The University of Zambia (UNZA) yesterday posthumously awarded its first ever Higher Doctorate Degree to Professor Michael Kelly.
Speaking at the Convocation Ceremony, acting UNZA Vice-Chancellor Tamala Kambikambi said conferring the highest award of UNZA on Kelly shows how much the University appreciates and recognises his accomplishments, which include the authorship of 180 publications and writings on HIV and AIDS and education.
The late Professor Kelly offers a great challenge to all of us that regardless of where we are, we should contribute to the well being of the institution,
Kambikambi said.
His passion for education and humanity in general was beyond measure. Even at a time he had advanced in age, he(Kelly) was still contributing to the well being of society.
Kambikambi, who is also Deputy Vice-Chancellor, further revealed that the University has renamed the biggest lecture theatre at the School of Education after Kelly, who once served as the school’s dean between 1975 and 1979.
The University would like to have an everlasting memory of the late Professor. The University will be honouring him (Kelly) by renaming the biggest lecture theatre which is hosted in the school where he taught for so many years,
she said.
The New Education Lecture Theatre (NELT) will now be known as the Micheal J. Kelly Lecture Theatre.
Meanwhile, speaking at the same event, Ministry of Education Permanent Secretary, Joel Kamoko urged the university to continue identifying and rewarding individuals such as Kelly both within the University and society at large.
I am excited to be part of this historic moment in the life of the university as the late Kelly was instrumental in drawing up various key government policies especially in the areas of education and HIV and Aids,
the permanent secretary noted.
Professor Michael J. Kelly,who was also a Jesuit priest of Irish origin, joined UNZA’s School of Education, Department of Administration and Policy Studies as a senior lecturer in 1974, and rose to the position of Deputy Vice-Chancellor between 1979 and 1983.Kelly died on January 15th this year after an illness, aged 92.