President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera has challenged the newly 610 graduates at the Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST) to master the art of conscientiousness if they are to excel in life and their respective careers.
Chakwera made the remarks on Thursday at MUST during the 5th congregation, urging the graduates to pay meticulous attention to detail in both their actions and surroundings to avoid missing out on important developments.
If there has been an important development in the country or the area, you do not want to miss it, because if you do, you wont be able to see how that development will affect you.
In this country, important developments are happening all the time that affect your life, but you have to pay attention to know about those developments and see how they will affect you, said Chakwera, who is also the Chancellor of the University.
Chakwera also emphasized the need for graduates to pay attention to opportunities by training their minds to see one to avoid the risk of missing out on such occasions.
If you do not train your mind to see opportunities where others only see problems, you are going to miss them.
The irony about opportunities is that no one tells you that something is an opportunity. Very often you have to turn a situation into an opportunity by thinking outside the box, thinking quickly on your feet and thinking way ahead of everyone else.
So, I encourage you to pay attention to important opportunities, because they are all around you if thats what you train your mind to see and look for, said Chakwera.
The President, therefore, dared the fresh graduates to pay attention to errors that need to be rectified.
If you submit a paper without proofreading it, you will submit it with errors that will cost you and the same thing applies to all the work you will do for the rest of your life,” he said.
Adding: So, if you must develop any skill, develop the skill of conscientiousness because it is the mark of excellence in any career and it is what will set you apart from everyone else in any field”.
In her remarks, Vice Chancellor of MUST, Professor Address Malata said MUST is poised to inspire an era of lasting impact by playing a critical role in the national development of the country and beyond.
Professor Malata said the institution will remain steadfast in the fulfillment of its pillars of education excellence, research excellence, technology, innovation and industry, people and society as well as creating an enabling environment.
“We commit to continue serving the society, leverage education and looking at the needs of the surrounding communities, said Malata.
The 5th Congregation comprises graduates from various disciplines from the Malawi Institute of Technology, Ndata School of Climate and Earth Sciences, Bingu School of Culture and Heritage as well as the Academy of Medical Sciences.