Maher Kheir
MAHER KHEIR, Lebanese Ambassador to Ghana, has called on journalists to invest in research as it has the potential to further Ghana’s cultural co-operation agenda with other nations.
According to him, the world has become a global village with countries closely linked to each other. As such, events in one country affect those of another.
He said such interconnectedness therefore requires that journalists and media organisations have ample information on other countries in order to situate global events within their proper context and to aid development.
He made the call at the maiden edition of the GIJ-Lebanese Community Research Seminar for post-graduate students at the institute.
The seminar is an initiative of the Lebanese Embassy under the auspices of the ambassador.
It will among other things equip beneficiaries of the Lebanese Community Scholarship Programme with research-based knowledge about other countries such as Lebanon, to boost bilateral and cultural co-operation.
Some students presented research papers on Ghanaian-Lebanese topics bothering on education, economy, health, tourism among others.
The research, as well as their findings, will be published to add to the body of knowledge and guide policy direction in respective sectors in the future.
Ambassador Kheir lauded the students for their efforts and openness to learn more about Lebanese culture.
He stressed that Lebanese have been in Ghana for over a century, and are an integral part of its social fabric, but many Ghanaians seem to know little about them.
Dean of the GIJ Graduate School, Dr. Adu Bempah Brobbey, said the seminar was a good initiative which would broaden the scope of students.
He assured that the management of the institute remains committed to raising students who would become active contributors to society’s growth by offering solutions to needs.
“Today, I am very proud of all our students for the excellent presentations on the various topics they selected. The findings show that they have really discovered a lot about Lebanon which will help us draw lessons for the Ghanaian society,” he stated.
The coordinator of the scholarship programme, Ashkaar Naaman, noted that the Lebanese Community in Ghana is keen on deepening its relationship with Ghanaians through quality education.
Some of the students were awarded different prizes for their research, including travel opportunities.
GIJ is one of six tertiary institutions covered under the Lebanese Community Scholarship Programme since 2013.