UG Receives Indian President His Excellency Mr. Pranab Mukherjee

His Excellency Mr. Pranab Mukherjee

The Honourable President of India His Excellency Mr. Pranab Mukherjee has delivered an address at the University of Ghana on India’s Partnership with Ghana with regards to youth and education.

The address which was held at the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) conference facility at the University of Ghana, was attended by Government officials, members of the Diplomatic Corps, Officials of the University, Students from the University of Ghana and other tertiary institutions and the general public. It marked part of the Indian President’s official visit to Ghana.

His Excellency, President Pranab Mukherjee delivering the address

His Excellency, President Pranab Mukherjee expressed faith in the potential of the education system in Africa, noting that the youth in Ghana and across the continent have a greater aspiration and a strong desire to bring change in their societies.

He advised leaders against being complacent but to expedite the quest for innovation, development, and happiness for the masses. He called on African leaders to learn from the robustness of today’s India as an economy which is founded on consistent hard work, resourcefulness of students and scholars, and a total self-confidence and determination of citizens to bring about the country’s success.

President Mukherjee touched on the dynamics of geopolitics and noted that it was important for society to adopt best practices that create harmony with the ecosystem, redefine and strengthen democratic systems, as well as eliminate poverty. He gave assurance of India’s resolve to deepen cooperation with institutions of learning in Ghana and across Africa in the terms of capacity building programmes and increasing scholarship schemes that would enable students to train in Indian institutions of higher education. He called on the youth to emulate and concretize the ideals of Ghana’s first president, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and India’s Mahatma Gandhi, adding that doing so meant a right direction towards development.

Prior to delivering his address, His Excellency Mr. Pranab Mukherjee unveiled a statute of Mahatma Gandhi donated by the Government to India to the University of Ghana.

Prof. Ernest Aryeetey, Vice-Chancellor

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ernest Aryeetey welcomed the Honourable President of India to Ghana and to the University of Ghana. He noted that the University’s ties with India have always been strong. He acknowledged the collaborations with Indian Universities and lauded them for the warm welcome given to students and faculty through exchange programmes to study and train in Agriculture, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Pharmacy and many other disciplines.

He indicated that the University has for the last few years focused on becoming a research-intensive institution with a staunch commitment to make significant advances in the area of malaria research, climate change adaptation, food production and food security as well as poverty elimination.

He further noted that in line with the partnership with institutions in America, Asia, Latin America, and Europe, the University of Ghana is creating Centers for Asian, Latin American and European Studies. He added that the completion and running of these Centres, would help to bring sound analyses on government and foreign policies. He expressed gratitude to His Excellency Mr. Pranab Mukherjee and the Indian government for presenting the gift statue of Mahatma Gandhi, whom he described as an international icon.

Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyeman, Minister for Education

The Minister for Education, Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyeman who made remarks at the event, noted that Ghana and India had shared commonalities, with regards to history and culture. She mentioned in particular the similarities between Ghana’s oral tradition and the Sanskrit tradition, as well as the post-colonial themes embedded in Literature from both countries. Prof. Opoku-Agyeman recounted ways in which Ghana’s first president Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and India’s Mahatma Gandhi had left gold stepping stones for young people to follow.

She called for the proper training and orientation of the youth as the surest way of solving challenges in society and securing Africa’s future.

 

    

The statue of  Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi   after the unveiling

 President Mukherjee after unveiling the statue

                                                                             

Please click here to view the full speech of the President of India