Govt to review scholarships for studies abroad

Kumasi, June 21, GNA - Vice President John Dramani Mahama, has announced that government was working to review scholarships awarded for studies abroad.

This, he said, formed part of measures to rationalise and prioritise the use of resources in funding students' study abroad to save cost for the benefit of the country.

"Scholarships funded by the state will in future be only available for critical courses not offered locally or for training more lecturers to increase the academic staff of universities and polytechnics," he stressed.

Vice President Mahama was speaking at the closing ceremony of the 43rd congregation of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi on Saturday. In all, over 7,000 students graduated and were given honours in first and second degrees as well as doctorate degrees in various fields of study.

He said government would continue to place emphasis on science and technology as the bedrock of the nation's development process and industrialization.

As a result, the Vice-President assured that priorities would be given students who opted to pursue programmes in science and technology within and outside the country when it came to the allocation of bursaries and scholarships.

Mr Mahama was hopeful that authorities of KNUST would work hard for the achievement of the vision for which the university was established.

He said the university must produce the human resource needed to propel Ghana's growth much faster. 21 June 09