Two graduates of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) have been honoured by separate institutions for displaying exceptional academic excellence in their graduate studies.
The two former students of UCC, Mr Wincharles Coker and Mr Sebastian Osumanu, were honoured in the latter part of last year by the International Journal of Communication Studies and the University of Amsterdam respectively for emerging as the overall best students in their fields of study.
Mr Coker’s award
Mr Coker, who is a lecturer of Communication Studies at UCC and currently pursuing his Ph. D in Rhetoric, Theory and Culture at the Michigan Technological University in the United States of America, was crowned last year by the International Journal of Media and Communication Studies as the Best Researcher for 2013.
His article: “ A review of five books and their implications for future research” published in 2013 in the journal; Media, Culture and Television News won the Best Paper Award in 2014.
The journal, therefore, congratulated Mr Coker on his exceptional display of research skills and academic excellence resulting in his being adjudged by the journal as the Best Researcher of the Year.
Educational background
Mr Coker had his secondary education at Winneba Senior High School and proceeded to the University of Cape Coast for a Bachelor of Education (Arts).
After his first degree programme, he obtained an MPhil in English, also at UCC. He was engaged by the university as a lecturer and after lecturing for sometime, he won a full scholarship offered by the Michigan Technological University to read his PhD.
Mr Osumanu’s award
Mr Osumanu of the University of Amsterdam won the 2014 Erasmus Mundus Noble Economics prize worth $ 10,000 and a scholarship package to pursue his PhD in the same university.
He was also adjudged by the university as the Overall Best International Student at the 2014 graduate school graduation ceremony.
Congratulatory message
In a congratulatory message to the Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, Professor Dabire Domwini Kuupole, the University of Armsterdam highlighted the academic potential of Mr Osumanu and made reference to an evaluation expert who, after the graduation ceremony, said, “Mr Osumanu is one of the finest African young intellectuals he has ever come across.”
The evaluation expert concluded by emphasising the fact that “Mr Osumanu deserves it all and stands to be an epitome of the change most African economists will need.”
Academic background
Mr Osumanu had his basic education at Mankessim in the Central Region and proceeded to Breman Asikuma Senior High School, also in the Central Region, for his secondary education.
He then entered the University of Cape Coast, where he read Social Sciences for his Bachelor of Arts degree and he enrolled at the University of Amsterdam Graduate School to read his Master’s degree in MSc Financial Economics through the Erasmus Mundus Scholarship programme in 2012.
