Prof. Humphrey Danso, the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) of the Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development (AAMUSTED) has advised individuals with aspirations for long-term academic careers to make research a central pillar of their academic journey to be innovative and survive the growing global competitiveness.
Prof. Danso, who is also the President of the AAMUSTED Alumni Association, was speaking at the International Scholarships and Graduate Opportunities Summit, jointly organised by the SGS and the National Service Personnel Association (NASPA) within the Kwadaso Municipality, at the Kumasi Campus of AAMUSTED on Friday, June 13, 2025.
He emphasised the crucial role research plays in policy development, knowledge advancement for addressing global challenges and shaping development especially in developing countries.
“Your academic pursuits must necessarily transcend the classroom to affect society,” he told participants as he also reminded them that their relevance as academics would be greatly hinged on the quality of their research and how much they would contribute to knowledge and help solve societal challenges.
He conceded to financial challenges that come with academic pursuits but pointed the participants to various scholarship and grant opportunities that they could leverage in their efforts to earn academic laurels.
Contributing to the topic “Exploring Graduate Opportunities and Scholarships,” Dean of the Faculty of Technical Education (FTE) of AAMUSTED and Research Ambassador for the German Academic Exchange Service [Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD)], Prof. Emmanuel Appiah-Kubi, assured the participants of his readiness to help them to take advantage of the DAAD Scholarship opportunities.
He discouraged them from paying middle men to facilitate the DAAD Scholarship processes because the processes were simple and easily accessible.
On his part, Deputy Director at the Directorate of Research, International Programmes and Institutional Advancement (DRIPIA), Prof. Edmond A. Agyeman, advised the participants who secure international scholarships to have realistic budgets, respect timelines, and work towards academic achievement in order not to have the opportunities taken away from them.
The President of Kwadaso NaSPA, Mr. Solomon Boakye Danquah, expressed appreciation to the speakers, the Alumni and the SGS for collaboratively organising the summit.
Also present were Dr. Claudia Nyarko-Mensah, Dr. Nora B. Kubor, and Dr. Solomon Zatoo.
