Tertiary Graduates Urged to be Critical Thinkers 

The former Chairman of the Millennium Challenge Account, Edward Boateng has challenged graduates of tertiary schools in the country not to see their certificates as the best they could ever attain, but consider the degrees as their spring board to make a meaningful impact on their personal lives and the general society. 

They must as well be critical thinkers, take risks, be self-disciplined and aim high while taking crucial initiatives to help solve the many problems that are drawing back national socio-economic development. 

Mr. Boateng gave the advice at the 6th graduation ceremony of the Garden City University College at Kenyase near Kumasi in the Ashanti region. 

The ceremony, which was on the theme: "Developing the Next Generation of Innovators; The Role of Private Universities in Developing Entrepreneurs for National Development”, saw a total of 622  final year students of the University College graduate with first degrees in Business Administration, Nursing, Bachelor of Science in Information and Communication Technology, Computer Science, Economics and Statistics. Mr. Boateng told the graduating students that in view of the huge numbers of especially Africans pursuing tertiary education now, it the Ghanaian graduate needs to go an extra mile to add value to himself or herself apart from acquiring certificate in formal education, so as to become globally competitive before he or she can make the desired impact in the fast changing technology-driven work environment. To achieve that status, the graduate must be daring, innovative as well as inquisitive by exploring and taking advantage of every least opportunity available to him or her. 

The Acting President of the University College, Dr. Wilhelmina Donkoh, noted that Garden City University College considers itself as an effective partner of the central government in the training of the required human resource for nation building. 

She said government can support private tertiary educational institutions by allowing some of them to provide in-service training for public service organizations, particularly in the area of health, as the nation works hard to reduce the rate of maternal and child mortality. 

According to Dr. Donkoh, with effective supervision of the National Accreditation Board and the Council for Tertiary Education, government can then be assured of value for money. 

Emmanuel Blankson who graduated with First Class Honours in Information and Communication Technology was adjudged as the overall best graduating student and received as his prize, a parcel and a citation.

GBC