Notable among the personalities who had PhD were one-time national dance champion, Terry Bright Kweku Ofosu, and the Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress, Peter Boamah Otokunor.

At the congregation last Friday, 530 others graduated with master’s degrees from the Graduate School, as well as 28 undergraduates from the University of Ghana Medical and Dental School, bringing the total number of graduands to 661.

Initiatives

The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, catalogued various initiatives being undertaken to improve upon students and lecturer experience.

They include the launch of three related initiatives in April this year on the theme “Enhancing UG Student Experience through Digitalisation”, which included a classroom modernisation implementation project.

"The classroom modernisation project has been initiated to modernise teaching and learning facilities and expand access to same," Prof. Amfo said, adding that the project was expected to be completed in phases financed with internally generated funds, with the support of corporate institutions and individuals.

The One-student, One-laptop programme sought to employ innovative mechanisms to equip students and staff of the university with affordable and free laptops or handheld devices through partnerships with established information technology (IT) companies, the Vice-Chancellor stated.

"Engagements are being held with the government to secure tax waivers to bring down the cost of laptops. Needy students will also be supported to acquire laptops through this initiative," Prof. Amfo pointed out, adding that "a number of institutions had committed to support this initiative”.

“I am happy to announce that Stanbic Investment Management Services has made good on a pledge made during the launch and has delivered 35 laptops worth GH¢150,000. The Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has also supported this initiative," she said.

Laurels

The Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Mary Chinery-Hesse, congratulated the graduands for the well-deserved laurels.

She urged them to be worthy ambassadors of their alma mater and be guided by its core values.

Resources

The General Manager, Sustainability and Stakeholder Relations of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), Dr Kwame Baah-Nuakoh, who was the Guest Speaker at the ceremony, called on the graduands to endeavour to identify their strengths and pool resources to set up their businesses.

Inefficiencies

Dr Baah-Nuakoh, who is also an economist and alumnus of the university, said there were a lot of inefficiencies in many sectors which made commercial sense to design solutions to bring change.

Every inefficiency, he said, was an opportunity for someone to make returns and generate income and, therefore, called on the graduands to scan their immediate environments to make a difference.

In a valedictory address, Dr Afua Asabea Amoabeng Nti, a medical doctor with 15 years of experience who graduated with PhD in Public Health, reminded the graduands to make a difference in whatever they engaged in.