150 KNUST students benefit from scholarship scheme
One hundred and fifty students from less-endowed senior high schools (SHS) have benefited from a $20 million scholarship scheme to pursue university education at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
Advertisement
The students, made up of 75 males and 75 females, are the first beneficiaries of the MasterCard Foundation Programme (MFP), a Canadian scholarship.
The MFP signed the 10-year contract with the KNUST in Kumasi last Saturday.
The students were introduced at the ceremony to begin their first degree programme in their chosen fields.
KNUST’s project
The relationship with the Toronto-based organisation falls in line with the university's project which began in 2003 to give scholarships to students from institutions classified by the Ghana Education Service (GES) as resource-challenged.
In all, MasterCard is spending $20 million in Ghana to benefit other institutions including Ashesi University College, Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED) and Africa Leadership Academy.
The foundation provides greater access to education, skills training and financial services for people living in poverty, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa, and also provides unemployed young people with market-relevant skills.
Vice-Chancellor
The Vice-Chancellor of the KNUST, Prof. William Otoo-Ellis, said his vision of increasing graduate education and putting the university at the forefront of industrial research in Ghana remained an achievable one.
He added that stakeholders in the education sector, as well as industry, must intensify collaboration to find solutions to national problems.
The vice-chancellor urged parents not to renege on their responsibility since no amount of economic support would take away their divine responsibility.
CEO
The Chief Executive Officer of the MasterCard, Mrs Reeta Roy, said the programme was serving more than six million people in 49 developing countries, with a concentration of 26 African countries.
She said the foundation aimed to give hope to the next generation of a prosperous African continent.
Establishment
The MasterCard was established as an independent entity in 2006 by MasterCard worldwide when it became a public company.
It provides a combination of skills-building, education, employment and access to financial services.