Let UPSA values effect positive change - Deputy Attorney General advises alumni
The Deputy Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Diana Asonaba Dapaah, has urged past students of the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) Law School to be intentional in carrying forward the school’s values.
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She mentioned the values as excellence, integrity and service, asking them to also leverage the acquired skills to effect positive change in their communities. Mrs Dapaah also urged the past students to come together to honour the school’s rich heritage and recommit themselves to the values of the university that had defined their collective journey.
“Stand united in your shared experiences, bound by the ties of friendship and the promise of a brighter tomorrow,” she said at the UPSA Law School alumni and industry dinner in Accra last Friday.
It was on the theme; “Back to the Future: Celebrating the Legacy of our Alma Mater, reliving memories, reconnecting tomorrow.”
The event
The event was held to bring together the various alumni groups to reconnect them to the school and ensure social networking. As part of the occasion, the school also launched an endowment fund with a seed capital of GH¢100,000, donated by the Group Chairman of the Oswal Investment Ltd, Humphrey Williams.
The fund is to bridge the financial gap of needy students of the school.
Alumni
Mrs Dapaah commended the alumni for the multiple roles they had played in ensuring the transformation of the school into one of the premier universities globally. As many of them aspired to assume positions of major influence in society, she said they must always brighten the corner they would find themselves while hoisting high the flag of the school.
“I would like to say that the fame of an institution is hinged not only on its administration and teaching staff but also on the achievement and development of its students and alumni,” Mrs Dapaah said.
Homecoming
The Dean of the School, Professor Ernest Abotsi, said since its inception, the school had produced some of the most accomplished graduates who had gone on to excel in law practice.
He said the homecoming presented an opportunity for the alumni to reaffirm their commitment and attachment to the law school, while reinforcing network among themselves.
“To us, studying law at the UPSA goes beyond the limited experience of the classroom and accordingly, building networks and the community created by the school should be seen as a continuing initiative to be sustained through gatherings such as homecoming,” Prof. Abotsi said.
Poorly structured alumni programmes
The UPSA Global Alumni President, Francis Dadzie indicated that university alumni were a vital part of the growth and development of progressive universities. According to him, the stronger their emotional connections to their alma mater, the more likely they would give back and provide positive word-of-mouth recommendations.
However, he said many African universities struggled with poorly structured alumni programmes due to a lack of central coordination and clear university-wide goals. He said alumni offices were often understaffed, making consistent communication and engagement with graduates challenging.
“Here at the UPSA, we are addressing these challenges head-on. The UPSA Law Faculty is the first to establish a dedicated departmental alumni office for its graduates, a model for other departments and universities across the continent. By fostering close connections with our law graduates, we create opportunities for mutual benefit,” Mr Dadzie said.