KNUST Scholars Launch January 16, 2015 Remarks for Reeta Roy

Transcription

1 1 KNUST Scholars Launch January 16, 2015 Remarks for Reeta Roy Acknowledgements Vice Chancellor, Professor William Otoo Ellis Kwame Nkrumah University staff MasterCard Foundation Scholars Introduction Thank you Vice Chancellor - and all of you - for such a warm welcome. I am thrilled to be with you today. How marvellous to behold all of you. Today we celebrate an important partnership. Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology has joined a global network of partners in The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program. We welcome K.N.U.S.T. to The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program family. They will join a growing network of global education partners, NGOs and others, who share our vision for Africa s young leaders.

2 2 The Scholars Program provides these young people with an opportunity to learn. To understand the world and to help them see their role in it. To help these young people, we provide mentoring. Internships. Social support. As a result, we think these young people will be prepared to take on much more when they have completed school. To find jobs or create their own businesses. To apply their ingenuity and empathy to drive change in their communities. To become leaders who will have a positive influence on those who will follow in their footsteps. Foundation and Scholars Program For those of you who may be unfamiliar with us, The MasterCard Foundation is based in Toronto, Canada. Early on, we made a commitment to Africa. And today we work in 28 countries across the continent. We have made one of our largest commitments to Ghana, with an investment of nearly $200 million. Our foundation is motivated by a simple vision: giving those who want it the opportunity to learn and prosper. We are educating and developing the next generation of African leaders, preparing young people for the workforce and promoting inclusive finance and growth, particularly in Agriculture.

3 Our programs create opportunities for people to acquire the tools they need like education, financial services and employment that give people the confidence to transition their lives. And help their families and communities. That is why we created The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program. It s a major initiative. We ve committed $500 million over ten years. We will reach some 15,000 young people with opportunities to complete secondary and higher-level education. We ve made this commitment because we believe in Africa s young people. There is a new generation who will influence positive change and improve the lives of others in their families, communities and countries. Message to Scholars To our MasterCard Foundation Scholars and all of the young people with us, you hold so much promise for your country. For all of Africa. The continent has seen many changes over the last twenty years. Impressive economic growth. Incredible innovation and ingenuity. Africa will continue to see positive change. And you - our Scholars - can be a part of that change. I know each of you is driven and determined. You have ideas and dreams. Ambitions and aspirations. 3

4 4 Legacy To all the students with us. I d like to ask you to do something. Please close your eyes. Yes, close your eyes. I d like you to imagine yourself as an older, but vibrant person 50 years from now. Look back on your life. Are you happy? Proud? Do you have any regrets? Whose life have you changed? Have you made the world a more equitable and compassionate place? What will your legacy be? Whatever you imagined, I hope you live it. With passion and purpose. I d like to share a few thoughts about the journey ahead. These are lessons from my own journey that started in Malaysia where I grew up. Like many of you, I completed my university education thanks to the power of scholarships and the privilege of working different jobs on campus.

5 1. Purpose. My first lesson to you is this. purpose. 5 Start thinking about your Beyond money and power, I hope you find your true purpose -- And you will work toward what you hope your legacy will be for your family, friends and those who follow in your footsteps. Think about something in society you would like to change. Not simply change, but fundamentally transform. This is your purpose. It will guide your choices. And, enable you to be successful and fulfilled. The Lebanese poet, Khalil Gibran said To look back on one s life with satisfaction is to live twice. Students, plan to live twice. 2. Know Your Values. My second lesson is this. In order to define your purpose, know your values. Know what you will stand for. K.N.U.S.T. is a university driven by values of leadership and innovation. Excellence. Diversity. And integrity. Your education here will equip you with an ethical compass. With compassion. A sense of community. These values will accompany you in life. You will need them to navigate complex problems, moral choices that you, inevitably,

6 will face on your journey. They will help you to know yourself. And to never stray from what you know to be right. Think of these values as like the roots of a tree. They will keep you grounded in what is important. The strength of these values determine the health of the tree that s you. And, the health of the tree will determine the health of the forest your families and communities, all of those around you whose lives are affected by yours You Never Travel Alone The last lesson is, we never travel alone on our journey. We are always accompanied by those who share our vision and our values. You are surrounded by family. Faculty. Friends. People who have sacrificed for you. People who support you. Each of you all of us are the product of the people who have loved us.

7 7 Leadership for Social Transformation Students, when I look at you, I see leaders on the frontiers of social transformation. You will be ethical leaders. Entrepreneurs. Scientists. Innovators. You have the opportunity to make your communities, and your countries, more inclusive, just and sustainable. I know that K.N.U.S.T. will prepare you with the education, the tools you need to become leaders in your communities and countries. At the Foundation we believe in leaders who are transformative ethical leaders who draw attention to issues. Generate solutions. Mobilise others to act. Transformative Leadership This kind of leadership, what we call transformative leadership, is at the core of the Scholars Program. It is leadership that is built on integrity and driven by selfawareness and sense of purpose. It is about addressing inequity. Making or influencing positive change. We re talking

8 about self-awareness and a deep sense of purpose. To improve the lives of others. Transformative leaders like K.N.U.S.T alumni Koffi Anan and like Kwame Nkrumah himself are visionaries. They care deeply about promoting a more equitable society and improving the lives of others. These leaders are the embodiment of courage, altruism, empathy, resilience and optimism. This kind of leadership isn t just for people of prominence. It doesn t always rely on positions of power. It is also personal power. It is the young man who forms a study group to tutor his fellow students. Or the young woman who runs reproductive health campaigns in her community. Or the young person who works toward building a much-needed hospital in their area. This kind of leadership is something I know all of the young people with us today can relate to. 8 KNUST At the Foundation we see a significant role for institutions of higher learning, like K.N.U.S.T., to develop these kinds of leaders. The university is well positioned to deliver on that charge. It is an institution steeped in history. Your namesake, President

9 9 Kwame Nkrumah, one of the fathers of Africa. Had a vision for Ghana and for Africa s place in the world. He believed in equality. And in leadership and power for purpose, and for change in Africa. This is a vision that K.N.U.S.T shares. And we, at the Foundation, share too. Conclusion That s why this partnership is so important to the Scholars Program. We will continue to build this partnership in the years ahead. So together, we can develop the next generation of ethical, transformative leaders. To help Ghana and the rest of the continent seize the opportunity represented by its vibrant youth. Thank you.