TAKE ADVANTAGE OF RESEARCH ...Prof Sobotie advises university students (PAGE 11, NOV 5, 2010)

THE President of the Garden City University College, Professor Steve Sobotie, has challenged tertiary students in Ghana to take advantage of research and other valuable programmes in their tertiary institutions to nurture their potentials in entrepreneurship.
By developing interest in entrepreneurship and acquiring the requisite experience and expertise, he said they could start their own businesses on a small scale and grow them to become world acknowledged business entities that would support sustainable national development.
Addressing freshmen and women at the matriculation of the Christian Service University College, Professor Sobotie noted that the time had come for students at the tertiary level to develop interest in the private sector and partner local and international entrepreneurs to enhance meaningful growth of the private sector.
This, he said, would not only accelerate the growth of the private sector in terms of income generation, but would also help to absorb the unemployed youth.
In all, 607 students, including 245 females, matriculated to pursue programmes in Theology, Business Administration, Computer Science and Communication Studies.
Speaking on the theme “excellence with integrity,” Professor Sabotie said it was important for students to strive to be honest and hardworking as they nurtured their potentials in life.
He said it was equally important for them to develop strong moral principles in all their endeavours for them to acquire positive principles that would guide them as they assumed leadership positions in future.
“ You will succeed if you hold as your banner that academic excellence that always goes with strong moral uprightness,” he advised.
He also advised the freshmen and women to justify their admission by focusing on their academic programmes, saying they needed to make a solemn promise to their parents, guardians, wives, husbands, friends and relatives today to ensure that they would be there to witness their beautiful graduation when they completed their programmes.
Stressing, he said they should prepare well and should never fall victim to examination malpractices that would result in their being sent home even though they might be non-resident students.
He asked them to always remember that they were ambassadors of the university.
The President of the Christian Service University College, Professor Emmanuel Frempong, said the students had to abide by all the statutes, rules and regulations governing the university.
He, therefore, charged them to avoid any action of commission or omission that would undermine their survival and success at the university college.
In her welcoming address, the Dean of the Christian Service University College, Mrs Joyce Ama Quartey, said it was important for the students to take advantage of the numerous opportunities at the university to justify the sacrifices made by their parents and guardians who toiled to offer them the privilege of enjoying tertiary education.
Mrs Quartey also urged them to abide by the dress code of the university, saying, “as a Christian University, they were championing the crusade of deacent dressing, and therefore expected the students to portray the principle of God’s kingdom through deacent appearance and dressing.