The Russian Embassy in Ghana, on Thursday donated 250 books valued at GH¢6,000 to the Russian section of the Modern Languages Department, University of Ghana (UG).
Mr Igor Degtyarev, Minister-Counsellor of the Russian Embassy, said the donation aimed at promoting the study of the Russian language in the country.
He said the Embassy has been supporting the Russian Language Department of the UG every year
Russia also offers scholarship to the best students from UG to pursue further studies at the Pushkin Institute of the Russian language in Moscow.
He said the Russian Embassy was making efforts to train more young Ghanaians would in Russia, in critical areas such as medicine, agriculture and oil and gas.
“All these affirm Russia’s intention to further develop her relations with Ghana and Russia considers Ghana as a reliable and time-tested partner,” Mr Degtyarev said.
He said until 2004, Russia offered to Ghana 20 state scholarships annually, but this year it would offer 60 scholarships.
Mr Degtyarev said additionally, Lukoil, a Russian oil company, operating in Ghana, would award 10 scholarships.
“Around four thousand Ghanaians have already graduated from higher educational institutions in the Soviet Union and Russia, and hundreds are studying there today,” he affirmed.
Mr Degtyarev said Ghana was at the forefront of democracy and advised Ghanaian students to improve their academic standards.
Professor Cephas Omenyo, Dean of the Faculty of Arts at the UG, who received the donation, said Russian Language is important and its study would help strengthen Ghana’s academia.
He appealed to the Embassy to increase the number of Russian scholarships to Ghanaian students to help boost the study of the language.
Prof Omenyo said the Faculty would continue to promote the study of the Language.
Source: GNA