UPSA commemorates Cultural Day

Ghanaian students at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) have been given a feel of the food, language, music and dance of other African countries during the school’s Cultural Day celebration last Thursday (Nov 14).

International students from Equatorial Guinea, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, and Gambia, among other countries, showcased their rich cultural heritage and traditions at the event, which was laced with a series of talks, experience sharing and performances. 

Organised by the Centre for International Education and Collaboration (CIEC) of the UPSA, the exhibitions, talks and food bazaar took the Ghanaian students on a journey to learn about and experience the different cultural heritage on the continent in one place. 

The culture day celebration was on the theme: “Bridging Cultures, Shaping Futures”. 

The highlight of the day was the talk by, Ghanaian Reggae and Dancehall sensation, Livingstone Etse Satekla, known in showbiz as Stonebwoy, who shared some insights into the intersection of music and culture and how to intertwine the two for a global reach. 

Rationale 

The Director of the Centre for International Education and Collaboration of the university, Ivy Heward-Mills, explained that the event was aimed at celebrating diversity and fostering understanding among different cultures. 

“Celebrating Culture Day is not just about observing the things that make us different. It’s about observing, appreciating, loving and respecting the things that make each one of us unique.

“This interaction will serve as a reminder of the countless ways in which our culture shapes our identities and how together they form a tapestry of our shared human experience,” she added. 

She encouraged the students to immerse themselves fully in the activities of the celebration “as the interaction will serve as a reminder of the countless ways in which culture shapes our identities and how together, they form a tapestry of our shared human experience”. 

Perspectives

Prof. John Kwaku Mensah Mawutor, who represented the UPSA Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abednego F. O. Amartey, commended the students for sharing their heritage with the school community.

He reminded the students that their differences should not be barriers but rather bridges that should allow them to appreciate perspectives from different backgrounds and opinions. 

“In a world where so much emphasis is placed on differences such as tribal and ethnicity, it is very important for us to remember the beauty that lies in diversity,” he said. 

For his part, the Country Director of Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council, a non-profit organisation, Benjamin Gomado-Cobblah, stressed the need to pay attention to cultural diversion and mobility in modern society, particularly in higher education, for the next generation of global leaders.

He commended the UPSA for its role of remaining a catalyst for bringing cultures together, connecting them in order to learn and appreciate each other through its educational system.