AIMS Ghana held its 9th graduation ceremony on the 24th of July 2021 at its premises in Accra. The event brought together its stakeholders and members of the general public Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum – the Minister for Education of Ghana, the Canadian High Commissioner – Ms. Kati Csaba and the CEO of AIMS-NEI – Mrs. Lydie Hakizimana among others to celebrate the passing out of the students for the 2020/2021 academic year.
Due to the COVID19 pandemic, teaching and learning took a blended format during this period. Twenty lecturers from different universities across the world taught courses throughout the academic year with about 60% of these courses taught online. The graduands comprised students from 11 African Countries, made up of 12 females and 25 males. Among them were 23 Ghanaians all of whom have successfully completed the program and were present at the ceremony to be graduated into the Master of Mathematical Sciences degree. Mr Andrews Kwasi Boahen, the Overall Best Student, in his valedictory speech on behalf of the students, thanked AIMS Ghana and all who supported in the pursuit of their academic laurels. He pledged that they would strive to be critical thinkers as well as problem-solvers based on the exposure from AIMS.
Additionally, Mrs. Lydie Hakizimana, the Chief Executive Officer, AIMS Next Einstein Initiative, urged the graduands to devote time to analyse the business environment and develop comprehensive business plans for their projects.
In his remarks, Dr. Prince Koree Osei – Centre President of AIMS Ghana stated that the Institute had built a research capacity in various areas of opportunity for Africans in Pure and Applied Mathematics, stressing that the program was in line with the core objectives of UNESCO as a Category II Centre of Excellence and the AIMS Global Network. He further stated that AIMS Ghana and the University of Energy and Natural Resources, in June 2021, signed a Memorandum of Understanding towards implementing the Climate Change and Atmospheric Physics Program. He also highlighted the progress of AIMS Ghana’s two new programs launched in November 2020 being the Masters’s in Mathematical Sciences Program for Teachers (MMST) and the Girls in Mathematical Sciences Program (GMSP).
Dr. Osei commended the government of Ghana and development partners for their support to the Institute and pledged to continue to strengthen training and research programs within the Mathematical Sciences at the Centre.
In his address, the Minister for Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum stated, “A land allocation has been made in support of constructing a Girls STEM Senior High School (SHS) in Kpone Katamanso, Accra. This unique STEM SHS will be affiliated to AIMS to nurture Ghana and Africa’s talented students from SHS to tertiary in STEM-related fields of study. The 12.6-acre portion of land is also meant to provide a permanent campus for AIMS Ghana. It is envisioned to be a world-class standard facility that will further promote the STEM Educational agenda in Ghana, being a part of a grand plan to increase the Science – Humanities ratio from the current 40:60 to 60:40 in favour of the Sciences. The government’s priority in STEM education is part of Ghana’s reform project to reposition the educational system to equip learners with 21st-century skills. It is also to prepare the critical mass of empowered Ghanaians for socio-economic transformation so that they can become active participants in the 4th Industrial Revolution.”
The project, the Minister stated, was part of the 11 state-of-the-art model STEM SHS’ being built across the country to be equipped with 12 laboratories including a STEM pathway, to be established in some existing SHS’. The Minister urged the graduands to put to good use the knowledge acquired at AIMS and be innovative such that they can identify challenges as an opportunity for solutions.
Ms Kati Csaba, the Canadian High Commissioner to Ghana, expressed commitment to continue to support AIMS to deliver quality education and evidence-based solutions to issues confronting Africa.
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