He said that was the surest way of preparing young graduates for the uncertain and complex world of work, which required creative skills.

Dr Ampomah made the call at the 19th graduation ceremony of the Methodist University College, Ghana (MUCG) in Accra last Saturday (December 18, 2021).

A total of 680 students made up of 361 undergraduates, 246 post graduates, 43 diplomates and 30 certificate students graduated.

There was also a presentation of 12 special awards to some of the graduating students, seven of whom were females, for their outstanding performances during their academic journey.

Taking control

Dr Ampomah, who was the Special Guest at the ceremony, said it was important for graduates to take control of their destinies by using their creative abilities to full advantage.

In that regard, he urged the fresh graduates not to view the attainment of academic knowledge only as the main goal of attending university, but also to gain the opportunity to develop analytical and problem solving skills which were needed to cope with difficulties in everyday life.

“The ultimate goal of university education should be to develop an intellectual capacity for reasoning and understanding, as well as resilience and life skills necessary to face the difficulties ahead,” Dr Ampomah added.

Paper credentials

Describing degrees as “merely paper credentials,” the Korle Bu CEO told the graduates that the true value of their degrees would be determined by how they used the knowledge they had gained to make a difference in their lives and in society as a whole.

Furthermore, he challenged graduates to have a strong desire to improve themselves as well as the enthusiasm to pursue long-term goals in order to succeed in life.

He, therefore, charged them to be honest, committed, resourceful, patriotic, patient, humble and respect human dignity in order to become well-rounded and well-groomed and responsible persons in society.

Challenges

In a speech delivered on his behalf, the President of the MUCG, Professor Akwasi Asabere-Ameyaw, said enrolment at the institution had steadily declined over the past decade, which had impacted on the MUCG's activities and finances.

“Salary and other allowance payments have become increasingly complicated in recent months. That is why we are coming out with more innovative programmes to attract students,” he said

Prof. Asabere-Ameyaw, therefore, encourage the Methodist Church Ghana to keep investing substantially in the MUCG as a way of boosting the church’s image in the spread of the Gospel of Christ while simultaneously contributing to national development.

Representatives of the mentor universities (University of Education Winneba, University of Ghana and the University of Cape Coast) delivered solidarity messages.

Achieving goals

The Overall Best Graduating Student, Nana Yaw Asiedu Amponsah, urged his colleagues to never let the world’s definition of what was possible keep them from achieving their goals.

He stated: “As all of us are gearing up for the next phase of our lives with passion and determination to make it big in the time to come, let us never allow the world's definition of what is possible keep us from achieving what we want to achieve. Let us not only dream big. Let us dream grandly. Let us not only reach for the mountain-top, let us reach for the stars.”