The Vice-Chancellor’s Academic Awards in honor of graduates and continuing students who excelled in their academic pursuits during the 2022/2023 academic year has been held. The two-day event took place at the Great Hall of the University of Ghana where awards were presented to students from the Colleges of Humanities and Education on the first day, April 25, 2024, while students from the Colleges of Basic and Applied Sciences and Health Sciences were awarded on the second day, April 26, 2024.
Delivering the statement of purpose, Acting Registrar and College Secretary for the College of Health Sciences, Mr. Michael Opare Atuah, noted that, “the academic awards ceremony is held to provide the University with another opportunity to acknowledge the exceptional accomplishments of both the graduating class of 2023 and current students who have excelled academically and in co-curricular activities.’’
College Secretary for the College of Health Sciences, Mr. Michael Opare Atuah
He continued by acknowledging sponsors who have contributed to honouring the recipients. ‘Each sponsor has pledged to fund their award for a minimum of 5 years with a cash price worth about Ghs3,858 as part of their funding. Some of the awards have been named after specific sponsors who have made major contributions in their fields of endeavour,’ Mr. Opare Atuah stated.
He encouraged award winners to use the ceremony as an opportunity to network with their sponsors.
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo in her welcome address expressed gratitude to the sponsors for their continuous support to impact the future of the students and the University. She seized the opportunity to announce that the University has received sponsorships for 11 new academic prizes from 10 individuals and corporate bodies.
She encouraged more institutions and individuals to consider sponsoring other academic prizes at the University to enhance recognition of outstanding achievements in other areas within the academic community.
Prof. Amfo further disclosed that as part of this year’s ceremony, the University has decided to award students from less Endowed schools who gained admission on merit and have distinguished themselves in their academic fields.
According to the Vice-Chancellor, ‘out of 156 sponsored prizes and 121 recipients, 62 were females and 59 were males.’ She congratulated the recipients saying, “ayekoo to the award winners for their exceptional academic accomplishments and dedication to excellence. Your hard work and commitment to learning has not only distinguished you as an individual but also enriched the fabric of our university community”.
Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo
She urged the awardees to hold high the integrity of the University in all they strive to do and be ambassadors for the University.
She concluded by thanking the Board of Trustees for the Academic Prize Fund, faculty and administrators for their effort in putting together the award event. She also thanked parents and guardians of awardees for their input in the success stories of their wards.
The Vice-Chancellor’s award for Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation went to Dr. Albert Kwaw Eliason (PhD, Development Studies) and Dr. Pearl Ihumona Osiriki (PhD, Public Health).
Dr. Albert Kwaw Eliason (PhD, Development Studies) receiving his award from the Vice-Chancellor
Israel Woode Offei and Rocky Obeng as well as Williams Ofori received the awards for the Best Graduating Students admitted from a Less-Endowed school on Merit and Best Graduating Students admitted under the UG Admissions Policy for Less-Endowed schools respectively.
One of the major highlights from this year’s ceremony was Dr. Jochebed Adwoa Sutherland, a recipient from the College of Health Sciences who received 12 awards.
In an interview with UG’s Public Affairs Directorate News Desk, Dr. Sutherland thanked all who have impacted her journey.
‘This moment feels quite surreal. It is the fruition of a lot of years of hard work, discipline and positive thinking with a genuine love for what I was learning. The UG student experience has been absolutely amazing for me. Everyone I encountered, be it the tutor, the support staff, of all ranks; most were generally very amicable and quite helpful. UG also has some amazing opportunities that I was lucky to have benefitted from,’ she noted.
Dr. Jochebed Adwoa Sutherland
She ended by entreating all students to take full advantage of all opportunities available to them in the University.
Mr. Ace Anan Ankomah and Prof. Jonathan Narh Ayertey delivered remarks on behalf of sponsors on Day 1 and Day 2 respectively.
Mr. Aknomah charged the awardees to pursue excellence in all their undertakings. “You graduated on top of your respective classes and subjects. You deserve to be here. Today, you are Gold Medals. Congratulations. Let that marinate. Enjoy the moment. You’re the best; BUT make it count after here. You are blessed; BUT make it work after here. You cannot be the best in class and then flunk life, becoming a human ‘teaser.’ Work your blessing; kill it. Dream big; make it count. I dare you to rock your blessing. Time no dey!”, he emphasised.
Mr. Ace Anan Ankomah
Prof. Jonathan Narh Ayertey, who spoke on behalf of the sponsors on day 2, reencountered the transformation process that the awards ceremony has undergone and congratulated the University for raising the profile of the ceremony over the years. He charged the University to put in place measures to increase the number of sponsors. Prof. Ayertey concluded his remarks by congratulating all the award winners and wished them the best in their endeavours.
Abigail Nakuor Wowolo and Dr. Jochebed Adwoa Sutherland on behalf of all awardees expressed appreciation to Management, sponsors, family and tutors for honouring their hard work.
The ceremonies were interspersed with dance performances by the Ghana Dance Ensemble and musical interludes by Dr. Alfred Patrick Addaquay fron the Department of Music.
Dr. Alfred Patrick Addaquay, Department of Music
Also present at the events were members of University Management, awardees and their family members, individual sponsors and representatives of the various corporate sponsors.
