By Ernest Nutsugah
Accra, Sept. 26, GNA – Dr Philip Oti-Mensah, Chief Executive Officer, Universal Merchant Bank (UMB), on Friday urged graduates of the University of Professional Studies (UPSA) to solve social problems and strive to make a difference in their chosen endeavours.
Speaking at the 18th Congregation of the University in Accra, he emphasised good reputation, resilience and commitment as some essential values required to succeed in the world of work and business.
He said students must continue to develop skills beyond the classroom, build strong networks, create opportunities, and support one another as they climbed the career ladder.
“Recommend one another, open doors for one another…when others succeed before you, don’t become envious. Celebrate them. Your friend’s success does not diminish yours,” he said.
Dr Oti-Mensah highlighted his journey in the banking and financial sector, stressing that individuals must learn from both failure and success stories.
He said social challenges did not necessarily need revolutionary ideas but identifying things that were not working and making them “easier and better.”
“If you can identify a real problem and solve it, you create value…If you solve it consistently, you earn trust, and if you can solve it at scale, you can build a business around it,” he said.
“In an environment where people are willing to settle for average, excellence becomes a competitive advantage… whether in employment or in business or any professional practise, stand out, solve problems, create value, be excellent.”
The business leader encouraged the graduands to learn from setbacks and be willing to adapt to uncertainties as part of their personal and career development drive.
“Failure is not an event; it is a state of mind… As long as you are willing to learn, adapt, try again and keep moving, you will not have failed,” he added.
A total of 1, 275 students graduated with Bachelor of Law (LLB), Master of Law (LLM), Master of Arts (MA), Master of Science (MSc), Master of Philosophy (MPhil), and Master of Business Administration (MBA) degrees across various disciplines.
The programmes include MA Leadership and Organisational Development, Mphil Information Systems, Mphil Media and Digital Communication Management, Mphil Leadership.
The rest are Mphil Accounting, MBA Accounting and Finance, MBA Auditing, MBA Corporate Communications, MA Brands and Communication Management, among others.
Professor John Kwaku Mensah Mawutor, Vice Chancellor, UPSA, highlighted partnerships to deepen research, policy development, and professional capacity building.
He said the University will sustain the Young Scholars Scholarship Award for brilliant and hardworking students which, among other objectives, was helping nurture the next generation of academics and professionals.
Prof Mawutor tasked the graduands to stay disciplined and apply the knowledge acquired meaningfully to the benefit of society.
“Pursue excellence but never at the expense of integrity…make your profession count; not just the certificate, and above all, your character and the God factor,” he said.
Ms Klenam Tsikata, Valedictorian of the 2026 Graduating Class, commended the University leadership and staff for supporting the academic and professional development of students.
She lauded colleagues for successful completion of the courses, urging them to aspire for greatness and continue to break new grounds.
Graduates who excelled in their programmes also received special awards and recognitions.
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe