period of Covid-19 pandemic by adapting quickly to a new mode of teaching and learning,” he said.

“In response to the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic in delivering face-to-face tuition to students, the university trained its lecturers on online teaching methods through a workshop which was conducted virtually from the 25th of May 2020 to the 17th of July 2020 by the Association of African Universities (AAU) in collaboration with E-Learning Africa.”

The Covid-19 pandemic forced Government to close schools, colleges and universities as part of measures to curb the spread of the pandemic.

When the infection risk was perceived to be lower, the universities reopened thereby enabling students to complete their semesters.-Chronicle