The Chancellor of the Nobel International Business School (NiBS), Dr George Agyekum Donkor, has charged PhD graduates to leverage their advanced knowledge and skills to make a positive impact in society.
According to him, having a doctorate degree was not an end in itself, but rather a beginning of a journey to create meaningful change in the community.
The Chancellor, who was speaking at a graduation ceremony of PhD graduates in Accra, also urged the graduates to lead with purpose and integrity, focusing on imparting value to their communities.
He emphasised the importance of leadership, trust and confidence in driving positive change in society, and also stressed the need for innovation in addressing today's challenges.
“Yesterday's solutions may not be effective in solving current challenges, and therefore, I urge our graduates to contextualise the circumstances and propose new and innovative solutions,” he said.
The graduation ceremony saw 55 students graduate from the school. Thirty students graduated with Doctor of Business Administration and 25 others with Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). It was on the theme: “Empowered to Lead, Prepared to Transform”.
Transforming economies
Dr Donkor expressed the belief that the new graduates of NIBS, based on the knowledge obtained, had the potential to transform economies and improve the lives of people.
He encouraged them to leverage their knowledge and skills to drive meaningful change and contribute to the betterment of their communities.
The chancellor urged the graduating class of 2025 to take up the mantle of leadership in shaping Africa's future.
Dr Donkor assured the public of NiBS's commitment to providing industry-relevant problem-solving education that empowers individuals and institutions to solve real-world challenges.
He emphasised the university's vision to become a world-class pan-African university known for excellence in leadership, development, entrepreneurship and transformative impact.
“NiBS offers programmes designed to reflect the realities of modern development, from business strategy to financial technology, public policy, sustainability and innovation,” the chancellor stated.
Call to action
For his part, the keynote speaker at the event, Dr Ofosu-Dorte, all joined the call for the graduates to approach problem-solving with a forward-thinking mindset.
He reiterated that the solutions provided currently could sometimes create the problems of tomorrow, and therefore, it was essential to ensure that the solutions provided for present challenges were future-fit.
Dr Ofosu-Dorte also encouraged graduates to think critically about the potential consequences of their actions and to strive for solutions that would benefit not just the present but also the future.
He challenged graduating students to apply their knowledge to real-world transformation.
Dr Ofosu-Dorte stated that solutions for managing economies in Africa should be tailored to local contexts, such as understanding market chains for food production and distribution.
This approach, he said, would help reduce the price of goods and promote economic growth.
