President John Dramani Mahama has received an honorary doctorate from the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia in Moscow, nearly 40 years after studying in the country as a postgraduate student.
The conferment ceremony, held on the university's campus on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, was attended by the Rector of RUDN University, Professor Oleg A. Yastrebov, members of the Board and Academic Council, the Minister of Defence, Kenneth Agyei, members of the President's delegation, the diplomatic corps, faculty and students.
Accepting the honour, President Mahama said he felt "a sense of nostalgia, having stepped on this campus again this morning after almost 40 years, when I studied in Russia as a postgraduate student".
"Honestly, an individual receives an honour such as this seldom by their own work alone. I therefore receive this honorary doctorate with appreciation to the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia and with deep gratitude to the people of Ghana, whose confidence in me has given meaning to my decades of public service," he said.
Lumumba, Nkrumah legacy
The President said the occasion had particular resonance for him as an African leader, noting that the university bears the name of Patrice Lumumba, the Congolese independence leader.
"For Ghanaians, his name is closely aligned with our first President, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, whose conviction was that African freedom must extend beyond raising national flags to true freedom and independence," he said.
He said the responsibility of present-day African leaders was to give practical expression to the aspirations of their forebears, adding that "this should be seen in the quality of our schools, in the strength of our institutions, and in the opportunities that we create for our young people".
President Mahama also called for efforts to confront historical injustices meted out to people of African descent through colonial domination and the transatlantic slave trade, and to pursue justice through informed dialogue and international cooperation.
Russian–African studies programme
President Mahama said he welcomed discussions with Professor Yastrebov on a proposal for the establishment of a Russian–African studies programme, and noted the university's invitation to send some of Ghana's brightest students to the institution for specialisation.
He expressed appreciation to the Russian Government for scholarships extended to Ghanaian students and for its continued support for educational cooperation. "The experiences of our students illustrate a lasting truth about international cooperation: its deepest influence is often found in people's lives. A young person studying on a scholarship returns to change the fortunes of their family," he said.
Free SHS, access to education
The President used the platform to tout Ghana's progressive education policies, including Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education, the school feeding programme, Free Senior High School, the No-Fee Stress policy, support for students with disabilities and improved access to tertiary financing.
He said expanding access must go hand in hand with improving quality, and called for closer relationships among universities, industry and government so that research "must have pathways into practice".
To the students, he said: "You are the living expression of this university's mission. The friendships you form here and the habits of thought you develop will travel with you long after you have graduated… Above all, protect your integrity; the trust of those you serve is a responsibility that no academic distinction can replace."
New scholarship for seven students yearly
Earlier, Rector Yastrebov announced that the university was establishing a scholarship named after Patrice Lumumba, under which seven students would be supported each year. He said RUDN had always been and remained "a friend of Africa, a leading expert centre" on issues related to the continent, describing it as a place "where cultures meet, ideas are shared and bridges are built between countries and peoples".
The Rector, who spoke on the theme "RUDN–Africa: Strategic Partnership in Science and Education", highlighted the university's relations with Ghana and expressed confidence that both sides could do more together in education, science, peace and mutual understanding.
