The John A. Kufuor Foundation has begun screening processes to select 25 tertiary level students who will form part of the Kufuor Scholars Program Class of 2023.

In February this year, the foundation opened nominations for first year students to apply to partake in the leadership training and mentoring initiative. 2291 students from both public and private tertiary institutions across the country applied to partake in the program.

Now, the John A. Kufuor Foundation has begun a rigorous screening of the applicants list to identify the best individuals to join the prestigious class. First, there will be an internal review of the applications to cut down the number.

Then there will be an assessment of videos submitted as part of the application.

And then, experienced and accomplished professionals selected by the foundation will examine the essays students wrote as part of the application processes to further prune down the number.

After this stage, interviews will be conducted for those who are still left in the race either via video conferencing or over the phone. It is then that the final 25 will be determined.

The foundation is projecting that by the end of July, the finalists will be announced for them to attend a summer camp to begin their training.

If by then, there are still challenges with restrictions as a result of Covid-19, provisions will be made for online sessions.  

Coordinator of the Kufuor Scholars Program Dr. Pascal Brenya is confident the three-year training the finalists will go through will make them “extra - ordinary students in these extra ordinary times” by the time they graduate.

“We hope they will be able to prepare their generation to be able to keep the world going in these extra - ordinary times. This is purely a scholarly aimed programme. And then you will be able to leverage the former president's name as an embordiment of leadership,” Dr. Brenya added.

The Kufuor Scholars Program (KSP) is a leadership and mentorship program for young people in Ghanaian Universities in the first year of their studies.

It aims to add value to the formal education they get at the tertiary level by providing specialized orientation through programmed mentorship, skills and experiential activities.

The program is expected to produce leaders imbued with a strong sense of patriotism, leaders who are innovative, problem solvers, creative thinkers and knowledgeable in their respective fields of endeavour.

The program which started in 2015 admits 20 to 25 students every year to participate in the three yearlong training and mentorship program that seeks to empower them with ethical problem – solving skills.

Four batches have been admitted so far and the current intake will form the Kufuor Scholars Program Class of 2023.

Over a 3 year period, scholars will benefit from leadership mentoring, camps, excursions and visits, seminars, practical leadership internships, and execution of personal projects prior to graduation.

Included in the package is a branded personal laptop and a stipend of ¢500 per semester.

The scholars may also have the opportunity of participating in international exchange programs.