MADINA INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY - LAUNCHING CEREMONY

Vice-President, Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia

At the launch of the Madina Institute of Science and Technology (MIST) on Saturday, September 30, Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia in his speech reiterated the government’s commitment on ensuring that every district within the country gets at least one factory. 

 Dr. Bawumia said for government’s industrialization agenda to be possible, the country will need more locally produced engineers and this would be possible if technological institutions train more people into becoming engineers. He urged the school authorities to “…produce practical engineers” who will solve the nation’s problems through their knowledge and experience and not “….engineers who can  hardly undertake the simplest of tasks in their areas of specialization”. This he said will ensure bridge the gap between academia and industry.

According to him, if this advice is heeded to, government wouldn’t have to engage experts from other countries to operate on its flagship One-District, One-Factory programme so, therefore, urged MIST to accomplish this goal as they are the pillars of government’s industrialization agenda.                                    

"Government’s one district one factory policy will ensure that there is at least one factory in every district. This means that without adequate training of Ghanaians, experts from outside the country will be engaged to man these industries. Therefore institutions such as Madina Institute of Science and Technology are significant pillars in our
industrialization agenda”, he said. 

He advised the students of the institute to take their studies seriously for them to play a key role in national development and encouraged them never to give up on their studies, even if they were confronted with challenges.

He also advised parents to always play their roles well by showing a keen interest in the training and development of their children.

“Parents should serve as the immediate mentors, coaches and counsellors to their children, so that the children will develop the necessary emotional resilience to overcome challenges in their lives,” he said.

M.I.S.T Council Chairman, Mr. Salem Kalmoni

The Council chairman, Mr Salem Kalmoni in his speech, in 2008, the Chief Executive of Al-Diaa Society, a Muslim non-Governmental Organization, Sheikh Nasser Mansour conceived the idea of building a secular tertiary educational
institution. The idea was embraced by the Lebanese and Egyptian Communities resident in Ghana.

“By the end of 2012 Your Excellency, almost all the physical infrastructure required to establish a university institution had been constructed and the group, now registered with the Registrar General’s Department of the Republic of Ghana as the Madina Foundation for Science and Technology (MFST), tasked some consultants to start
the paper work for the affiliation and subsequent accreditation of the Institute.” He said.

 Mr KAlmoni members of MFST and sheikh Mansour saw need to admit qualified candidates have access to tertiary education by pegging the fees to a low level compared to other private institutions. He said, the foundation is sourcing funds to provide scholarships to needy but brilliant students. 

He said,”….M.I.S.T is not a business venture and has not been established for profit. With the fees as low as they are, one cannot even talk of cost recovery. It is, however, important that by the time it would be turning out its first graduates, M.I.S.T should be self sustaining and ready to be weaned off the support of the sponsors.”  He said , donors and M.I.S.T  community will appreciate if government supports students through “the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) by way of the provision of reprographic equipment and most importantly, a bus”. This will give the donors expand other works and maintaining the low fees.

Vice-President, Academic Affairs- Naa Ali Seidu Pelpuo

For his part, the Vice-President Academic Affairs, Naa Ali Seidu Pelpuo, in his speech re-affirmed the vision of the university to become a respected science and technology institute renowned for high ethical standards and academic excellence and producing graduates who aspired to become successful entrepreneurs and the first choice of employers globally.

He echoed the facilities available on campus and the approach used in teaching loosens up students and instils an appreciable level self confidence in them which results in their desire to do individual or group research.

Vice-Preside, Dr Bawumia and Mr Kalmoni unveiling the Plaque