International Braai 2009
May 26, 2009
By: Pride Jani
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Dr. Badat and Adeleye Ishola Okewole
On Saturday, 23 May 2009, the International Office, in conjunction with Oakdene and Celeste Postgraduate Residences, hosted the first International Postgraduate Students Braai for 2009. The event has become a permanent fixture on the postgraduate international students’ calendar, providing an opportunity to socialise and share experiences for international students studying towards a Masters, PHD or Post-Doctoral degrees. The event was well attended and was made all the more special by the presence of the Vice Chancellor Dr Saleem Badat, who took the opportunity to interact with the postgraduates and listen to any grievances they might have.
International Braai 2009
The festivities started at 6pm and by 7pm the guests were served food, after which, the Oakdene Warden, Mr Shalen Gajadhar, welcomed the guests and introduced the Vice Chancellor. Dr Badat emphasised the important role that international students play in the development of the South African education system and research. He shared with the crowd his experiences as an international student at Oxford and Boston. After Dr Badat’s address, Lulama (Son of the Soil) Mciteka, an Oakdene resident enchanted the crowd with a brilliant poem on what it means to be an international student in South Africa. Three international postgraduate students from Namibia, France and Zimbabwe shared their experiences with the rest of the guests. The evening went well into the night and those in attendance were testimony of the importance of such an event as this.
