Recently, the increase in the pool of talented students from higher education institutions in Ghana to seek further education abroad has become common. Although most people view it as a brain drain, it can be argued that the knowledge and skill sets the students acquire will be essential to transforming our country upon return.

Therefore, a need to create a welcoming environment and sense of belonging by highlighting their outstanding achievements while overseas remains relevant.

Bridget Senya Boateng, a medical student and a native of Asante Mampong in the Ashanti Region, is making a significant stride in the Chinese Medical Space.

The young and ambitious Ghanaian medical doctor in training received the prestigious Hebei Provincial Speech and Language Award organized by the International Promotion Office of China.

The competition tasking contestants to use the native Chinese language to share their experiences in China, started with 200 international students across universities in the Hebei Province of China. The competition saw the Ghanaian youngster make it to the top three finalists to receive the government prize.

“Aside from reading medicine, learning new languages is something that I prioritize because, as an aspiring medical doctor, in addition to Ghanaians, I will be managing non-native patients and engaging foreign stakeholders at the professional level. Hence, fluency in multiple languages is a useful tool to help in smooth interaction. I urge all students, locally and abroad, to strive for academic excellence essential for our national development and, importantly, learn new languages as the world increasingly becomes a global village,” she said.