Online Reporter
Takunda Gambiza-Herald Reporter
ARRUPE Jesuit University has challenged its 2026 graduating class to become ethical leaders who use knowledge, values and service to transform society amid growing social and economic challenges.
The university’s eighth graduation ceremony, held on Friday under the theme “Forming Ethical Leaders for a Transformative World: Knowledge, Values and Service”, saw graduates from more than 12 African countries receiving qualifications in philosophy, humanities, education, leadership, ICT, engineering, social work, management and accounting.
Outstanding students who received awards sponsored by Zimpapers were Bene Tomas Modesto, who received the Excellence in Service to the less-privileged and Ebiabeti Evina Serge Ulrich, who received the Exemplary Service Award (within Arrupe Jesuit University).
The guest of honour, Zimbabwe Women’s University Vice-Chancellor Professor Sunungurai Chingarande, said graduates were entering a world that required not only academic excellence, but integrity, courage and commitment to the common good.
“A graduation is not merely the end of an academic journey, but it is a threshold of a life defined by purpose, responsibility and impact,” she said.
Prof Chingarande said universities had a responsibility to produce graduates who apply knowledge ethically and responsibly.
“In a world awash with information, yet starved of wisdom, this disciplined knowledge is a critical asset. However, knowledge without ethical direction is merely technique,” she said.
“It can build or destroy, it can liberate or confine.”
She described ethical leadership as being anchored on honesty, accountability, fairness and respect for human dignity, warning graduates against sacrificing values for convenience or personal gain.
“Trust is the currency of leadership. Once lost, it is rarely gained,” she said.
Prof Chingarande also called for greater commitment to gender equality, social inclusion and disability empowerment, saying sustainable development depended on the participation of women, youths and marginalised communities.
“The world today needs graduates who ask not only how can I succeed, but how can I contribute,” she said.
Representative of Pope Leo XIV in Zimbabwe, Archbishop Janusz Stanislaw Urbañczyk, said Catholic institutions of higher learning must shape graduates capable of critical thinking, ethical discernment and service to humanity.
“The theme for this graduation is both timely and vital,” he said.
He warned against what he described as a growing erosion of moral values and increasing polarisation in modern societies.
“Catholic higher education prepares future leaders, public officials and professionals to carry out with integrity the responsibilities entrusted to them,” he said.
Archbishop Urbañczyk urged graduates to become ambassadors of justice, peace and hope in communities affected by inequality, conflict and poverty.
Valedictorian Mr Oparaku Chimgozirim, a Nigerian graduate, described Arrupe Jesuit University as a diverse academic community that had shaped students beyond classroom learning.
“Aruppe is more than a university. It is a family and a network of friendships,” he said.
Mr Chimgozirim said the graduating class had persevered through sleepless nights, self-doubt and personal struggles, while drawing strength from lecturers, parents and fellow students.
“Sometimes, doors do not open immediately because life is preparing us to build our own doors,” he said.
He encouraged fellow graduates to remain resilient despite challenges in the job market, saying the university had equipped them with courage, values and the determination to keep trying.
The graduation ceremony also celebrated the institution’s growing continental diversity, with students from across Africa gathering in Harare to mark the milestone.
