The Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, Her Excellency Sun Bao Hong, has presented cash awards totaling $2,000 to 20 winners of the 2016 Chinese Ambassador鈥檚 Award at the University.
The winners were part of students who participated in a semester鈥檚 Chinese Language Proficiency course. Benjamin Nketiah Agyemang emerged the best student and received $200 as his prize.
In a welcome address, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Prof. George K. T. Oduro, said the Ambassador鈥檚 award was instituted to recognise high performance in the learning of the Chinese language and commended the Ambassador for showing keen interest in the programme. 鈥淚t is her vision to make it possible that learning of the Chinese Language was brought to the doorstep of both students and staff.聽 We owe her a debt of gratitude鈥�.
Prof. Oduro said 鈥渢he University operates a system of meritocracy and does not compromise on quality; therefore, it will always award excellence鈥�. The Pro-Vice-Chancellor said Ghana-China relationship dated back to the 1960鈥檚 where the first President of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah and the Chinese leaders of his days laid a solid foundation for strong bond of collaboration. 聽鈥淒ue to this strong foundation, since 2008, there have been a lot of students and staff exchange programmes between the University and the Hunan City University. This has eventually culminated in the commencement of this Chinese Proficiency Course鈥�.
Addressing the gathering, Ambassador Sun Bao Hong said 1,200 Ghanaian students have been granted visas to study various courses in China and therefore urged the awardees and other students to take the learning of the Chinese language and education in general serious since times were changing very fast. Ambassador Sun Bao Hong reiterated that Ghana and China have enjoyed time-honoured friendship, adding, 鈥淚 am committed to deepening the relationship鈥�.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Joseph Ghartey Ampiah, who chaired the ceremony, commended the award winners for their efforts and advised them not to be complacent. He hoped others would take advantage of the Confucius Institute on campus to learn the Chinese Language and Culture.