News & Events
2012 Commencement
180 students commence their studies at IPC
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It was a clear, sunny autumn morning on May 4th, 2012, when, prior to the IPC Commencement Ceremony, the local Rangitane iwi held a Powhiri (a Māori ceremony) at IPC, to welcome the new students onto the IPC campus.
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In the afternoon of the same day, IPC’s 23rd Commencement was held at The Regent on Broadway, a heritage theatre in Palmerston North. IPC and the local community warmly welcomed 180 students from 13 different countries* to celebrate the official start of their studies at IPC. Ambassadors from Vietnam, Indonesia and Japan also attended the ceremony, which brought another international aspect to the celebration.
This year’s commencement was notable for the fact that the first student group from the Faculty of International Studies of International Pacific University, Okayama, Japan, attended the ceremony. 39 Japanese students began a year-long learning and cultural experience in New Zealand.
After Prof Wayne Edwards, President of IPC, and Prof Tadao Nakahara, President of IPU, had congratulated the new students, HE Mr Hideto Mitamura, Ambassador of Japan to NZ, spoke of his personal experiences during his overseas studies.
Mr Jono Naylor, Mayor of the City of Palmerston North also welcomed the new students, and then, all the new students were called on to the stage, meeting with the Mayor and the President, who presented them with scrolls, which recognized them as members of the IPC community.
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After three new students, Nicole Prowse (NZ), Ode Sathya Baganantha (Indonesia) and Yutaro Sakai (Japan), had made their addresses, the ceremony concluded with the remarks from the Chair Person of the Board of Trustees, Mr Hiroshi Ohashi, who then presented the IPC Research Award and the IPC Teaching Award for 2012.
* IPC welcomed the students from:
Brazil
China
Columbia
Fiji
India
Indonesia
Japan
New Zealand
Palestine
Tajikistan
Thailand
Uzbekistan
Vietnam