The UKZN Mu Eta Chapter of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Eta Kappa Nu (IEEE-HKN) Honours Society held its third charter induction ceremony on 26 February 2019 on Howard College campus in the Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering (EECE) building.
Eleven new charter members, comprising one professional member, seven graduate members and three undergraduate members were inducted at the ceremony. Inductees were selected based on their exceptional scholastic achievements, commendable character and positive attitude.
The induction rituals were led by Mu Eta Chapter officials under the guidance of Chapter President, Dauda Ayanda, and Faculty Advisor Professor Thomas Afullo.
The inductees took the HKN oath and promised to uphold the ideals of academic excellence, outstanding character and a positive attitude to life. The ceremony was attended by staff from the Discipline of EECE and Information Science, parents of the inductees and other members of IEEE-HKN.
The Mu Eta Chapter was honoured to host many notable guests at the 2019 induction ceremony. These include discipline leader of EECE Dr Leigh Jarvis; Dean of School of Engineering, Professor Glen Bright; IEEE South Africa Section Chair, Mr Darryn Cornish and previous presidents of the Mu Eta Chapter Executive Committee.
Bright, a long-serving member of IEEE, was the guest speaker at the induction and delivered a poignant lecture on Scholarship, Leadership and Character – the Embodiment of the Prestigious Honour Society.
He emphasised the importance of staying true to one’s character in his address, saying that one’s values and morals should not be swayed easily.
The ceremony was presided over by the chair of the IEEE-South Africa Section, Darryn Cornish, on behalf of the IEEE-HKN President.
Furthermore, Cornish delivered a brief lecture on the benefits offered by IEEE as the largest technical society worldwide to the students and academic community.
Concluding the induction ceremony, Dr Rudiren Carpanen and Shaun Barnett led the alumni in welcoming the new charter members into the Mu Eta Chapter. This respected induction tradition was followed by a gathering over refreshments where Sulaiman Patel, previous Chapter president, joined other alumni.
The IEEE-HKN Mu Eta Chapter has grown exponentially over the past three years. With the most recent induction, the Chapter now consists of 50 members. The growth of the Chapter is reflected in its most recent accomplishments. They include Mu Eta’s featuring in the latest issue of THE BRIDGE, the magazine of IEEE-HKN and the launch of the official Chapter website referred to in the following link: https://ieeehkn.ukzn.ac.za/.
These accomplishments serve as milestones for the Chapter. Many more of such achievements can be expected as the Mu Eta Chapter continues to grow.
words:Dauda Olayinka Ayanda
Photograph: Manqoba Hadebe
