The Addis Ababa University, in a colorful ceremony, graduated a total of 8,881 students on July 9, 2016 at the Millennium Hall.

During the occasion, the University also conferred Honorary Doctorate Degrees upon Prof. Peter Mutharika, President of the Republic of Malawi, and Ambassador Konjit Sinegiorgis, a seasoned Ethiopian diplomat.

Out of the total number of graduates, 5311 earned their undergraduate degrees while the remaining 3570 were postgraduates, of which 229 saw through their PhD. studies.

This year, female students accounted to 26% of the total number of graduates.

Guest of Honor of the ceremony Hailemariam Desalegn, Prime Minster of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, handed out degrees and awards for distinction and PhD. graduates.

Admasu Tsegaye (PhD.), President of the Addis Ababa University, congratulated the graduates and all those behind their success.

He said that the continuously increasing number of graduate programs and the enrollment capacity of the University will help it become a hub of graduate studies.

Citing the Bibliometric Performance Report, he further accentuated that the number and quality of research outputs published on reputable journals by AAU postgraduate students and professors has tremendously increased, making the University among the top few preeminent higher education institutions in Africa.

Prime Minister Hailemariam congratulated the class of 2016 and acknowledged AAU’s unmatched contributions in providing trained manpower to the country.

He also reassured that the government will strengthen its effort towards racking up the number of highly skilled manpower to uphold the growth and transformation of Ethiopia.

On the same occasion, in recognition of their valuable and limitless contributions to their countries, the continent and the world at large, the Addis Ababa University conferred Honorary Doctorate Degrees upon Prof. Peter Mutharika and Ambassador Konjit Sinegiorgis.

The University conferred the Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, Honoris Causa upon Prof. Peter Mutharika recognizing him as a progressive leader of our time and an African Statesman.

Prof. Mutharika is the pride of Africa and a Pan-African spirited scholar who taught in various universities in the world including the former Haile Selassie University, which has come to be the AAU.

Similarly, the University also conferred the Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, Honoris Causa upon Ambassador Konjit Sinegiorgis acknowledging her outstanding diplomatic achievements and contributions to the advancement of freedom, democracy and development in Ethiopia and Africa.

Present on the ceremony along with Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn were Shiferaw Shigute, Minister of Education, Kassa Teklebirhan, Minister of Federal and Pastoralist Affairs and Chairperson of the Governing Board of Addis Ababa University, Ministers, Diplomats, invited guests and the graduates’ families and loved ones.

The University Cultural Center, as usual, entertained the gathering and spiced the ceremony with the graduation marking iconic song “Enkuan Des Yalachihu”, which translates to ‘Congratulations!”.

The event was televised live on EBC and covered by several print and broadcast media.