Professor Irene Agyepong (right), a public health faculty member of the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons, was Guest Speaker at the second Professor Margaret Gyapong Annual Lecture and Mentorship Programme, held July 7 at the Professor Kofi Anyidoho Auditorium, University of Health and Allied Sciences. This year’s theme was, “Nurturing tomorrow’s leader: The girl child, an agent of change”.
Prof. Agyepong spoke about female literacy and offered pointers on what they must do to become tomorrow’s leaders. She said, “self-mastery and private victory-over-self, precede real and sustainable public victory” and this requires vision, transformative thinking, life-long learning, and energy and edge.
The event was chaired by Vice Chancellor Prof. Lydia Aziato, who expressed thanks to Prof. Margaret Gyapong for sowing her award money of 20,000 euros to start the Dora Gertrude Quaye Memorial Scholarship Fund for brilliant but needy female students, named in memory of her mother, which birthed this lecture series.
The first four beneficiaries of the scholarship fund — Darlington Akua Acquah (SBBS), Anita Kekeli Gakpo (SAHS), Adwoa Amoah Dorcas Kumi (SONAM), and Gloria Mensah (SBBS) — were officially presented with a cheque for 23,240.17 cedis, which covers all tuition and accommodation for the 2022/2023 academic year. The guest speaker was also presented with a citation by the University.
A panel comprising Prof. Margaret Gyapong, Prof. Irene Agyepong, and Architect Ruth Ayittey, and moderated by Dean of Students Prof. Judith Torgbor-Anaman, responded to audience questions.
The packed audience included over 140 students drawn from four local high schools —Mawuko Girls Senior High School, Mawuli Senior High School, Ola Girls Senior High School, and Sokode Senior High School — as well as management, faculty and staff of UHAS. The programme was also livestreamed.
» Watch the video stream below: