Lebanese Ambassador awards 12 GIJ students despite Lebanon’s crisis

Twelve brilliant journalism students at the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) have received full scholarships from the Lebanese Community in Ghana.

The twelve, four from each level, were drawn from level 400, 300 and 200 ahead of the 2020/2021 academic year which starts early January next year.

The 8 year-long scholarship scheme is an initiative was instituted to support and celebrate Ghanaian students across journalism and legal fields as part of Lebanon’s progressive partnership with Ghana to develop educational co-operation between both countries.

Ambassador’s Remarks

At a brief ceremony to award the beneficiaries, the Lebanese Ambassador, H.E Mr. Maher Kheir, stated that culture is the medium through which people are bound together. Thus, exposure to different cultures broadens the scope of people and builds unity which are key for any society to develop.

This, according to him, is the motivation behind the Community’s continuous investment in education at different levels especially the tertiary level.

“Because we believe culture is a bridge of interaction between people, we’re together with the School Board, introducing a comparative research programme for Masters students. We believe that this initiative is an opportunity for you to discover new cultures and enrich your skills in media and communication” he noted.

Touching on Lebanon’s challenges, the Ambassador intimated that, all Lebanese have been affected by the extremely difficult economic, financial and political crisis, the worst in its modern history, which has been worsened by the corona pandemic and then the horrific Beirut explosion causing 200 deaths, 6000 being wounded and 300 thousand being displaced.

This, according to him, has negatively affected all Lebanese – home and abroad.

He said, “Despite this tough challenge, the Lebanese Community in Ghana, is strictly committed to you and the scholarship program. This commitment is based on the faith of every Lebanese who are inspired by Lebanon’s diversity, human rights and education as pillars of progress and development.

However, he added that, they remain committed to the scholarship scheme as they continue to explore ways to expand and enrol more students.

Mr. Kheir also hinted that, a new comparative research programme has been included for post-graduate students at the institute to promote cultural interaction between both countries.

He, therefore, urged the beneficiaries to take advantage of the opportunity to broaden their knowledge on other cultures and civilizations which is vital to the journalism profession.

“I believe that through the fusion our cultures, we can trace a path that leads us to horizons full of success and progress,” he said.

Rector’s Remarks

Rector of GIJ, Professor Kwamena Kwansah-Aidoo intimated that the support the Institute has received from the Lebanese people in Ghana through the scholarship has gone a long way to make higher education affordable for many.

He thanked the Community for supporting Ghanaian students despite the numerous challenges facing Lebanon at a critical time in their history.

“Since I assumed office as Rector, I have seen the commitment of the Lebanese Community towards our students. Each year, they renew their pledge and award these scholarships to many of our students. Even though Lebanon is going through a very difficult economic time and the next academic year is yet to start, they have come to honour their pledge” he noted.

He promised that the School will continue to uphold high standards of learning to produce the best communication and media practitioners to boost development.

“It is easy to take something for granted when it becomes regular. But we refuse to take this scholarship award for granted. We deeply appreciate the support you continue to give to our students” he stated.

Professor Kwansah-Aidoo applauded the newly introduced comparative research for Masters students adding that it will widen their scope and enrich their journalism career.

Student’s Remarks

One of the beneficiaries, Antoinette Osei-Banahane, thanked the sponsors for providing equal educational opportunities to all – both rich and poor.

Since its inception, the Lebanese Scholarship programme has supported over 200 students from schools like The Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ), University of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and the newly added School of Languages.