President John Dramani Mahama has received an honorary doctorate from the People’s Friendship University of Russia (RUDN) in Moscow on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, in recognition of his contributions to Ghanaian higher education, leadership and public service.
President Mahama received the honour during his working visit to Russia, where he is participating in the third Russia-Africa Forum. In his address following the conferment, the President expressed gratitude to the university’s leadership and the Ghanaian people, while reflecting on his own academic connection to Russia nearly four decades ago.
The conferment also provided an opportunity for President Mahama to highlight the role of education, international academic relations and public service in advancing national development and understanding between countries.
“I accept this distinction with humility and with a renewed sense of responsibility to serve my country and our world and contribute to understanding between our people”.
President John Dramani Mahama
Mahama Acknowledges Ghanaian People in Acceptance Speech
In his response to the honour, President Mahama emphasised that recognition of an individual’s achievements often reflects the contributions and support of many others.
He said he received the honorary doctorate with appreciation to the people of RUDN University and gratitude to Ghanaians, whose confidence in him had given meaning to his decades of public service.
“A university honors an individual, but the work that brings that individual to its doors to receive that honor is seldom done by the individual alone,” he remarked. The President’s comments placed the recognition within the context of collective contribution rather than individual accomplishment alone.
He acknowledged the role of the Ghanaian people in his public service journey and presented the distinction as a responsibility to continue contributing to the country and the wider world.
President Mahama also thanked the government and people of the Russian Federation for the hospitality extended to him and his delegation during the visit to Moscow. He expressed appreciation to RUDN’s leadership and academic council for welcoming him into the university community.
President Reflects on Earlier Studies in Russia
The ceremony held particular personal significance for President Mahama, who recalled returning to the university campus after almost 40 years. The President said he had studied in Russia as a postgraduate student, making his appearance at RUDN a return to a country connected to an earlier stage of his academic journey.
His reflection linked the honorary recognition to his personal experience of international education and the relationships that can develop through academic exchanges. President Mahama’s visit forms part of his participation in the third Russia-Africa Forum, which brings together African and Russian representatives for discussions and engagements.
According to the visit programme provided, his activities include official plenary sessions, the Economic and Humanitarian Forum, bilateral talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and engagements on trade and investment.
The programme also includes promoting Ghanaian culture and receiving honorary doctorate degrees from two Russian academic institutions: the Russian University of Transport and RUDN University. The RUDN conferment took place on October 27.
RUDN’s Historical Links With Africa
President Mahama used the occasion to recognise RUDN’s historical connection with African countries and its role in educating students from across the continent. The university, which bears the name of Congolese independence leader Patrice Lumumba, has welcomed African students over several decades.
President Mahama described the institution as a symbol of the solidarity and friendship extended by the former Soviet Union and Russia to countries emerging from colonial rule. He noted that graduates of the university returned to their countries to contribute to national development after gaining knowledge and skills abroad.
The President also highlighted the value of a university environment where students from different countries and backgrounds can learn together and develop relationships based on curiosity, patience and mutual respect.
He argued that such exchanges remain relevant in a world facing conflict and mistrust, as academic cooperation can preserve dialogue and help countries work together on shared challenges.
Education and International Cooperation
President Mahama’s address placed education within Ghana’s broader development ambitions. He said the country’s young population must have opportunities to acquire knowledge and apply it productively.
He also identified areas such as public health, food security, energy and climate change as challenges requiring cooperation beyond national borders. The President’s remarks connected the university’s international outlook with the need for countries to sustain academic partnerships and mutual understanding.
His acceptance of the honorary doctorate therefore combined appreciation for the recognition with a wider message about the responsibility of educational institutions and public leaders to serve their societies.
The supplied speech excerpt does not specify the precise citation read by RUDN University or detail the individual achievements formally assessed by the institution in deciding to confer the degree.
However, the ceremony recognised President Mahama’s contributions to Ghanaian higher education, leadership and public service, while his address underscored the importance of education, historical understanding and international cooperation.
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