College president urges graduates to take control of their own destiny

THE PRESIDENT of Waterford Institute of Technology yesterday urged graduating students to “remain positive” in the face of current economic conditions.

Students up to PhD level are graduating during 12 sessions at the college this week. Institute president Prof Kieran R Byrne told students: “As graduates you face uncertain futures but it can still be a future of your making and you can take a hand in your own destiny.” He noted “economies will not thrive in isolation”, and said people should “not lose sight of the overarching importance of the character and soul of Ireland”.

“Let us seek again our identity as a nation,” he said. “Let us dig again to uncover those historic virtues we contributed, as few other nations have, to the advancement of civilisation.

“Most especially, let us rekindle our tradition of learnedness and intellectual creativity. These times, too, will pass . . . for now, we must review our aspirations and renew our ambitions.”

Redmond O’Donoghue, chairman of the institute, said “while rising unemployment and emigration, the banking collapse and the budget deficit are all realities”, there is also “a great deal right about Ireland”.

He cited the country’s massively improved infrastructure, including motorways linking Dublin with the main regional cities; the Waterford bypass; the Shannon tunnel; the Grand Canal Theatre; the Wexford Opera House and Terminal Two at Dublin Airport.