All’s well that ends well. It has been an incredibly resounding two-day summit, which brought together over 50 participants and 18 esteemed speakers at Polytechnic, Yaoundé. The Open Dreams Graduate Summit, ODGS has always been no ordinary event and this year’s summit was no exception. ODGS is a platform for those aspiring for funded graduate studies to gain insights, refine their strategy to unlock their potential, and create meaningful connections, in tune with this year’s theme, In Search of Excellence.
ODGS2024 kick-started with opening remarks from the Country Director, Akaba James. Over the two days, the summit explored diverse scholarship opportunities in the US, UK, Sweden, France, Canada, Italy etc and application tips, with each speaker sharing their unique success experiences. The caliber of speakers curated for this summit was top-notch, consisting of mentors, facilitators, leaders, experts, doctors, alumni, and what have we. Their achievements inspired the participants and reminded them that excellence is attainable – it just requires commitment, which the speakers emphasized a lot on.
Giving up is never the solution and will never be. Below are the different topics that were covered at the summit:
× Opportunities in the USA: The Fulbright Scholarship
× European Postgraduate Studies: Insider Tips for a Strong Application
× Education and Culture: American Students on a year abroad program
× Academic Discourse: Top Tier Preparation for Higher Studies
× Commonwealth Master Scholarship: Application in Action
× Study and Scholarship Opportunities in Sweden
× Successful Keys to Graduate Assistantship in North America
× Navigating PhD Opportunities: The Commonwealth Scholarship
× Navigating the Chevening Scholarship
× Opportunities in France: Sciences Po
× Writing Graduate Research Proposals and Essays
× Writing Compelling Essays and Statements for Admissions and Scholarships
× Community Engagement and Entrepreneurship
× Navigating Scholarship Opportunities in Italy
This summit was, of course, not only a listening session but also an interactive one. The participants engaged with each other, asked questions, expressed their worries, and wrote scholarship essays as they were encouraged to develop creative minds.
Kaleb Wever and Woodkensia Charles, two Americans on a year-abroad program in Cameroon, at the #ODGS2024 courtesy Nnane Ntube. They spoke extensively on the fascinating support systems for students in a typical US University
From the onset, it was very clear that #ODGS2024 was more than just a summit – it was a springboard for participants to reach new heights. They have unearthed valuable insights into the scholarship application process. Equipped with these insights, they are confident in navigating the scholarship landscape and pursuing their academic dreams.
Prince Forghab Donald (University of Oxford), Chairman Bill Njoh Agha (Regional Program Coordinator) & Dr. Iya Maliki (Head of the unit in charge of M&E at the Expanded Programme on Immunization at the Ministry of Public Health, PhD Scholar)
A flyer for the program
Excellence is no longer far-fetched for those who attended this summit. Open Dreams is indeed a place to be.
In a comment at the end of the two-day program, Fulbright Scholar, Nteta Philip, said he got to the program to make a presentation but ended up learning so much from the other speakers to strengthen his mentorship capabilities. This indeed, is how rewarding the graduate summit was to everyone who participated. Awantu Christian Funwi summarized it succinetly: "Ya OD just always seems to figure out what exactly people need and help them get it. OD forever".
Berenice Mtoh highlighted that which makes the Open Dreams Graduate Mentorship Program very rich and distinctive, in this comment: "We are grateful for the opportunity to learn from great minds and people who are where we are aspiring to be"
Second and third pictures: PhD Scholars Zita Ngagoum (Massachusetts Institute of Technology. USA) and Desmond Nji (University of Toronto, Canada) speaking
"I'd like to appreciate the entire Open Dreams team, most especially the organizers of the Open Dreams Graduate Summit. It was an amazing experience, and I must confess the organization was awesome. Thank you too for the food 😊 which I wasn't expecting but it came" - Dr. Bongam Solange Kanla (MD).
Teh Emmanuel (from Buea), Barika Britney, Akisarl Lynn-Everdene (FMBS Yaounde)
Written by Barika Britney, Ndumbe Daniel and Naimbu Bresdelle
Commentaires