UPSA Graduates 1,275 Students as Alumni Support and Academic Competitions Highlight Ghana’s Educational Landscape

The University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) has celebrated the graduation of 1,275 students during its 18th Congregation, marking a significant milestone in Ghana's higher education sector. This ceremony comes amidst a series of notable developments across the country’s educational landscape, including major alumni-led infrastructure projects, prestigious academic competitions, and specialized mentorship programs for secondary school students. As the nation focuses on developing future leaders, these events collectively highlight a multi-faceted approach to academic excellence, ranging from postgraduate specialization to grassroots career guidance.

At the UPSA congregation, the graduating class included 189 students from the UPSA Law School and 1,086 from the School of Graduate Studies, featuring the university's first cohorts in new MPhil and specialized LLM programs. Vice-Chancellor Professor Kwaku Mensah Mawutor used the occasion to highlight the university’s recent advancements in research and infrastructure. While he acknowledged a previous breach in the university's results system, he reassured stakeholders that the issue was swiftly corrected to maintain academic integrity. Guest speaker Dr. Philip Oti-Mensah, CEO of UMB, encouraged the new graduates to view career challenges and failures as essential learning opportunities, while Valedictorian Klenam Tsikata urged her peers to remain hopeful despite the competitive job market.

Beyond higher education, the impact of alumni networks on secondary education was recognized at the Old Schools Alumni Networking Gala Dinner organized by the Entrepreneurs Foundation of Ghana. Dr. Ernest Ofori-Sarpong, Global President of the PRESEC Alumni Association, was named "Old Schools Alumni President of the Year 2026." He was specifically honored for the "Old Schools Alumni Project of the Year" after financing a 600-bed dormitory for his alma mater, Presbyterian Boys' Secondary School (PRESEC). This recognition underscores the vital role of alumni in bridging infrastructure gaps and providing mentorship and investment to support the next generation of Ghanaian students.

In the realm of secondary school competitions and career development, the 2026 National Investment Quiz (NIQ) has reached its climax, with Prempeh College, Corpus Christi, Mfantsipim, and St Augustine’s College qualifying for the finals. These schools outperformed their peers in the semi-finals held at the University of Ghana, setting the stage for a final showdown on October 2, 2026. Complementing these academic challenges, the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) Ladies Club recently conducted a mentorship outreach at Aburi Girls Senior High School. The "Tourism Future Leaders Engagement" initiative aimed to inspire young women to pursue diverse careers in hotel management and travel consultancy, while emphasizing the importance of technology and cultural identity in professional success.