Russian University of Transport confers honorary Doctorate Degree on President Mahama
President John Dramani Mahama has been honoured by the Russian University of Transport for his contribution to Ghana’s national development, particularly in transport infrastructure, education and professional training.
The university’s Academic Council, in a citation read at the conferment ceremony in Moscow on Tuesday, praised the President’s leadership and commitment to development, noting that his policies reflected the institution’s principle of placing knowledge at the service of society.
President Mahama, who became the first sitting Head of State to receive an honorary doctorate from the institution, said transport infrastructure remained an important driver of economic growth because it connects people to opportunities and enables goods to move efficiently between production centres and markets.
“Farmers’ harvests gain value because they can be moved from the farm to the market. A young person’s prospects improve when reliable transport connects his home to school or work. Businesses can grow and expand when goods move efficiently between production centres, ports and consumers,” he said.
Accepting the honour, the President outlined Ghana’s ongoing transport infrastructure projects, including the expansion of port facilities, reconstruction of major road networks, airport expansion and the development of the railway network.
He also disclosed that work was underway to rebuild Ghana’s national airline, expressing hope that it would resume operations before the end of his tenure.
President Mahama said these projects required skilled engineers, researchers and transport professionals capable of planning, developing and maintaining infrastructure to meet the country’s changing needs.
He called for stronger cooperation between the Russian University of Transport and Ghanaian universities and technical institutions, particularly in transport engineering, railway development, logistics, road safety and the use of technology in traffic management.
“I am happy to hear that the Russian University of Transport has links with Ghanaian science and technology institutions and technical universities. There is scope for collaboration in transport engineering, railway development, logistics, road safety, and the application of technology to transport and traffic management,” he said.
The President also encouraged more Ghanaian students to pursue specialised studies at the university, noting that his visit had revealed that only one Ghanaian student was currently enrolled there.
He said expanded academic exchanges, scholarships and joint research would help build local expertise and strengthen Ghana-Russia relations.
President Mahama expressed gratitude to the university for the recognition and dedicated the honour to the people of Ghana, whose confidence, he said, had given meaning to his years of public service.
He said he hoped the conferment would deepen the friendship between Ghana and Russia and create further opportunities for cooperation in education, transport development and research.
Richard Aniagyei, ISD
