Youth Essay Contest 2009

The following set of four articles come from the remaining winners and honorable mentions from CIPE's Third Annual International Youth Essay Contest. CIPE will publish the first set of 2010 winners in November. For more information about the essay contest, visit www.cipe.org/essay.

Education Reform in China’s Universities

Carrie Kung

Article at a glance

• The Chinese educational system suffers from deficiencies, including unequal access to high quality education and the lack of practical training in universities.
• Businesses should take a greater role in education, emphasizing the practical importance and benefit of internships in universities.
• By reforming the system of quotas in universities and the hukou that create obstacles for students in the countryside seeking admittance to universities in the cities, students will earn the opportunity to be educated at higher-quality universities, regardless of their hometowns.

Promoting Youth-led Entrepreneurship in Ghana

Julius Agyemang

Article at a glance

• Policymakers should pay more attention to the role of youth in accelerating economic growth in developing countries in Ghana.
• Governments could spur prosperity and economic growth by improving available skills training and opportunities for youth.
• Young entrepreneurs also need encouragement, motivation, and mentorship to establish and grow their businesses.

Engaging Youth for Good Governance

Asamoah Prince

Article at a glance

• Certain traditional perceptions coupled with a lack of active citizenship have caused apathy and inaction among some youth in Ghana.
• Genuine citizenship means more than voting during elections – it requires understanding and contributing to public policy decisions.
• Youth need to actively engage their government on public policy issues and recognize their responsibilities as citizens. Education is also essential for civic participation.

Reforming India’s Education System to Provide Greater Opportunity

Ujala Shanker

Article at a glance

• Basic failures in the Indian education system include poor teacher attendance and students’ lack of preparedness for university matriculation.
• Entrance to elite schools is designed to reward ascriptive conditions – such as caste, gender, or family notability – rather than merit.
• The education system in India must reform its curriculum, improve access and quality of education, and instill a culture of accountability and transparency so that hard-working students can rise to the top.

Carrie Kung was born in a small city in south China. As many other students from small cities in China, she tried very hard to enter a good university in Beijing. She obtained a decent job after graduation. Although she was lucky enough to receive a good education and have a well-paid job, she notices that there are many students in China who cannot have a good education and end up in poverty. She is concerned about education reform and hopes that everyone can benefit from education in China.

Julius Ankomah Agyemang is from Sunyani, in the Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana. He is a recent graduate of the University of Cape Coast, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Tourism. His hobbies include travelling, researching, reading. He is also is an avid table tennis player. Julius would like to further his education in the field of marketing management and plans to open his own business in the near future.

Asamoah Prince is an alumnus of the prestigious Prempeh College and later studied psychology and sociology at the University of Ghana. He likes to read articles, publications, and books about famous personalities such as Martin Luther King Jr., Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Nelson Mandela, and Mahatma Ghandi. He entered the competition because he has always wanted a platform to address his colleagues in Ghana and Africa, and let them know that our personal and economic freedom are vital to our growth.

Ujala Shanker is currently an Academic Associate at the Indian School of Business in Hyderabad, India. She graduated with a degree in biotechnology from VIT University, Vellore (Tamil Nadu, India) and worked as a Project Officer at the Centre for Social Entrepreneurship and Development at VIT University. Recently a project she was involved in received recognition from the Ashoka Foundation and the team was invited to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to present their venture.

The views expressed by the authors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE). CIPE grants permission to reprint, translate, and/or publish original articles from its Economic Reform Feature Service provided that (1) proper attribution is given to the original author and to CIPE and (2) CIPE is notified where the article is placed and a copy is provided to CIPE’s Washington office.