ABISSATH MODERN BLOG

ISS GRADUATION 2014: AND IT CAME TO PASS

by Mawutodzi Kodzo Abissath

ISS Rector (middle) poses with Ghanaian MA Graduates for 2014

Traditional African wisdom is reflected in this Ghanaian proverb that says: “If you have not been to the war front, you may have the luxury to accuse others that they did not fight hard enough.”

It was a rainy-winter Friday, December 12, 2014 in The Hague, The Netherlands – land of learners! Even though the temperature outside was chilly, heat was evaporating inside grandaunts’ heart! Anxiety + excitement + tension = uncertainty were mixed together like a chemical solution for an experiment in a psychological lab. No one was cocksure about the outcome. Then Professor Dr. Freek Schiphorts |Deputy Rector, Education at ISS, emerged like a chemistry master to direct affairs. Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, Rector, Chair, BoE, members of the diplomatic corps here represented ‘bla-bla-bla…’ I hereby welcome you to the 62th graduation ceremony of ISS of the Erasmus University Rotterdam… (Please note that what I have just said is ‘paraphrasing and not citation that requires referencing in order not to be grabbed by the long arm of plagiarism).

The occasion was the graduation ceremony of the 2013-2014 batch of Master of Arts (MA) in Development Studies. The ISS largest auditorium Aula B was full to the brim. All manner of visitors and observers who thronged the hall to witness the enviable event were more than the over 100 graduants themselves. These were made up academic staff, administrators and other supporting staff of the school. Representatives of members of the diplomatic corps from all corners of the globe whose students were graduating were at hand to cheer the brand new graduates of their respective countries. But the most curious eyes were the new batch of 2014-2015 students. They were curious not only because they wanted to see how MA graduants receive the precious certificates from the golden hands of the Rector but to imagine how they themselves would be grabbing their own certificates in approximately 450 days.

Welcome address

Welcoming distinguished guests to the solemn but sparklingly grandiose occasion, Dr. Schiphorts placed it on record that this year’s event was unique in the true sense of the word. For example, he observed that this was first time in the over 60 years history of the Institute where graduating MA students had their images popping up on an electronic screen as their names were mentioned to collect their golden certificates. It was just fantastic! The whole show was like Hollywood Grammy awards ceremonies in America. with short messages by the graduates themselves. This creative and innovative touch was credited to the ingenuity of one of the youngest ISS administrators in the person of Ank van Berg. Paradoxically, though, Ank the youngest would be retiring at the end of this academic year. She has lived to see how ISS metamorphosed from a crawling larva to a gigantic academic dinosaur it is today. Apart from the school as an organization recognizing the good and selfless dedicated service of Ank over the years, this author has a personal homage to pay to her. Ank is an angel of high education who appended her signature on his admission letter as far back as 2011. She is such a humble soul. And I wish to add my voice to that of ISS to say: ‘May the Divine Intelligence guide, protect and grant her perfect health to enjoy the fruit of her pension to the full.’

After the welcome address, the Rector, Professor Dr. Leo de Haan delivered his keynote address. As a man of few words he went straight to the point to say what he had to say. He also corroborated the Deputy Rector for Education Affairs that, indeed, this year’s was the most spectacular he had ever witnessed since assuming the directorship of ISS since 2010. He was particularly overjoyed the SCHOLAS and the entire student body for 2013-2014 batches have been able to produce the Best Student Essay book. The official title of the book is PERSPECTIVES IN DEVELOPMENT An Exercise in Working. The Rector noted that he had been travelling all over the world and the collection of the Institute’s Best Essay Book is what he has been taking along for distribution to deserving recipients. He lamented that for the past two consecutive academic years students had not been able to produce the book. This explains his ecstasy and felicitations to 2013/14 SCHOLAS. In fact, the SCHOLAS president Yenutien Kombian presented the very first copy of the magnificent book to the Rector. Copies were also presented to members of Board of Examiners (BoE) and all graduants received a copy each.

