Graduates of the Catholic University Institute of Buea CUIB Douala campus have been challenged to make prayer their target as they embrace a new phase of life with new opportunities and challenges. In a solemn mass which opened the 2023 commencement ceremony, the Bishop of Buea, Proprietor and Chancellor of CUIB, called on the graduates to always find time to pray amidst tight schedules for prayer he said will enable them sail through difficult moments that lie ahead of them.
As alumni from a Catholic university, the chancellor challenged them not to forget the core of CUIB which is service to and servant leadership. This central mission he reiterated should accompany the graduates as they embrace a new era. He mandated the graduates to distance themselves from pride and arrogance and to serve in humility, dedicating their lives to the benefits of others.
The Eucharistic celebration was followed by academic rituals of the commencement ceremony during which the president of CUIB Reverend Father Bartholomew Anyanwu named the graduates the batch of Resilience and celebrated them for standing tall amidst the challenges perpetuated by the Anglophone crisis and the management transition at the university. The man of God advised the graduates to pay attention to the things that matter and to grasp any opportunity they find, for no opportunity he says, is small. The president further urged the graduates to be intentional about their desires and to see failure as part of the journey which only builds their wealth of experience, making them better.
Addressing these graduates, the Keynote speaker; Dr. Daniel Ekongwe, associate professor of peace, governance and development with the United Nations, University for Peace( UPEACE) Africa Program, while speaking under the theme “ the Spirit of Excellence as a Force that Drives them to have faith in God, be composed and resourceful and to brand themselves in character and professionalism for these he says are gateways to excellence. He called on them to be risk bearers and solution providers while letting the essence of God take pride of place in their lives.
The 2023 commencement ceremony was an opportunity for the proprietor of CUIB bBshop Michael Bibi to appreciate the works of faculty and staff who burn the candles to ensure that entrepreneurial knowledge is imparted on the students entrusted to their care. He also extended gratitude to parents who have placed their trust in the works of CUIB and reassured them of the continuous excellence of CUIB, the Growth Mindset Entrepreneurial University.