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 Vote of Thanks

By 

Mr. Mike Hill

 Member of Council of the Polytechnic of Namibia

 At the

13th Graduation Ceremony 

Of the

Polytechnic of Namibia

at

Safari Hotel, Windhoek 

Saturday, 12 April 2008

“Innovative Entrepreneurship”  

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Director of Ceremonies, Dr. Tjama Tjivikua

 Your Excellency President Hifikepunye Pohamba

Mrs. Inge Zaamwani-Kamwi, Managing Director of NAMDEB & President of NCCIFellow Council Members

The Polytechnic staff 

Graduates and parents

Distinguished Invited Guests

Members of the Media

 All Protocols Observed

 As we come to the end of this ceremony, it is my pleasure to extend a vote of thanks to all

 who have made the event such a success.

Graduation day is a very special day for the students who have successfully completed their 

studies. It is the occasion when the students’ and their parents’ hard work, dedication and

sacrifices are finally recognised and rewarded at this prestigious ceremony. It is also the day 

  when after closing one door, countless others open - not automatically but on the

application of your sound entrepreneurial and innovative initiatives.

Let me start by expressing our deep and heart-felt gratitude to His Excellency our Presidentand our Government, for the unwavering support of tertiary education in general and the

Polytechnic of Namibia in particular. Each time you join us, we feel very privileged and we

take your words to heart. Please rest assured that in the Polytechnic.you have a strong, willing

and able partner dedicated to Namibia’s development.

  We are likewise grateful for the presence of the keynote speaker, Mrs. Inge Zaamwani-

Kamwi, Managing Director of Namdeb and President of the NCCI. Madame, we thank you

for your very insightful address. Your presence here today demonstrates your commitment to

education in a continuously changing world, and your specific reference to innovative

entrepreneurship leads us to think more positively about our efforts and contribution to

national development. Let us foster the bonds of collaboration.

I would also like to extend a special word of thanks to the proud parents, relatives and friends

for the support you gave to our students throughout their studies. You have made many 

sacrifices to see your children, friends and spouses succeed in their studies. But, whereas you

are very proud to celebrate the results of our graduates’ achievements, their achievements are

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yours, too. The Polytechnic community is thus very pleased and proud to share and celebrate

this day with you. We should always keep in mind that knowledge is the most democratic

source of power. By promoting the acquisition of knowledge you have been, and you are, theguarantors of future equity and stability of the Namibian nation. Our work has been enriched

by your support, and for that, we are profoundly grateful.

Let me also express our gratitude to Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Representatives of 

the Business Community present here today for your presence is a measure of your support

for, and confidence in, our institution. We value your unfaltering support and on-going co-

operation in the work of the Polytechnic – it has been a feature of our relationship throughout

the years. We are positive that your connectivity to us, and your interventions and inputs will

strengthen our continual search for institutional regeneration and excellence.

 A very warm thank you goes to the NDF Band. You are the best every year your musical skills

are entertain and refresh us throughout the graduation ceremony. Thank you for your 

continuous support.

To my fellow Council Members, I wish to commend you for your sterling work and dedication

in making the Polytechnic the thriving and forward-looking institution it is today. It is hard to

imagine that, within the space of twelve years, your judicious judgment and leadership havetransformed the Polytechnic into a fledgling and vibrant university of science and technology,

and the institution of choice for tertiary education in Namibia.

It has been my privilege to have served on the Council since its inception in 1995, and I am

honoured to have the opportunity to thank our Rector, Dr. Tjivikua, who since inception of the

Polytechnic has been the driving force and the inspirational voice for the remarkable growth

and transformation of the our institution into the veritable Namibia University of Science and

Technology. Rector, we thank you for your exemplary leadership and your dedication to serve

the Polytechnic, your country and the Namibian people.

The staff of the Polytechnic deserves a special word of thanks for the excellent achievements

over the years and the smooth organization of this complex ceremony. As you know, without

committed and dedicated staff, complex events like teaching and learning, and ceremonies

like this one cannot be realized successfully. Thus our distinct gratitude is directed to the

Management, faculty and staff of the Polytechnic for their unfailing commitment and

dedication. In respect of this ceremony, we extend our gratitude to members of the Rectorate,

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Institutional Development, Office of the Registrar, Office of the Bursar, the Faculties, Student

  Affairs, Auxiliary Services, and the Printing Shop, for a job well done. We realize that we

could not do this well without your personal sacrifices beyond the call of duty.

  As a public institution, it is important that we keep our stakeholders engaged in our 

development activities, for we are not able to achieve this successfully on our own. For this

reason, the Polytechnic needs the continuous support of the media. Please allow me to

express our sincere gratitude to all representatives of the media present here for a rewarding

partnership.

In closing, let me congratulate the graduates and thank you in advance. You leave this

ceremony today with a duty to uphold the good name of the Polytechnic as your alma mater –

it is our hope, as the Convocation of the Polytechnic, that wherever you are and whatever you

do it will reflect positively on us all. Make wise use of the tools –the knowledge and skills you

have learned here, especially your abilities to think critically, systematically and scientifically,

in other words you have learned how to learn. It is only through hard work and continuous

learning that you will reach your full potential.

I thank you all for your attention and wish you well on your journey for the future.