The Techiman campus of the Valley View University (VVU), at the weekend held its maiden congregation, and conferred degrees on 1,312 graduates.
The 971 males and 341 females, had successfully pursued four-year degree programmes in Bachelor of Education, Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelor of Science in Information Technology and Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness.
Academic awards were presented to outstanding graduates, and deserving lecturers, as well as individuals who in diverse ways, had contributed to the growth and development of the University at the ceremony which coincided with the 21st Congregation of the University.
Professor Brempong Owusu Antwi, the Vice Chancellor of the Adventist University of Africa, Kenya, noted that the graduates had been given the opportunity to develop specialized knowledge, critical thinking and research that had enhanced their capacity to offer meaningful service to the public.
He noted that graduates had the daunting task in the contemporary world of sophisticated self-seekers and corruption, which had been common in Ghana since independence, and asked the graduates to network and serve with integrity.
Prof Antwi emphasized that the real magnitude of the degree conferred on the graduates would be measured by the degree of influence they exhibited and the positive changes and transformations they would bring into society, whether religious or secular.
Prof Dr Dr Daniel Buor, the Vice Chancellor of the VVU, explained that the Techiman campus of the university was established in order to bring quality and affordable tertiary education to qualified students in the middle and northern parts of the country.
He noted that the importance of higher education, which the VVU had committed itself to provide in the country and the larger African society, could not be overemphasized.
Prof Dr Dr Buor stated that the VVU was expanding very fast to make Adventist education accessible to majority of Ghanaians, and provide holistic training as a solution to the spiritual and socio-economic problems facing the nation.
He said processes of upgrading the Techiman campus to a university college status had begun, and hopefully the campus would assume a semi-autonomous university campus by October next year.
Prof Pastor Robert Osei-Bonsu, the Rector of the Techiman Campus of the VVU, explained that the campus which took off officially in the 2009 academic year with an initial student-population of 222, now has more than 3,800 students.
He disclosed that new programmes such as Bachelor of Science, Nursing (regular), BSC Mathematics with statistics and BSC Mathematic with Economics, had been rolled out, adding that the campus was in the process of adding Science Education and French to the programmes in the Education Department.
Prof Pastor Osei-Bonsu reminded the graduates that the education they had received would be incomplete if they ignored the moral and spiritual components of their training.
Mr Alex Kyeremeh, a Deputy Minister of Education in-charge of pre-tertiary, earlier commissioned a lecture theatre, academic monument, road extension and an entrance gate constructed by the university.