Presentation of Certificates

When the ‘talking session’ was over, the real business of the day took off. The presentation of certificates to deserving MA graduates. Alphabetically, graduates whose Major is Agrarian and Environmental Studies (AES/AFES) are destined to be the first to taste the sweetness of collecting certificates from the magnetic hands of the Rector. This ritual will continue till thy kingdom come because AES/AFES students are the hands that feed the mouths of other Majors. The truism is that ‘an hungry man is an angry man’ and ‘an army marches on its stomach.’ So, therefore, no graduates of other Majors can survive let alone to study, write and pass their exams if they have no food to eat. And who are the producers of food and protectors of the environment in Development Studies at ISS? Thus, the first to present certificates for the day was no other person than the Convener of AES/AFES. She was in the person of the dynamic, energetic and eloquent youthful Professor Mindi Schneider. Amazingly, in order not to hold anxious graduants and guests in suspense with another long lecture, she went straight to point to present certificates to her graduates. But before she did that she surprised the alert audience with a perfect rendition of a poem she announced was written by one of their own students of AES/AFES. She pointed out that she found the poem, which was titled Flying among Scholars to be relevant for the occasion. It reads:

FLYING AMONG

THE SCHOLARS

Soaring like Phoenix

The wizard bird

Of Greek mythology

Surging like Eagle

The wonder bird

Of African folklore

The son of man

Rose from the abyss

Of academic obscurity

And landed on the star

Of the bright blue sky

In an academic style

That’s flying among

The scholars!

By Yours truly

M.K.A

Having paved the way for others to follow, other Conveners supported by their Programme Administrators judiciously presented certificates to their respective MA graduants via the Rector. Analogically, the Rector may be likened to be the way, the truth and the light of ISS. No one smells the scent of one’s certificate except through him. And the Rector performed this singular duty of handing over certificates to over 100 graduates with happiness and joy. He always smiles as the official ISS photographer points the nose of a camera at him as if to shoot him dead. Yet, both the smiling Rector and the jubilant graduate enjoy cheers from the audience. It was an inspiring scene to behold! Eventually, all other graduates in other Majors including Economics of Development (ECD), Governance, Policy and Political Economy (GPPE), Human Rights, Gender and Conflict Studies: Social Justice Perspectives (SJP) as well as Social Policy for Development (SPD) received their enviable certificates with jubilation.

Most ‘something’ Teacher Awards

President of SCHOLAS, Yenutien Kombian delivered a very simple but analytical and logical speech of the 21^st century. She touched on almost every aspect of academic life at ISS that took place during the period under review. She mentioned the orientation programme at the start of the year and to the graduation ceremony that closed 2013/14 academic years. She then crowned her presidential assignment with the decoration of three teachers in the following categories: Most Effective, Most Innovative and Most Inspirational Teacher Awards. It is an axiom that there can no graduate without a teacher. It is the considered opinion of this author that the three awards were too limited to the numerous teachers who mold students into MA graduates at ISS. I therefore, suggest that the future SCHOLAS executives should consider raising the number of teach awards from the current three to at least eight (8). In other words, in addition to the general three awards mentioned above, every Major should institute specific awards. For example, there should be at least one annual Most Innovative AFES Teacher Award, another one for ECD and so on to cover all the five Majors of the Institute. Even though lecturers are self-motivated already, the Major Awards will inspire most of them if not all to give off their best. And this will inure to the benefit of students themselves. If I were pushed to the wall I would vouch that all teachers of ISS deserve tones of tones of awards. I call on those international Research Institutions and other organizations that institute cash prize awards for MA students should consider doing same for ISS teachers too. After all, is what is good for the gander not magnificent for the goose?

Like the Thankful Leper in the Christian Bible, (Luke 17: 11-19) even the Master Jesus placed premium on the value of appreciation. That was why it was reported that when he healed ten lepers, only one of them went back to show himself to Jesus. Then Jesus asked: 'Where are the others?' I cannot conclude this personal report on the 2013-2014 Graduation event without saluting all those who in diverse ways assisted, counseled, directed, guided, helped, inspired, monitored, supervised supported and tutored me to be counted among this year’s graduates. Thus, Flying among Scholars poem. And it came to pass. For, what is written, is written and no eraser can clean it from the Akashic records. Some colleagues confessed to me that they were surprised that I, Mawu, could graduate together with them despite my excruciating experiences during our years at ISS. To God be the the glory!

However, stay tuned for another story about my personal experiences as MA student from the day I landed in the Netherlands- the land of learners to the day I departed ISS of the Erasmus University Rotterdam will be chronicled chronologically. For the benefit of those who do not know where ISS is located in the Netherlands: The campus in nested in a royal enclave in The Hague, global City of Peace, The Netherlands- land of global justice. The address is International Institute of Social Studies
Kortenearnkade 12, 2518 AX The Hague, The Netherlands.

Congratulations to all who graduated. They indeed granulated their brains into grains and drained their brains to obtain the gains of their dreams. Congrats! Congrats!! Congrats!!!

Story and photographs by Mawutodzi Kodzo Abissath

Ghanaian graduates with the Rector Prof. Dr Leo de Haas