First Monash South Africa graduates

The first students at Monash South Africa are ready to accept their degrees. Among them will be arts student Debbie Love, who has so enjoyed her experience that she plans to make academia her career.

Ms Love believes a strong sense of camaraderie, great facilities and attentive lecturers combined to create a supportive and friendly campus atmosphere. "One of the greatest benefits of being at Monash South Africa has been that lecturers know all their students' names - not being just one of a sea of faces in a lecture hall creates a sense of belonging," she says. "I've also made some wonderful friends, as students here don't just come to class and leave as soon as they're finished. I've found it to be a very social environment, and that's the case with all year levels and all faculties."

Ms Love will be one of 22 students to accept their degrees in a graduation ceremony on campus in Johannesburg in late November, thus becoming part of a unique group of Monash alumni.

Pro vice-chancellor at Monash South Africa Professor John Anderson said the graduating students are to be congratulated for helping shape the orientation and outlook of the campus.

Now in its third year and with 350 students, Monash South Africa teaches in the disciplines of Arts, Business and Economics, and Information Technology.

Graduating Bachelor of Business Systems student Mr Richard Zanner said his experience had also been extremely positive and every aspect of the course had met his expectations. "It had been very difficult to find a course that was designed with the right combination of commerce and IT, but the Bachelor of Business Systems has managed to achieve this," he said.

Mr Zanner, who is married with three young sons, plans to continue his studies.