Dr Christo Wiese announces prize for CPUT students
RECOGNITION: Dr Christo Wiese (on the right) has been conferred an Honorary Doctorate by CPUT in recognition of his outstanding contribution to industry. Pictured with Dr Prins Nevhutalu, Vice-Chancellor; Mr Trevor Manuel, Chancellor; and Prof Anthony Staak, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic
Monday, 13 April 2015
CPUT will soon be launching a prize, at the behest of its first Honourary Doctorate Dr Christo Wiese, to a student who achieves academic excellence against all odds.
Wiese is the controlling shareholder of Shoprite Holdings Limited, Africa’s largest retailer, and was honoured this morning with an Honourary DTech degree in Marketing.
Addressing the ceremony, Wiese thanked the university’s management for making him a CPUT alumnus and urged the university to seek every opportunity to strengthen the bond between academia and industry.
He then cemented the idea by announcing the annual prize which will not rely on academic marks but rather on how hard a student works to complete their studies successfully.
After the graduation Wiese elaborated on why he came up with the idea.
“It struck me that many people at university have to overcome immense challenges to make it,” he says.
“We often reward merit and it should be rewarded but there are many silent heroes who have overcome immense physical, financial or emotional difficulties to study. This prize is for them.”
CPUT Vice-Chancellor Dr Prins Nevhutalu commended Wiese for taking the initiative which will benefit many needy CPUT students for years to come.
“This morning he approached me about the idea and I would just like to say thank you very much,” he says.
More than 500 diploma and degree certificates were conferred to graduates in the faculties of Engineering as well as Business and Management Sciences this morning.
Monique Richards who received her BTech degree in Retail Business Management at the ceremony walked away with the Vice-Chancellor’s Medal for her outstanding academic achievements.
Last year Monique obtained 18 distinctions out of 19 subjects with a final aggregate of 85.64% over the four years of study.
Written by Kwanele Butana
Email: butanak@cput.ac.za
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