The 2023 EducationUSA University Fair at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) on Thursday (14 September) witnessed the coming together of more than 1,000 students, parents and guardians interested in opportunities to pursue higher education in the United States.
The fair was hosted by EducationUSA in collaboration with ACE Consult and in coordination with the US Embassy, Accra. It allowed aspiring students and their parents to meet representatives of approximately 30 accredited universities and colleges across the United States.
The 2022 Open Doors Report confirmed that 4,916 Ghanaians studied at U.S. colleges and universities, across all 50 States during the 2021-22 academic year. This represents a 16% increase over the previous year and continues the long-term growth trend among Ghanaian students.
“Even though Ghana was one of the few countries to see an increase in the number of students who went to the United States to study in the last academic year during the pandemic, we aren’t satisfied and are working to see those numbers increase even more,” remarked Laneice Brooker, Cultural Affairs Attache at the US Embassy, during her speech at the College Fair Ceremony.
She reassured the embassy’s commitment to assist more prospective students in the US.
Ghana is the second highest sender of students to the United States from sub-Saharan Africa, only behind Nigeria. The country now ranks 18th globally for sending graduate students to the United States. Laneice Brooker emphasised the embassy’s openness to welcome students of diverse intellectual and cultural backgrounds.
“Our universities and colleges are eager to welcome more Ghanaian students because of the diversity – both intellectual and cultural – they bring to their U.S. classrooms,” she said.
Speaking on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor of KNUST, Provost of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Professor Charles Marfo reiterated the need for one to invest their resources into furthering their education to a higher level.
“Consider as the last step in the formal education ladder, higher education is critical to the development of any nation. It offers experiential learning opportunities. It shapes people’s thinking and provides international exposure and opportunities for high-level research and personal growth,” he said.
In the last year, EducationUSA in Accra and Kumasi has guided thousands of Ghanaian students to apply to universities and colleges in the United States.
Advisors at the centre helped many students secure admissions across hundreds of accredited institutions of higher learning and facilitated $7 million in financial aid and scholarships.
Vivian Amoh is preparing to leave school after sitting her West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE). The 19-year-old believes such an engagement was timely.
“The advisors explained things to me and I am convinced this is going to be a game changer. Studying outside Ghana means exploring a different environment and acquiring knowledge at the same time and this for me would be useful and I have decided to make a step after school”, she said.
“For me, this clearly has disabused the minds of many parents that seeking education outside of the US is a difficult task. I have engaged the resource persons and I think we are good to go”, another parent who gave her name as Thompson told Asaase News.
The Education fair will be replicated in city centres in two other West African countries including Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire.
Reporting By Jonathan Ofori, Ashanti Region
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