CUEA Vice-Chancellor Challenges Gaba Graduates to Become Agents of Societal Transformation
By Stephen Mbobu
Our Vice-Chancellor, Very Rev. Prof. Elias Omondi Opongo, SJ, has challenged the Gaba Campus Class of 2026 to go beyond academic qualifications and use their knowledge, skills and values to address societal challenges, create opportunities and promote human flourishing.
In a speech delivered on his behalf by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs, Prof. Justus M. Munyoki, the Vice-Chancellor urged the graduates to view their degrees not as the culmination of their academic ambitions, but as the beginning of a deeper commitment to lifelong learning, service and leadership.
“Do not let your degree become the end of your ambition. Let it be the beginning of a deeper commitment to learning, service and leadership,” he said.
He challenged the graduates to reflect on the practical impact they could make in their communities by asking themselves what problems they could help solve, whose lives they could improve and what they could build to make a difference.
Prof. Opongo noted that access to university education remained a privilege for a relatively small proportion of young people, placing a responsibility on graduates to use their education for the benefit of their families, communities and society.
He emphasised that meaningful transformation required more than professional titles, calling on the graduates to apply their knowledge and values to build more just institutions, peaceful communities, ethical businesses and accountable public systems.
“Wherever you go, be people who bring solutions,” he urged.
Graduates challenged to create opportunities
The Vice-Chancellor also encouraged the graduates to embrace creativity and entrepreneurship, challenging them not to depend solely on formal employment but to identify needs within their communities and develop practical solutions.
He observed that creating opportunities required initiative, collaboration and a willingness to turn ideas into useful ventures. He added that even those who could not establish businesses could contribute by supporting the work and enterprises of others.
“Entrepreneurship is not only about starting a company; it is also a way of seeing possibilities and taking responsible action,” he said.
He further reminded the graduates that the journey beyond university would bring setbacks and uncertainty, urging them to draw on the perseverance, discipline and support systems that had helped them complete their studies.
Six pillars to guide graduates beyond university
Prof. Opongo outlined six pillars guiding his leadership and the strategic direction of CUEA, presenting them as practical principles that graduates could apply in their personal and professional lives.
The first, Collegiality and a Union of Minds and Hearts, calls for collaboration, trust, active listening and the ability to work across differences. He reminded the graduates that leadership was not a solitary undertaking and that working with others could produce greater results.
The second pillar, Academic Excellence and Wealth Creation, encourages continuous learning, professional excellence and the application of knowledge to create value and opportunities for others.
Under Catholic Identity and Human Flourishing, the third pillar, graduates were urged to uphold human dignity, compassion and integrity while making choices that enable others to flourish.
The fourth pillar, Responsibility, Accountability and Stewardship, emphasises personal responsibility, accountability for one's work and the wise use of talents, time and resources.
The fifth, Research, Innovation and Regional Impact, calls for curiosity, evidence-based thinking and the development of better solutions to challenges facing communities and the wider region.
The final pillar, Creative Fidelity, Leadership and Courage for Change, encourages graduates to remain faithful to their core values while demonstrating the imagination and courage needed to address situations requiring change.