Record numbers at the 2024 Orientation!
KWALUSENI – The 2024 Orientation session held at the University of Eswatini, Ligcabho LemaSwati Sports Emporium on 12 to 14 August 2024 saw over 2800 students attend the sessions. These huge figures we last witnessed before COVID-19. All prospective students who had been accepted to study at the University’s three campuses attended the first day of Orientation at the Kwaluseni Campus. The breakdown on the number of accepted students is as follows:
Faculty | Number of accepted students |
Agriculture | 395 |
Commerce | 248 |
Consumer Sciences | 123 |
Education | 357 |
Humanities | 213 |
Science and Engineering | 709 |
Social Sciences | 436 |
Institute of Distance Education | 364 |
Total | 2845 |
First to welcome the students to the University of Eswatini was the Acting Dean of Student Affairs, Mr Dennis Nkambule. He encouraged students to behave themselves, study and join extra-curricular activities. He also urged the prospective students not be misled to join class boycotts as that often had a negative bearing on a university and the qualification attained. Mr Nkambule made an example of a university where 99% of the graduates failed to secure employment as prospective employers were concerned about class boycotts in that university.
The Vice Chancellor, Professor Justice Thwala then officially welcomed the prospective students on behalf of the Council, Senate, Management and the University Community and congratulated them on being selected to pursue their educational and career goals at the University of Eswatini. “We also join you and your parents/guardians in celebrating your high school achievements and the opportunity you have earned to enter higher education.” Professor Thwala also appreciated the Guest Speaker Mr Muziwandile Hlatshwayo for making time to attend the orientation.
“We are very happy that you cose the University of Eswatini. I want to assure you that you have chosen the University of Eswatini that has grown over the years by being responsive to national and international needs through excellence in teaching and learning, community engagement, research, innovation and entrepreneurship.”
Professor Thwala noted that UNESWA like all other institutions was recovering from the effects of COVID-19 which was a global pandemic and had to adjust the almanac as well since there were lockdowns and also political unrest in the country. The University then adopted current trends in teaching and learning by offering the blended approach. He informed prospective students that the blended approach required students to have a basic laptop or a Tablet or a Smart Phone to be able to access teaching and learning materials online. “Apart from COVID-19, the world has seen a rise in HIV and AIDS new infections. According to SHIMS 2021 survey, annual incidence of HIV among adults age 15 years and older in Eswatini is 1.36 % among females and 1.02% among males.”
About University life, the Vice Chancellor urged the students to:
- Understand University policies and procedure;
- Motivate themselves to regularly attend classes and do the work as expected;
- Have a clear overall social and academic plan and follow it diligently;
- Know and utilize the diverse University services; and
- Have a self-care and wellness schedule to avoid burnout.
“The University has grown over the years from 400 students in 1982 to a total of 7900 students (40 being international students) with 2386 courses across 31 Bachelor’s degrees, 23 Masters degrees and 3 PhD programmes.” The staff compliment is 365 committed academic staff members (104 expatriates), 68 Administrative staff and 476 dedicated support staff. On the issue of rankings, “UNESWA is currently ranked 138 out of 1107 universities in Africa (number 1 in Eswatini) and hopes to improve to less than 100 in the current and coming years.”
The path to excellence through patience and persistence!
Guest Speaker Mr Muziwandile Hlatshwayo
The Guest Speaker for the Orientation Session was Mr Muziwandile Hlatshwayo, a Life Coach, Co-Founder of Young Climber founded in 2005 to mentor young intelligent professional and also to inspire students, Lecturer at the Medical Christian University, UNESWA Alumnus and host for some programmes on Eswatini TV and Voice of the Church. Mr Hlatshwayo congratulated the prospective students for making it and being accepted to the University of Eswatini. “Some other people had aspired to come to UNESWA but did not qualify.” He encouraged the prospective students to look forward to what they can achieve from being students of the University.
He noted that on the day of the Orientation, the students looked the same but in the next two years they would not look the same depending on what each did at the University within those two years. “Two things are lacking from young people – patience and perseverance, they are the microwave generation.” They want to pass without studying, they want to get the degree without learning, if were possible they would get it without going to class. Often times those that have not gone through the rigor of attaining a degree would say a degree is nothing but a piece of paper. That statement lacked the truth in that a degree was proof that one had gone through the process, had sometimes spent more than 48 hours without sleeping, because of persistence. He told students not to celebrate when they get a correct answer to a piece of work because that was not an achievement but it is what was expected of them. He then gave the students examples of people who had applied patience and persistence to be what they were today.
UNESWA is still ranked as one of the best institutions of higher learning!
Acting Acting Registrar – Mrs Lindiwe Nhlabatsi
Speaking to the prospective students during the Orientation session was the Acting Acting Registrar, Mr Lindiwe Nhlabatsi who informed the students that the University of Eswatini was still being ranked as one of the best institutions of higher learning in the world. She said the University was established in 1982 and had produced the Vice Chancellor, Professor Justice Thwala, most of the CEOs in the country, Dr Patrice Motsepe, Advocate Thuli Madonsela to mention a few. She noted that UNESWA was ranked the best in some programmes such as the Bachelor of Science programme which was highly rated in the region. She mentioned that as part of their job in the Academic Office, they sign letters for UNESWA graduates who are often employed to work in other countries. The countries include New Zealand, Taiwan and Australia to mention a few and the graduates often excel in what they do.
Mr Nhlabatsi then mentioned that the University Council was the governing body of the University and that the University Senate was responsible for academic issues. She revealed that the Academic Office was the nexus of administrative and academic matters. The Dean of Student Affairs Office was the home away from home for the students as that office takes care of all social issues of the students. She also told students that programmes were housed in faculties and that there was open communication between the lecturers and students.