A moment of recognition and pride as Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Prof. Pamela Dube, congratulates a doctoral graduate during her last CUT Graduation ceremony.  A special moment marking both academic achievement and the closing of an important chapter in Prof. Dube’s CUT journey.

Winter sprang into Spring at CUT’s Bloemfontein Campus, as chilly skies and wet weather set the scene for a graduation season brimming with warmth, pride and celebration. The rain may have soaked the day, but it did little to dampen the spirits of newly capped graduates and their families. Inside the packed Boet Troskie Hall, ululations and cheers filled the air as graduates stepped proudly into a new chapter, turning a wet graduation day into a joyous celebration of new beginnings.

Today, the Central University of Technology, Free State (CUT) celebrated 524 graduates at its 2026 Spring Graduation, marking the culmination of their academic journeys and the beginning of new chapters as professionals, researchers, entrepreneurs and leaders. The graduating class of 2026 comprised 476 undergraduate and 48 postgraduate students, including 32 master’s graduates and 16 doctoral graduates. The Bloemfontein Campus produced 340 graduates, while a further 184 are from Welkom Campus.

For CUT Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Prof. Pamela Dube, the occasion was about more than certificates and academic milestones. It was a celebration of the perseverance, discipline and determination that carried each graduate to this defining moment, as well as the families, friends, lecturers and communities who supported them along the way. “Today, you stand here not merely with a qualification in your hands, but with evidence of your resilience, discipline and determination. You have earned this moment. Celebrate it with pride,” she said.

Prof. Dube challenged the graduates to see their qualifications not simply as passports to employment, but as powerful tools for creating meaningful change. She urged them to redefine success beyond job titles, salaries and personal achievement, and to consider the impact they can make in the lives of others. “Measure your success also by the lives you touch, by the problems you solve, by the opportunities you create for others and by the communities you strengthen,” she said.

With South Africa navigating complex social and economic challenges, Prof. Dube called on the graduates to embrace their role as problem-solvers and changemakers. She encouraged them to use their knowledge, skills and creativity to see possibilities where others see limitations, develop solutions to pressing challenges and create opportunities that extend beyond themselves.

“Graduation is not the finish line; it is the launchpad. As you step beyond CUT walls and into the world, carry with you not only the knowledge you have gained, but also the courage to innovate, the responsibility to serve, and the determination to make a meaningful difference. Let your education be more than a qualification; let it be a catalyst for change.”

Congratulations to the Class of 2026 as you set sail towards a new horizon! As you leave familiar shores, carry with you more than qualifications. Carry the resilience to overcome challenges, the discipline to pursue excellence and the determination to make a meaningful impact. Your achievement is also a reflection of the unwavering support of families, friends, lecturers, supervisors, mentors and the wider CUT community who journeyed with you every step of the way.

This season’s graduation also marked Prof. Dube’s final graduation ceremony as CUT Vice-Chancellor and Principal, following her announcement earlier this year that she would take early retirement at the end of 2026.

Reflecting on her four-year tenure at CUT, she described the university as having become a part of who she is, expressing deep gratitude to the students, staff, Council, Senate, alumni and communities who supported her throughout her journey. As she looked ahead, she challenged the Class of 2026 to carry the values and lessons gained at CUT into the world and, in turn, use their success to create opportunities for others. “And when you succeed, as I believe many of you will, reach back and bring somebody else forward. Do not be afraid to dream beyond your circumstances. Go out there and change the world!” she concluded.

As the Class of 2026 sets sail towards a new horizon, CUT celebrates how far they have come and looks forward with pride and anticipation to the impact they will make in their professions, communities and society. Their journey may be entering a new chapter, but the possibilities ahead are limitless.