ACI Alumni Association
History
The ACI Alumni Association was formed in 2007 to foster fellowship and interaction for mutual benefit among the growing number of graduates from ACI academic programmes: MA, MTh and PhD. It was also to help develop and maintain goodwill towards the Institute in the wider community, and promote its interests.
To facilitate this process, Ms Angela Addy was designated Alumni Affairs Officer with the mandate to serve as a link between the Institute and the Alumni Association. She was to work with Mr Michael Ayensah not only to see to the formation of the Association but also to help in the running of its affairs.
To strengthen the pride of Alumni in the Institute, the two were to engage members of the Association in activities that enhanced meaningful interaction. Up-to-date information on all Alumni was also to be shared and programmes were to be designed to reach out to them and help them stay in touch with the Institute. It was hoped that the Alumni Association would serve as a channel through which support would be received for the Institute.
A maiden meeting to brainstorm on the way forward was held on the premises of the British Council on Wednesday, 31 October 2007, prior to the Asante-Opoku-Reindorf lecture. Present at this meeting were Rev Emmanuel Ahuma (MA 2006), Mr Abraham W. Ng’ang’a (MTh 2006 & PhD cand), Rev Gilbert Gouentouneu (Cote d’Ivoire, MTh 2000), Rev Titus Amralo (MTh 2006), Rev Dr Philip Laryea (PhD 2006) and Rev Dr S. Sule-Saa (PhD 2007). At this meeting, it was agreed that a get-together with the graduands should be organised on the eve of graduation, in preparation for launching the Association the next day.
On the eve of this second graduation (7 December 2007), the Rector met with the graduands and some alumni who had come specifically ahead of graduation, as had been agreed upon. At this meeting, there was good interaction and a lot of views were expressed as to the way forward for the Association.
In view of the fact that there was no graduation ceremony in December 2008, the meeting with the Acting Rector, Rev Dr B.Y. Quarshie, could not come off as was published on the website. Activities of the Alumni Association continued to be mainly limited to a meeting in the period before graduation. On 30 April 2012, however, a major fund-raising dinner, which finally resulted in the purchase of a four-wheeled vehicle for use by the Rector of the Institute, was organized.
The Association has been actively involved in the efforts of the Institute.