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Ghanaian IT student graduates with unique RGU degree

By Jenny Rush
Diaspora (UK & Ireland) King Wellington
DEC 10, 2014 LISTEN
King Wellington

A Ghanaian student has become one of the first to graduate from a unique IT course aimed specifically at the oil and gas industry.

King Adawu Wellington (26), who had previously studied for an HND in Computer Science at Koforidua Polytechnic, graduated with an MSc in IT for the Oil and Gas Industry from Robert Gordon University (RGU) in Aberdeen, Scotland, on Tuesday, December 9.

He is among the first cohort of students to graduate from the course, which launched last year, and is believed to be the first of its kind.

King said: “It feels great to be among one of the first people to study this course. It is a unique course which makes us stand out in the oil and gas industry and that is what attracted me to it.

“Ghana has recently found oil and gas, and there are lots of opportunities in the country. I needed a course that will combine knowledge in both IT and the oil industry.”

Dr Ines Arana, postgraduate programme leader at RGU's School of Computing Science and Digital Media, said: “The feedback we got from people working in the industry was that some knowledge of oil and gas engineering and petroleum geoscience was vital for IT graduates going into that field as it was difficult for them to operate without a basic understanding of those subjects.

“If you don't know anything about oil and gas engineering then it is hard to understand what IT tools and services are required by companies in the sector.

“We've tailored the course to make sure that students will come away with an understanding of oil and gas engineering and petroleum geoscience, as well as having an in-depth knowledge of IT, which sets them up with the skills they will require to go into a career in computing in that particular industry.”

She added: “This is a very unique degree, which responds to the fact that RGU is based right in the heart of the oil capital of Europe and therefore has a great insight into what employers in that sector are looking for.”

King worked for the Ghana Energy and Petroleum Minister, Honourable Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, as a web project administrator before moving to Scotland and has been sponsored throughout his studies at RGU by his former employer.

He also headed up the minister's personal ICT team and implemented a number of projects in remote communities in the western Ghana.

“He is and always will be my mentor,” King said. “He saw my passion to achieve more and I will be forever grateful to him.”

Looking back on the time he has spent at RGU, King said: “My time at RGU has been fun, challenging and inspiring. I have developed about three business ideas during my course which I intend to implement in Africa. The lecturers were friendly and I worked hard to achieve my distinction.

“I have learnt so much from RGU and I am looking forward to using the knowledge gained from my Masters degree to expand my current company. I also want to start two more companies that will be globally recognised and most importantly that will partner with the Ghana Government to reduce the unemployment rate in the country.”

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