Mahama Receives Honorary Doctorate from Moscow University

Ghana’s President John Mahama has been awarded an honorary doctorate by RUDN University in Moscow, the Russian institution also known as Patrice Lumumba University.

The honour took President Mahama back to the school where he studied as a postgraduate student nearly 40 years ago. He said the return brought back fond memories.

In his speech, the President welcomed the university’s plan to introduce a Russian-African studies programme. He also accepted its invitation for Ghana to send some of its brightest students to the institution for specialised studies.

President Mahama thanked the Russian government for scholarships awarded to Ghanaian students and for its continued support for educational cooperation between the two countries.

He said stronger links between Ghanaian and Russian institutions could lead to more student and teacher exchanges, joint research and professional training in fields such as engineering, medicine and energy.

The President said education remains at the heart of Ghana’s development plans. He stressed the need to widen access to education while also improving the quality and relevance of what students learn.

“A university qualification should give its holder the confidence to ask searching questions and the ability to solve real-world problems,” he said.

President Mahama also spoke about the legacies of Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, and Congolese independence leader Patrice Lumumba, whose name the university bears.

He said the two leaders belonged to a generation that challenged Africans to dream of a future built on dignity, sovereignty and true independence.

“Our responsibility as present-day African leaders is to give practical expression to that aspiration of our forebears,” he said. He added that this responsibility must be seen in the quality of education, the strength of institutions and the opportunities created for young people.

The President described RUDN University as a symbol of friendship and solidarity between Russia and countries that emerged from colonial rule. He noted that the university’s long educational ties with Africa had helped train generations of professionals who returned home to contribute to national development.

Addressing students, he urged them to make full use of their educational opportunities, remain open to different views and protect their integrity in their professional lives.

“Above all, protect your integrity. The trust of those you serve is a responsibility that no academic distinction can replace,” he said.

He ended by expressing hope that stronger ties between Ghana and Russia would create more opportunities for young people, and that knowledge gained at the university would be used to serve humanity in a meaningful way.