The 'Class of 2021' celebrate their graduation awards at the Munster Technological University’s Conferring of Awards Celebration Ceremonies at the Kerry Campus today, Friday 20^th May.

These ceremonies were due to take place in Autumn 2021, but could not take place in person due to COVID 19 restrictions at the time. The graduates received their parchments in October 2021, and returned to the Kerry Sports Academy at MTU today (Friday 20^th May) to celebrate their achievements with family and friends during celebration ceremonies at 10am and 2pm.

This year’s graduating classes include students from the School of Business, Computing and Humanities, the School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, and the School of Health and Social Sciences and represent direct CAO applicants, mature students, international students, and those completing studies on a part-time basis.

The total number of students celebrating receiving their parchments today is 790 ranging from Higher Certificates at Level 6 to Masters Degrees at Level 9. Testament to the multicultural diversity at MTU, this figure also includes 102 International students who hail from China, Malaysia, Sri Lanka India, Canada, Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Ghana, among other countries.

Also included in this number is graduates from programmes completed through MTU’s Lifelong Learning department, with the first graduates coming through the Higher Certificate in Sustainable Tourism Destination Management programme, which ran in collaboration with Údarás na Gaeltachta, as well as the Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy Management in Practice and the Master of Science in Bioeconomy with Business. Courses offered through Lifelong Learning are developed in close consultation with industry to meet skills shortages and provide opportunity for job seekers or returners to gain fully accredited third level qualifications, and for existing employees to enhance their qualifications or gain a new qualification to advance careers.

Addressing the graduates, President of MTU, Professor Maggie Cusack, commended their resilience and adaptability in completing their studies during a global pandemic. Professor Cusack added "We are immensely proud of each and every one of our graduates. Completing third level studies is a major personal achievement and today we would also like to thank the healthcare graduates who were in the frontline of the pandemic. We are delighted we can all share this ceremony together and celebrate the achievements of the first ever graduates from a Kerry university."

During the ceremonies graduates will be treated to a commencement speech from Dr Karen Weekes who recently became the first Irish woman to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean. A lecturer in the Health and Leisure Department at MTU, Karen will speak to students about resilience, pushing boundaries and empowered graduates to follow their dreams.

Gallery of the event

Conferring Ceremony Friday 20th May 2022

Web: www.mtu.ie/conferringkerry