Ghana: Jospong Group to sponsor 600 students for Russian education

The Jospong Group of Companies will provide scholarship packages to over 600 Ghanaian students to pursue studies at RUDN University in Russia over the next five years.

The scholarships, focusing on Agriculture, Information Technology, Integrated Waste Management, and Climate Change studies, will annually benefit 120 Ghanaian students from 2024 to 2029.

The historic initiative was formalized on Friday, February 2, in Accra. The Jospong Group, represented by the Asian-African Consortium (AAC), a subsidiary of the Jospong Group, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with RUDN University in Accra.

The Speaker of the Ghanaian Parliament, Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin, and the Russian Ambassador to Ghana, Sergei Berdnikov, were present to witness this landmark event.

Commending the Jospong Group for spearheading this initiative, the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban S. K. Bagbin, expressed optimism that Ghana’s brightest days are ahead.

“This is the beginning of great things to happen,” he stated.

He also acknowledged Russia’s longstanding friendship with Ghana and commended the country for transitioning the relationship from government to private sector engagement.

The Executive Chairman of Jospong Group, Dr Joseph Siaw Agyepong, assured the stakeholders of the readiness of his company to absorb the students after completion of their education.

“Gone are days when you finish your education and you stay behind because of lack of opportunities back home but I want to assure you that Jospong is ready to work with you so come and let’s develop Ghana together,” he assured.

The CEO of the Asian African Consortium, Adelaide Siaw Agyepong, in her remarks, noted that this is “A unique collaboration to enhance climate change and agriculture in the country.”

She emphasized that the knowledge and skills gained from this initiative will be immensely beneficial to Ghana.

She further noted that the initiative will provide opportunities for talented and passionate individuals who may have encountered numerous obstacles in accessing quality education outside of Ghana.

She also underscored the importance of knowledge transfer that this collaboration will bring to both the beneficiaries and the country as a whole.

She encouraged the beneficiary students to return to Ghana and help with their development after their skill acquisition.

The Education Minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, who was full of praise for Dr Adjepong, observed that the partnership is novel and very unique because a private actor is leading the charge in education scholarship of such magnitude.

“The better days of our nation are ahead of us, and Jospong is showing us that the private sector is more than capable of changing the narrative,” he noted.

A representative of RUDN University, Dr Masamba Kakh, noted that RUDN University is the gateway to the Russian education system and Russian industry which aims to prepare specialists specifically for industrial projects.

“We try to link tertiary education in Africa with industrial companies in the way that the education system and education process support the development of specialists that can seamlessly go into employment with the right skill set of theoretical and practical knowledge,” he emphasized.

The Russian Ambassador to Ghana, Sergey Berdnikov, affirmed the embassy’s preparedness to promptly facilitate the processing of documents for beneficiary students, enabling them to travel to Russia for their studies.

He added that every country must be food-sufficient and commended Jospong for supporting Ghana’s food security agenda.

This initiative was attained in collaboration with the National Service Secretariat, Ghana Scholarship Secretariat (Office of the President), University of Ghana, Pentecost University, University of Development Studies, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, University for Development Studies and other partners.

As part of the initiative, competitive Olympiad exams in Integrated Waste Management and Climate Change will also be conducted.

This collaboration represents a significant stride in enriching educational prospects for Ghanaian youth. The ceremony symbolizes the launch of a partnership focused on fostering enduring impacts in agriculture, information technology, integrated waste management, and climate change studies.