- Rongo University freshmen have been challenged to look beyond examinations as they begin their undergraduate studies.
- Vice-Chancellor Prof. Samuel Gudu says discipline, responsibility and adaptability will be crucial to their university journey.
- He urged students to develop skills in innovation, entrepreneurship, problem-solving and collaboration as the world of work changes.
Rongo University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Samuel Gudu has urged newly admitted students to embrace discipline and personal responsibility as foundations for academic success.
In his matriculation address to the new students on Wednesday, September 2, Prof. Gudu urged the fresh intake to be guided by “commitment, integrity, proper time management and responsible decision-making” throughout their time on campus.
Speaking during the university’s orientation for new students, Prof. Gudu combined the familiar language of institutional discipline with a pointed warning about a world being reshaped by forces well beyond the lecture hall.
“We are living in a rapidly changing world driven by technology, innovation, artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship and new forms of work,” he said, cautioning that the knowledge and skills required of graduates “may be different from those required today.”
The Vice-Chancellor urged students not to treat their four years at Rongo as a race to pass examinations.
“Do not come to university simply to pass examinations,” he told them. “Come here to learn how to think, how to solve problems, how to communicate, how to collaborate and how to create solutions.”
He encouraged the new students to “be curious,” to “ask questions” and to “explore new ideas” beyond their programmes of study, so as to “compete and thrive in an increasingly dynamic global environment.”
Look beyond examinations
Prof. Gudu placed particular emphasis on extracurricular engagement, telling students that such activities “help you develop important competencies such as teamwork, leadership, communication, creativity, resilience and problem-solving,” qualities he described as “increasingly valued in the world of work.”
He also pushed the new intake towards an entrepreneurial mindset, urging them not to think only about “searching for employment after graduation” but also about “creating opportunities for yourselves and others.”
Students, he said, should use their time at Rongo to “identify your talents, develop your ideas and explore opportunities for innovation, entrepreneurship and professional development.”
Alongside this call for ambition and adaptability, the Vice-Chancellor addressed the personal pressures new students often face away from home for the first time.
“Whenever you face academic, personal or social difficulties, do not suffer in silence,” he said, urging students to “seek help, ask questions and make use of the support systems provided by the University,” including the office of the Dean of Students, academic advisers and student support services.
Prof. Gudu reminded students that as members of the Rongo University community, they were expected to uphold the institution’s core values of “integrity, professionalism, innovativeness, equity, teamwork and social responsibility,” stressing that these should not “merely remain words in our institutional documents” but be “reflected in your daily conduct, relationships and decisions.”
He added that “the reputation of Rongo University is a collective responsibility,” and that every student had “a role to play in protecting and strengthening it.”
Students challenged to set clear goals
Turning to the first-year students specifically, Prof. Gudu reminded them that their university years “will pass much faster than you imagine,” urging them to “set clear academic and personal goals,” to “surround yourself with people who inspire and challenge you to become better,” and to “take care of your physical, emotional and social well-being.”
He cautioned them to “avoid distractions that may compromise your education and your future” and to “never lose sight of the reason you came to university.”
The Vice-Chancellor closed his address with a challenge to the new students to leave Rongo University “better equipped, more confident, more innovative, more responsible and more prepared to serve society” than when they first arrived.
“The future of our communities, our nation and our continent depends on young people who are knowledgeable, ethical, innovative and willing to take responsibility,” he said, adding that the university believed the new intake had “the potential to become such leaders, professionals, innovators and change-makers.”
Speaking on behalf of the University Management, Senate, staff and the wider Rongo University community, Prof. Gudu congratulated the students on their admission and wished them a rewarding, transformative and successful academic journey, welcoming them to Rongo University.
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The address forms part of the university’s broader orientation programme for newly admitted students, a period during which incoming undergraduates are introduced to academic expectations, campus life and the institutional values that Rongo University expects its students to uphold throughout their studies.
By Wafula Meshack
Meshack is Creative Writer and Communication Specialist
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