The Project Management Institute (PMI) Ghana Chapter Students Club has launched a student club at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) campus in a bid to guide students towards informed career choices in project management.
The inauguration ceremony, which took place at the GB Auditorium of GIMPA on Thursday, March 7, 2024, saw the unveiling of plans to replicate this initiative in other tertiary institutions.
Mr. Frank Owusu-Asamoah, President of the Project Management Institute Ghana Chapter, highlighted the importance of promoting the practice and science of project management through such student clubs.
In an interview with Citi News, he emphasized the organization’s mission to empower students to make informed decisions about their career paths by providing industry mentorship and facilitating project site tours.
The club will offer various benefits to its members, including access to industry professionals, mentoring opportunities, and post-graduation membership with the PMI Ghana Chapter and PMI Global.
“As part of PMI’s strategy, everyone aged 5 to 105 is meant to be educated on project management, including all students of GIMPA. We were here last year, on August 1, to sign a Memorandum of Understanding, and as part of the agreement, we are inaugurating a student club on the GIMPA campus. We have plans to replicate this initiative in other tertiary institutions. Our mission is to promote the practice and science of project management consciously and proactively. This is why we establish student clubs on various university campuses, empowering students to make informed decisions about their career paths.”
Mr. Owusu-Asamoah underscored the collaborative efforts to enhance students’ understanding of project management theory through practical exposure and industry engagement.
“We believe through this agreement with GIMPA, we will be bringing members from the industry who are already practicing in various fields of project management to GIMPA to augment the efforts of teaching and other academic staff here in GIMPA. We also facilitate project site tours for students so they’re able to appreciate what they are studying in theory as it pertains to practice in industry. Even after graduation, they remain members of the PMI Ghana Chapter and PMI Global.”
Acting Dean of the GIMPA Business School, Professor Ebenezer Adaku, reiterated the significance of the club in bridging the gap between academia and industry, emphasizing the importance of upholding the tenets of collaboration.
The inauguration ceremony witnessed the presence of esteemed faculty members, board members, and volunteers from the PMI Ghana Chapter, as well as over 150 students, including newly appointed leaders of the club such as President Francisca Seshimey, Secretary Lady Diana Odumase, Treasurer Edward Sutherland, Operations Manager Mawiah Kadri, and Membership Coordinator Julius Tiovo.
The event marked the beginning of a new era of leadership and collaboration within the project management community at GIMPA.