Success celebrated in big capping week for Auckland campus

Capping ceremonies for the Auckland campus wound up this afternoon with a packed Bruce Mason Theatre in Takapuna cheering on nearly 200 degree and diploma recipients – among them nine PhDs – from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Guest speaker was North Shore Mayor Andrew Williams, who paid tribute to Massey's contribution to the city, the Auckland region and the nation.

The week will finish with a ceremony to honour Maori graduates tomorrow morning.

A dinner to honour Pacifika graduates was held at the campus on Wednesday night, with Minister of Pacific Island Affairs Luamanuvao Winnie Laban as guest of honour.

Mrs Laban said education was essential to the success of Pacific communities and the beneficiaries of that success were not just "our people" but the nation, the region and the world.

She praised Massey's Pasifika strategy as the first "public, plain-language declaration of commitment by any New Zealand university".

Since Tuesday more than 1100 former – and some ongoing – Massey students have crossed the stage for capping. Three of the ceremonies were for College of Business but all five colleges, including Education, Creative Arts, Sciences and the New Zealand Shool of Music, were represented in the celebrations of successful completions.

Among them were a record 20 PhDs, with a 21st having graduated before the University Council.

The capping parades down Hurstmere Rd that normally precede each ceremony had to be cancelled on Tuesday because of torrential rain and flash flooding the Parades down. Today, in contrast, the sun shone.

Other guest speakers included former Governor-General Dame Silvia Cartwright, honorary doctorate recipient David Russell, engineers and business leaders Sir Ron Carter and Peter Menzies, and entrepreneur Seeb Woodhouse, the Orcon Internet founder.

Many of the graduates had returned to Auckland from thoughout New Zealand, the Pacific, Asia and elsewhere.