Graduants Charged To Challenge Status Quo at GTUC 5th Congregation

Captain Budu Koomson (Rtd)

Captain Koomson challenged the graduates when he delivered a keynote address at the 5th congregation of the Ghana Technology University College on Saturday.

Captain Budu Koomson (Rtd), Chief Operations Officer of UT Holdings has charged graduates of higher learning not to conform to the standards of laziness and pretentious life style engulfing the Ghanaian society.

He advised graduates to work on their attitudes and character and apply diligently the knowledge they had acquired to overcome the social and economic challenges facing the nation.

“I charge you to challenge the status quo, say enough of these lackadaisical and pretentious lives, lazy substandard project executions, stealing, belly politics and the lack of professional pride,” he said.

He said the acquisition of knowledge is just the beginning of a process, which is only meaningful if diligently applied to transform the livelihood of people.

However, he said ability of graduates to apply such knowledge in their fields after graduation is largely missing or ignored in the formal education system.

“Unfortunately for us too much emphasis is laid on intellectual or academic intelligence to the detriment of distinguishing competencies,” added.

Captain Koomson therefore asked graduates to be guided by the biblical injunction that “do not conform any longer to the standards you will meet out there but be transformed by the renewal of your mind to be and to do something different.”

Four hundred and three students received higher degrees in Supply Chain, Finance, Oil and Gas, Engineering and Management and Management Information Systems, among others, from Coventry University.

Dr Kwesi Darkwa, President of the Ghana Technology College noted that the University has moved from a modest, humble and challenging beginning to “a college of quality and distinction, offering professional development programmes and quality tertiary education to over 4000 students.”

He said there are over 800 international students, who have come from 28 countries around the world to pursue their studies at the University.

“We continue to forge new alliances with academic and industrial partners from various parts of the world,” he added.

Dr Darkwa said the University in March this year, received the Business Initiative Directive Quality Summit Award, (Platinum category) in Geneva for its contribution towards technology education.

Again, in June, the university was honoured with the Socrates Award for being one of Africa’s most progressive universities. The award was in the category of Best Emerging University College in West Africa, he said.

He called on the alumni to support with resources for the continuous growth and improvement in quality of teaching and learning in the university.