The Director, CSIR- Institute of Industrial Research, Dr. Francis Boateng Agyenim has delivered the Keynote Address at the 29^th Congregation of the Ghana Communication Technology University.

The event which was held at the University’s’ main campus in Tesano, Accra saw a total of 1,310 students graduating with various degrees ranging from PhDs to diplomas. It was under the theme “Harnessing Ghana’s Communication and Technological Potential for Sustainable Economic Growth” and saw about forty (40) special awards offered to students who excelled in various disciplines with the Overall Best Awards for Best Undergraduate Student, Best Postgraduate Student and Vice-Chancellor’s Best Thesis going to Isaac Ansah Amoah (valedictorian), Ewurabena Mansa Asaam and Akua Okyere Claudia respectively.

In his address to the congregation, the Dr. Francis Boateng Agyenim congratulated both graduands   and parents for the joint commitment to such a worthy course. He traced the history of the University and from the erstwhile British Administration that established Ghana Telecom Training Centre (GTTC) in 1948 and emphasized on the need for student to take advantage of such a rich history and the resources available to them to build impactful careers in their respective field of study.

Speaking at the event, Dr. Boateng Agyenim encouraged graduands to take home some eight key lessons as they prepare to start their individual careers. These are life lessons, he emphasized.

• Learning doesn’t stop when you graduate from university, it is a life-long process
• Life offers no Guarantees, trust the process and you will succeed
• Be entrepreneurial and solve societal problems
• Be ambitious
• Adapt to change, fix your attitude and your sense of entitlement
• Be Independent in Thinking
• Respect other people’s views and do not prejudge people
• Avoid greed

When you leave here today, remember to be grateful for all you have learnt, be proud, celebrate what you have accomplished, and look forward to how you, too, can be an inspiration to others, Dr. Boateng Agyenim admonished graduands.

The Director for CSIR-IIR, in his address, pointed to the fact that the graduation was happening at a time of global crisis (a pandemic and economic downturn), which in itself should serve as a very useful learning experience for the future. “Every impediment is an opportunity to learn, to grow and to adapt to change,” he said. Dr. Boateng Agyenim implored the graduands to be grateful to their Alma Mater and be proud and celebrate their achievements.

To the faculty, he had this to say: “Thank you for bringing these future leaders to this point, you have done your work for them, but I trust you will continue to keep in touch with them and facilitate the development of their impending careers.”

Some of the dignitaries who graced the occasion were the Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry, Mr. Herbert Krapa, Professor Charles Barnor, Pro Vice-Chancellor of UPSA and a Representative of the Vice-Chancellor of KNUST among others.