5th Congregation Speech
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”4889″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Speech delivered by Dr. Osei K. Darkwa, President of Ghana Technology University College at the 5th Graduation Ceremony on 31 August, 2013 at GTUC, Tesano, Accra.
Members of the GTUC Council
Distinguished Guest of honour
GTUC Faculty and Staff Present,
Proud Family members, Guardians, and friends of Graduands
Members of the Press and most of all our cherished Graduands
Ladies and Gentlemen
I wish to take this opportunity to welcome you all, on behalf of the University, the Academic Board, faculty, Staff and Students of this University College to our 5th Graduation Ceremony.
The moment has finally come. Your sojourn at GTUC has ended ushering you into yet another exciting phase of life’s journey. As part of the GTUC family and members of this special community, we are proud of you. Your discomforts, toil and sacrifices has finally paid off.
As graduates of this University College, we formally introduce you to the world to serve as ambassadors of this special community. We present you to the corporate world to announce your readiness to serve, readiness to accept challenges and your preparedness to impact the world you find yourselves in. Take upon yourselves the responsibility to uphold the name of GTUC in all your endeavors through dynamism, hard work, knowledge, and values gained as result of your training.
This ceremony provides us as leaders of this institution, a time for sober reflection. A time to ask ourselves; are we training leaders for our time? Are we doing our honest part in the discharge of our duties? Our experiences and observations can allow us to answer boldly in the affirmative to these questions, indeed we are convinced beyond reasonable doubt that our graduates stand tall among their contemporaries.
Graduands, your training at GTUC has equipped you with the knowledge and skills to be able to deliver and to be on top. Graduate study is to help you explore your passion, widen employment opportunities and develop new skills. Graduate study gives the opportunity to gain expertise, to improve on your knowledge, enhance your competencies and leverage network created by your training. These are vital tools needed in the corporate world. All these will eventually translate into increase in earnings because there is value addition and worth is enhanced.
We are small but mighty. A young but rapidly growing university. We are proud to say that we are growing with our students and gradually putting structures that will propel us to greater academic heights in place. GTUC is going through a period of change and all must get on board.
With the passage of the local content bill, operators on the jubilee oil fields will be obligated to use Ghanaian local expertise, goods and services, people, businesses and financing in oil and gas activities.
This makes it extremely important for Ghana as a country and educational institutions to take advantage of this provision and fashion out programmes that will train professionals employable in the oil and gas industry and also build capacity when necessary.
GTUC has taken advantage of this opportunity to train graduates to fit into the industry. We can boast of first class tuition from seasoned lecturers who have excelled in their various fields of endeavour. Individuals presented to you today as graduands, have been trained in several professional programmes. Our passion among others is to prepare ICT professionals for the oil and gas industry as well as the telecommunications industry.
This is the third batch of graduates for programmes that we run in collaboration with Coventry University. We have five Msc programmes and two MBA programmes. We have a total of 412 students graduating today for the January and May intake.
It is said in the bible that “he who much is given, much is expected”. Your training at GTUC has exposed you to a lot in terms of contents and experience. You have added value to yourselves and therefore much is expected of you. It is incumbent on you to deliver wherever you go per the training you have received in your respective programmes of study. This is the time to contribute meaningfully to the development of our society and Ghana as a whole.
Major Cities in the world like Beijing in China, Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, New York in the United States of America, just to mention a few have developed so rapidly , largely due to the use of technology and to be precise, information communication technology. That is why GTUC is dedicated to automating all our courseware so we can bring education to the doorstep of the everyday Ghanaian.
To this end, we have established campuses in Ho, Takoradi and Koforidua and will continue in this direction in the next couple of years. This is why we need support and investment from corporate Ghana and government in the area of infrastructure i.e. putting up new laboratories, hostel facilities, library etc. …
Graduands, in all your interactions and experiences, each of you has acquired or possess some unique traits that make you exceptional despite the differences in programmes of study. The expectation is that you use what you have learnt here to make a difference in the lives of individuals and organizations that you might come into contact with.
Your status in society has changed; doors will open to you and we urge you to take advantage of every opportunity made available to make a difference. Your contributions will help make our society better.
You are more informed, equipped and trained to offer solutions to the countless number of problems that our society faces today. Your training makes you independent, self reliant and determined to distinguish yourselves in your various fields of endeavour. This is indeed our challenge as leaders of this country and as global citizens.
As you move into the world, work and life will present challenges. Practical problem solving approach and experiences should be brought to bear to deal with these challenges.
You have acquired values like team work, innovation, commitment etc. All these are ingredients that will propel your development. GTUC has done its bit of the contract by giving you sound training and it behoves on you to shine wherever you find yourselves.
“Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail”. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
You should be the shining stars and living examples. Be the pace setters and earn honour for GTUC. Graduate Education has now trained you in areas of specialty. You have no option now than to excel.
Margaret Thatcher once said “I do not know anyone who has got to the top without hard work. That is a recipe. It will not always get you to the top, but should get you pretty near”.
We hope your experiences and training at GTUC has been worthwhile. Today, you go out there to a world inundated with professionals who might have the same qualifications as you have. We urge you to stand tall among them and always strive for excellence. Mediocrity should be out of your diction and practice.
Your hard work, commitment and perseverance have finally paid off. Go out there and make a difference.
Congratulations!
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