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Nearly 7,000 graduating next week

Saturday 28 April 2012, 4:48AM

By University of Auckland

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AUCKLAND

Central Auckland will take on a celebratory air next week as thousands of graduates and their families converge for The University of Auckland’s Autumn Graduation.

Some 6862 graduates will receive a total of 7048 qualifications at ten ceremonies spread over three days (30 April, 2, 4 May). These include 165 doctorates.

Business and Economics is the faculty awarding the most qualifications with 1442 followed by Arts (1,316), Science (1216), Education (983) and Medical and Health Sciences (770)

There are 541 in Engineering, 476 in Creative Arts and Industries, and 253 in Law.

Around 17,000 guests have tickets for the ceremonies at the Aotea Centre. Each ceremony is being webcast live, enabling relatives and friends to watch proceedings from anywhere in the world.

Leaving Princes Street 9.30am on each day graduands, staff and Council members will process through the city down Bowen Avenue and Victoria Street East, and up Queen Street.

University Chancellor Roger France will personally confer 5069 degrees and diplomas, bestowing the rest (1979) “in absentia” on those not attending.

Speakers at the ceremonies include Dr Mark Sagar, who has won two Oscars for his pioneering work in computer-generated faces, Kerrin Vautier, a Director of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand and chair of Auckland City Mission, Jonathan Mason, Fonterra’s Chief Financial Officer, Professor David Skegg, distinguished former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Otago and Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, Chief Science Adviser to the Prime Minister of New Zealand and founding director of The University of Auckland’s Liggins Institute.

The free Graduation Gala Concerto Competition on Saturday 5 May (7.30pm) is expected to pack out the Auckland Town Hall. Three School of Music student soloists, accompanied by the University’s Symphony Orchestra conducted by Uwe Grodd, will be competing for a grand prize of $5000. Each will perform a full concerto. A special feature of this year’s concert is a performance of Mozart’s Dies Irae for choir and orchestra by The University Symphony orchestra and massed choir.

Graduation services will be held at the Maclaurin Chapel on each graduation morning. There will be separate celebrations for Māori and Pacific graduates and their families while faculties will hold special functions for their graduates.