Kumasi, Aug. 18, GNA - Former President John Agyekum Kufuor, has underlined the need for the nation's educational institutions to put premium on helping students to uphold the values of decency, self-discipline and patriotism.

They should combine academic excellence with good moral training. This, he said, was necessary not only to ensure the total development of the student but to also assure the country of responsible leaders.

Ex-President Kufuor was speaking at the presentation of the "Peggy Appiah Prize for Excellence in History" to two students of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi. Miss Zenabu Bakuri and Miss Theresa Hutchison, who graduated with first class honours in history, in May this year, received cash award of GH¢500.00 each.

The prize award was instituted in 2009 by the Centre for Intellectual Renewal, an NGO and Department of History and Political Science of the University.

It is meant to recognize outstanding academic performance of students and motivate them to strive for excellence in their chosen careers. Former President Kufuor said given the growing challenges of globalization, including economic hardships and social vices it was imperative that students were taught to always make informed and responsible decisions irrespective of where they found themselves. Additionally, there was the need for tolerance of cultural diversity, he said, adding 93We should embrace and also be tolerant of each other's cultural beliefs and practices since this is crucial to the development of mankind."

He commended the late Peggy Appiah in whose memory the prize award had been established for her outstanding works in literature and service to mankind.

He said her in-depth research works suggested that 93she in a way lived and also dreamt far ahead of time." The ex-President said her ability to embrace the cultural differences and diversity of the Asante people was commendable, adding that it behooved the beneficiaries as students of History to be motivated by her hard work and do all they could to make the world a better place for all to live in.

Professor William Otoo Ellis, Vice-Chancellor of KNUST, in a speech read for him, congratulated the award winners for the feat they had achieved.

He gave the assurance that the University would not lose focus and would continue to remain on the path of training the needed manpower to anchor's the nation's socio-economic development. Peggy Appiah was the wife of the late Mr Joe Appiah, an astute politician and lawyer, and she is credited for writing a number of inspiring books, including the documentation of about 1,000 93Asante" proverbs.