She said being in hurry to succeed in any field of endeavour without going through the due process of learning and investing some efforts breached the universal life principles of law of process which could be costly.

“This internet generation is a generation in a hurry to accomplish their goals within the shortest time.

We live in a world of instant gratification with a microwave mentality and consequently, we are faced with a leadership crisis,” Ms Thompson said.

Event

She was delivering a keynote address at a congregation ceremony at the University of Ghana, Legon, made up of undergraduates, including Diploma in Accounting, Public Administration, Librarianship, Youth and Development, Adult Education and BSc in Nursing last Wednesday.

It was held simultaneously with graduates in Master of Business Administration (MBA), Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) and Master of Science (MSc) in Clinical Leadership and Management.

They formed part of 5,549 students who have completed their respective courses of study in the premier university. 

Advice 

Ms Thomson, who is also a seasoned public servant with expertise in corporate governance, legal and public sector reforms, said nothing was achieved on a silver platter but that “many of us today want to make it quickly with no efforts invested”.

“We graduate today and tomorrow we want to set up a company, open our own chambers, we want to buy a Mercedes by fair or foul means, we want to buy a town house in a swanky neighbourhood.

The graduation

“In consonance with the laws of nature dear graduates, we will all crawl before we walk, and we will walk before we run, and that process is immutable,” she said.

Ms Thompson said acquiring degrees constituted fundamental skills and knowledge for further focused development to suit the need of a particular organisation or institution.

“The knowledge and skills you have acquired here today is often described as hard skills which must be complemented with soft skills, traits and attributes required to enable you to succeed in your endeavours.

“So, this afternoon amid your great euphoria and joy, I want you to leave these hallowed walls with the understanding that process and progression towards substantive and meaningful leadership of professional attainment of any kind is not just a good idea or notion, but necessary, if not mandatory for the development of productive leadership and personal growth,” she said.

Rankings

In a speech read on her behalf, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, said the institution had achieved a remarkable milestone by ranking among the top 6.1 per cent of world-class universities in the 2023 edition of the Global 2000 List, developed by the Center for World University Rankings (CWUR). It was also the second Best University in West Africa.

Such outstanding recognition, she said, solidified the university's position as the leading tertiary institution in the country.

In all, 20,531 universities worldwide were evaluated, with only the top 2,000 making it to the global list, she said.

The rankings were based on seven objective indicators across four areas--education quality, alumni employment, faculty quality and research performance.

The Valedictorian, Nana Betse Morson, urged her colleagues to go out to consolidate the knowledge and skills they had gained from the university to impact a positive change on society.