The Private University of Angola (UPRA) yesterday awarded degree diplomas to 243 students who completed higher education in various areas of knowledge. The dean of the academic institution, Silvana da Silveira, guaranteed that graduates are ready to solve social problems
The guarantee of the capacity of new graduates to respond to the various problems that the country presents was justified by Silvana da Silveira with the fact that UPRA is an educational institution that invests in constant innovations, seeking to transcend the learning process.
“Today, 243 new graduates are being trained, prepared to respond to the country’s many needs. UPRA has been contributing for 23 years, because it seeks continuous innovations, seeks to transcend the learning process, focusing on the issue of teaching, research and university extension”, explained the dean.
Silvana da Silveira, who was speaking during the 13th UPRA Diploma Awarding Ceremony, considered the moment unique as she understood that it represented the celebration of a hard-fought achievement for students from the university’s three faculties.
When speaking to the recent graduates, the dean warned the students that the degree symbolizes the achievement of a milestone, whose responsibilities are transferred to Angolan society, to which they must contribute strongly to the desired changes.
“Today, it is not just the end of an academic journey. But, it is the beginning of a new phase, a new journey, and it requires many responsibilities. Graduates, you, today, are ‘committed’ to society.
From now on, they are agents of change that must be transformative in all aspects”, he appealed to the finalists during his speech opening the activity.
Graduates yearn to serve society
The recently graduated Maiúmba Francisco, in an interview with the newspaper OPAÍS, on the sidelines of the award ceremony, spoke about his prospects after completing his degree.
Graduated in Social Communication, the interlocutor explained that his vision is to put his knowledge at the service of the country’s development.
“The perspective is to continue working in the area of training to develop what, in this ceremony and during the curricular period, we learned, in order to help the country develop according to the needs and difficulties it presents”, he assured.
On the other hand, the graduate highlighted the need for the university to increasingly invest in laboratory materials for practical classes, in order to allow teachers to carry out their duties in better conditions.
However, Maiúmba explained that during the training, the contribution of a competent teaching staff was essential for completing the cycle with the expected quality.
For his part, Sidney Camundongo, a graduate in General Medicine, said that there are several opportunities offered in the private and public sectors, with a greater focus on the first, for graduates of his course, so he does not understand the reason why many complain about employment.
“Those who, after graduating, become unemployed, it’s often not because of a lack of skills. But, a lot depends on the availability that many have shown throughout their academic career, because medicine begins at the internship, that’s where the doors are opened”, he said.
UPRA took a moment to distinguish the best teachers and former students.
In this context, the general secretary of the Union of Angolan Journalists (SJA), Teixeira Cândido, was distinguished for recognizing the contribution made as a teacher in the social communication course.
In addition to this, the national director of information and institutional communication of the Ministry of Telecommunications, Information Technology and Social Communication, João Demba, was also distinguished for being one of the former UPRA students who, through his contribution to society, gained notoriety and occupies prominent positions at country level.
The Private University of Angola launched 243 graduates into the job market, of which 131 are from the Faculty of Health Sciences, 94 from the Faculty of Social, Human and Political Sciences, and 18 from the Exact Sciences.