Whether or not an international student returns to Ghana after study is a secondary matter compared to the question of their active contribution to the country’s advancement with the knowledge acquired, Prof Elsie Effah Kaufmann has intimated.

She spoke to Class News’ Prince Benjamin (PB) on Wednesday, November 27, 2024, on the sidelines of the launch of the Education USA Advisory Centre, Osu, Accra.

The engineer and academic recalled when she left Ghana to study biomedical engineering abroad, staying in the US and in the UK for 15 years, before coming back home.

She noted her education and experience in the West were “invaluable,” shaping and enriching her worldview. She, however, had no intentions to stay back despite the enticing offers she had because, among other reasons, she had to honour a promise made to the panel that selected her to study abroad.

Also, her return home was imperative, she noted, because she had to contribute her quota to the development of a country she loved deeply.

Notwithstanding, Prof Kaufmann underlined “it’s not easy,” to return to Ghana after study abroad.

Thus, she added, “the first thing is to make up your mind that you’re coming back.

“Once you make up your mind, you have to realise that there will be challenges. Things are not always the same as what we’re used to. I spent 13 years in the US and two in the UK – that’s 15 years away – before coming back to Ghana. It was not easy at all. Things were different here [upon return]. I had made up my mind to come back [though]. When times got hard, I’d remember that this was something I said I’d do, that this was a promise I made to my country. It takes determination, looking at the bigger picture instead of the daily grind and problems.”

In conclusion, and on the other hand, the Associate Professor and Founding Head of the Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Ghana (UG), Legon, Accra, observed the current advancement of technology made it easier for international students who accepted various opportunities upon completion of studies abroad to still contribute meaningfully to the progress of Ghana while away.

The National Maths & Science Quiz (NSMQ) Mistress encouraged Ghanaians in the diaspora not to be apathetic but get creative about offering their expertise to shape their home country to reflect – as much as practicable – the advancement they experience abroad.

“But these days, times are different. I even tell my students that are travelling outside they don’t need to be physically present [in Ghana] to make an impact. The early days, this was harder because we didn’t have opportunities to interact so readily. Now, it’s possible to be elsewhere and still make an impact in Ghana. So find ways of how you want to make an impact in Ghana. Make sure you’re contributing whether you’re physically present or not,” Prof Kaufmann said.