Newest Victoria graduates celebrate success

Newest Victoria graduates celebrate success

More than 2,100 students will mark the successful completion of their studies this week at Victoria University of Wellington’s biggest ever graduation.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Pat Walsh says graduation is a time to celebrate the culmination of months, or years, of study, dedication and effort.

“A Victoria qualification is not won lightly—a century’s pursuit of excellence and rigour in academic thinking means our staff and students alike expect the highest standards.

“Our students can feel particularly proud to be graduating from the university that has been officially ranked the most research-intensive in New Zealand.

“With their diverse range of skills and attributes, our graduates make a valuable contribution to New Zealand’s economy and society, and I wish them every success for their future endeavours.”

During graduation week, 35 PhDs will be awarded, along with 2,415 degrees, diplomas and certificates.

Exploring the worlds of fiction and reality has earned three students from Victoria University’s International Institute of Modern Letters (IIML) Doctorates of Philosophy in Creative Writing. Tina Makereti focused on the “real story” of the Moriori in a fictional context for her novel Rēkhou Story, while fellow graduand Maxine Alterio traced the experiences of two New Zealand nurses working in Egypt and France during WWI for her novel, Lives We Leave Behind. Wellington writer and editor Lawrence Patchett examined the relationship between biography and fiction and used a variety of narrative techniques in his collection of 12 short stories, I Got His Blood on Me.

Another graduand taking the stage this week is Carinnya Feaunati, who will receive a Bachelor of Architectural Studies, one of only a handful of Pacific women to earn this degree from Victoria University.

Engineering student James McVay will receive a Bachelor of Engineering with First Class Honours and will also be awarded a Victoria University of Wellington Medal for Academic Excellence. James designed and built the MechBass robotic bass guitar, an innovation which attracted almost 500,000 views on YouTube in just two weeks.

An honorary degree of Doctor of Commerce will also be awarded to one of New Zealand’s most accomplished investment bankers, Rob Cameron.

Parade details

The traditional street parades of staff and graduands will depart from the Law School in the Government Buildings Historic Reserve at noon on both Tuesday and Wednesday, and will take around 30 minutes to parade along Lambton Quay and Willis and Mercer Streets to finish in Civic Square, where they will be welcomed by Mayor Celia Wade-Brown.

Parade one—12 noon, Tuesday 14 May

Faculties of Engineering, Science, Architecture and Design, Law, Victoria Business School and Toihuarewa.

Parade two—12 noon, Wednesday 15 May

Faculties of Humanities and Social Sciences, Education and Te Kōkī, New Zealand School of Music.

If a graduation parade is cancelled due to wet weather, notification will be given on

Newstalk ZB from 11am on the morning of the parade, and on the Victoria University of Wellington website: www.victoria.ac.nz.

Ceremony details

Ceremony 1: 6pm, Monday 13 May

Faculties of Engineering and Science

Ceremony 2: 1.30pm, Tuesday 14 May

Victoria Business School

Honorary Doctorate and graduation address Robert Cameron, Cameron Partners Limited

Ceremony 3: 6pm, Tuesday 14 May

Faculties of Architecture and Design, Law and Toihuarewa

Ceremony 4: 1.30pm, Wednesday 15 May

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Ceremony 5: 6pm, Wednesday 15 May

Faculties of Education, Humanities and Social Sciences and Te Kōkī, New Zealand School of Music.

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