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Ghanaian Students In Norway Interact With Ghanaian Alumni

By G. Edzordzi Agbozo
Diaspora News Ghanaian Students In Norway Interact With Ghanaian Alumni
SEP 24, 2014 LISTEN

Members of the Ghana Student's Association at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, popularly known as NTNU-GH, with a population of over sixty members, have been encouraged to make use of the opportunities they have for their personal development and help contribute to nation building after their studies. They were asked not to focus on the troubles at home but see opportunities.

The call was made during an encounter among the membership of the association and two Ghanaian alumni of NTNU: Professor Nana Aba AppiahAmfo, the Dean of School of Languages, University of Ghana and Madam Yvonne Agbetsomedo, a PhD student at the Stockholm University, Sweden.

ProfessorAmfo studied in NTNU from 1998 to 2001 for her master's degree in Linguistics and from 2004 to 2007 for her Doctor of Philosophy degree in Language and Linguistics. Madam Agbetsoamedo studied at NTNU from 2004 to 2006 after which she taught linguistics at the University of Ghana until 2010 when she went to the Stockholm University for her Doctor of Philosophy studies which she completes in November, 2014.

Their visit to Trondheim was for personal reasons but they took some time out of their schedules to meet the Ghanaian students, some of whom were their students at the undergraduate level at the University of Ghana.

On their part, there are still many chances for employment, research and personal development in Ghana. They cited some of their former students who have got teaching and research appointments in some of Ghana's leading universities and colleges, as examples. Some of their students, who taught with their masters degrees in these institutions, also had scholarships to study for their doctorates both in Ghana and abroad.

Professor Amfo and Madam Agbetsoamedo are of the view that, until one searches for available opportunities, one may think they don't exist. They asked the students not to always listen to some of the news they get from Ghana and use them to shape their dreams but to focus on what they want for themselves and develop to a level of professionalism that makes them fulfilled.

The topics for the interaction ranged from jobs, further studies, personal fears, sharing experiences to jokes, among others.There were about twenty-three students present at the encounter. All of these students are studying for their master degrees in diverse fields: Development Studies, English linguistics and Language Acquisition, Globalisation, Linguistics, Molecular Medicine, Resource Management, and Hydropower Development among others.

The president of the association, Mr. Michael MawuliOgbe thanked Professor Amfo and Madam Agbetsoamedo for the visit and wished Madam Agbetsoamedo success in the final days of her PhD program.

Mark Nartey, one of the second year master students studying Linguistics described the event as “most definitely, an enthralling session … instructive, insightful, illuminating and captivating experience [and a] riveting engagement [that] couldn't [make him and his colleagues] more encouraged.”

PROF. AMFO SEATED, 2ND FROM RIGHT AND MADAM AGBETSOAMEDO SEATED, MIDDLE WITH SOME STUDENTSPROF. AMFO (SEATED, 2ND FROM RIGHT) AND MADAM AGBETSOAMEDO (SEATED, MIDDLE) WITH SOME STUDENTS

PROF. AMFO WITH HANDS OPENED ANSWERING A QUESTIONPROF. AMFO (WITH HANDS OPENED) ANSWERING A QUESTION

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