Africa-Press – Namibia. It was a bittersweet moment for former first lady Monica Geingos as she was conferred with an honorary doctorate from the University of Johannesburg (UJ) this week.
It was a dream that her husband, late president Hage Geingob, had long envisioned for her to attain her actual PhD beyond their office terms.
She said, “This honorary doctorate really means more to me than you can predict. It feels like confirmation that he [Geingob] was right when he told me to focus on what matters. It feels like a nudge from my husband to fulfil my promise to him that I will work towards my PhD.”
The Honorary Doctor of Philosophy (honoris causa) on Geingos was in recognition of her leadership, advocacy and enduring contribution to social development across Africa.
Geingos said the honorary doctorate was both a call to continue her purpose and a challenge to remain worthy of the confidence that the UJ had placed in her.
“There is something deeply personal to this. As my husband’s tenure was coming to an end, we spent a lot of time discussing what the day after his presidency would look like. We had a plan – a list of places we wanted to visit and friends we wanted to invite. Part of that plan was for me to do my PhD. My husband felt I talked a lot, and I should write as much as I talk,” she giggled.
The vice chancellor and principal of UJ Letlhokwa Mpedi said honorary doctorates represent lives anchored in integrity, courage and sustained excellence.
“As our graduates enter new chapters of professional and civic life, they do so in the presence of individuals who demonstrate what can be achieved when education is matched with purpose.
This graduation season is not merely a celebration of qualifications conferred.
It is a powerful affirmation of knowledge in action and of the role universities play in shaping nations and advancing our continent,” highlighted Mpedi.
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