A delegation of the Consultative Committee on Development and Research in Denmark led by Mr. W. Winkel from the Danish Embassy in Accra, called on the Vice-Chancellor to discuss issues bordering on cooperation and collaboration efforts between Danish institutions and the University of Cape Coast in the areas of research.

Welcoming the delegation, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang said they had come to the right place. She said, "this is the beginning of a greater relationship and I promise to grow this relationship to some collaboration between us and some institutions in Denmark on a mutually beneficial basis so that we can play to each other's strength according to their priorities and those that coincide with our own priorities that".

After a lengthy discussion and deliberations, the Vice-Chancellor said from the inception it was very important for the two sides to dialogue so that they could think with the potential partners and be part of the whole process.

She indicated, "we also need a sense of the entire package so that we feed into it what is realistic; that way we cut down frustrations.  It is good to discuss the objectives, requirements and even the format if there is room for it as well as discuss the outcomes, the inputs by looking at how long the project is going to last.  When your partners feel that they are part of it and they are truly partners, the results would be mutually beneficial.  We want the results to be as good as the enthusiasm at the beginning, so whatever we perceived to be hurdles, we would like to remove them as quickly as possible".

The Vice-Chancellor continued that research needed to bring tangible results since it was a source of encouragement for the researcher and the funder, adding "a lot also depended on the nature of funding and collaboration between the industry and the research institutes so that they would be able to fund certain projects they intend to use."

In his contribution, the Registrar of UCC, Mr. Isaac Ohene, referred to the size of the student body and its impact on the University's ability to conduct research.  He explained that due to the large class sizes, lecturers have to spend more time on teaching than research.

He requested the Team to provide data of some of their institutions and the areas that they are specialised in, so that UCC could also compare with its areas of specialty or areas where the University needed support so that "when we are writing our applications we may know exactly where we should apply" he added.

The Vice-Chancellor, in her closing remarks thanked the delegation for the visit and took the opportunity to invite them to come back since dialogue began.

Present at the meeting were the Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Prof. D. D. Kuupole; Dean, School of Biological Sciences, Prof. Sam Yeboah; Dean, School of Physical Sciences, Prof. Yeboah Mensah; Dean, School of Agriculture, Prof. J. A. Kwarteng; Director, Centre for International Education, Prof. K. Opoku-Agyemang and the Head, Department of Agricultural Engineering, Rev. Dr. Owusu-Sekyere.

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