The Governor General of Canada, His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston yesterday participated in a Panel Discussion at the University of Ghana on the theme ‘Education and the Role of Higher Institutions in Economic Advancement and Development.’ at the ISSER Conference Hall, as part of his visit to Ghana.
The Panel discussion, moderated by the Minister of Education, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, had Professor Ernest Aryeetey, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Dr. Emmanuel Akwetey, Executive Director of the Institute for Democratic Governance, Paul Davidson, President of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada and Jean Lebel of the International Development Research Centre as discussants.
In his opening remarks, the Right Hon. David Johnston said the topic was relevant because it will impact the culture of learning and innovation through discussions. He noted that while institutions of higher learning contribute to the economic growth of countries, they also play a critical role necessary for the prosperity of a nation, in building upon their strengths, opportunities and addressing the specific needs of a country.
He described as “diplomacy of knowledge” the sharing of ideas across borders. Rt. Hon. Johnston said Ghana has all it takes to form dynamic partnerships across the globe, solve problems and be more innovative.
On partnerships, he said the Canadian government currently has partnerships with four main Ghanaian universities, University of Ghana, University of Cape Coast, University for Development Studies, and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.
Rt. Hon. Johnston argued that education is the only investment that does not face diminishing returns, adding that education as a foremost human right never loses its value and is able to bring about transformation. .
In conclusion, he gave a quote from George Carlin, “Some people see things that are and ask, Why? Some people dream of things that never were and ask, Why not?
He was hopeful that educational institutions would work together to realize the world that we everybody dreams.
