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Nine Students of School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Receive Dean’s Award

10 Mar, 2023 By DIS

The School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences has awarded nine (9) students at its Dean’s awards ceremony.

The deserving students - from Level 200 to 400, were awarded in recognition of their efforts and distinguishing themselves academically.

The students were awarded in the categories of best-performing student, most improved student, and overall best student among others.

Addressing the gathering, the Central Regional Manager of the Pharmacy Council, Pharmacist Ishmael Damoah-Aferi, encouraged the students to take their academic work seriously. He also advised them to take keen interest in reading across varied disciplines in order not to confine them to the area of Pharmacy. 

Pharm Damoah-Aferi reminded the students that books had information to improve the lives of everybody.

 

A group photo of awardees with faculty and some members of the Pharmacy Council

 

“One thing our former Registrar used to say is that the day you stop learning you become a danger to society. There are a lot of things you are going to get in the books you see on the street. Sometimes you meet them in the traffic when you are traveling; GHS 15, GHS 25 and they tell you the experiences of great men though they may not be related to our culture. But then, you can pick one or two things from there and they will really help you” he said.

The Vice-Dean of the School, Dr. Robert Peter Biney, said the ceremony was to recognise students who obtained first class at the end of each academic year. 

He paid glowing tribute to Professor David Darko Obiri for pushing the agenda for student pharmacists and biochemists to be recognized every year. 

An awardee, a level 200 Student Pharmacist, Mrs. Grace Naa Lamley Mills, who was awarded the overall best student as well as the best female student for level 200, advised her colleagues to use their time profitably on campus to make good grades.

 

Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC

Mr. George Sabblah

FDA Schools Pharmacy Students on Patients’ Safety

09 Mar, 2023 By DIS

The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has organised a workshop for students of the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences of University of Cape Coast on patients’ safety. Other participants were drawn from the School of Nursing and Midwifery as well as the School of Medical Sciences.

 

The programme, which was organised by the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, was on the topic, "Ensuring Patient Safety: The role of Professionals." 

 

The Head of the Department of Safety Monitoring at FDA, Mr. George Sabblah, underlined the need for students to report appropriately on Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) and any other related reaction cases to the FDA for immediate attention. 

 

He told the students not to conceal any adverse drug reactions from their colleagues at their health facilities in future in order not to jeopardise the safety of clients. 

 

Mr. Sabblah pointed out that public safety was the topmost priority of FDA hence; participants should understand and appreciate pharmacovigilance and ADRs. 

 

He also expressed the commitment of FDA to combat counterfeit medicines on the Ghanaian market through its frequent market surveillance to sample drugs and their efficacy. He, therefore, asked medical practitioners to assist the FDA to help protect the nation’s drug supply.

 

The Vice-Dean of the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Dr. Robert Peter Biney, on his part, said pharmaceutical care was patient-centred, which required pharmacists to work with patients and healthcare providers to promote health, prevent diseases and modify medication use to ensure that drug therapy regimens were safe and effective.

 

He, therefore, urged pharmacists to intensify their education to enlighten the public on substandard medicines, among other health concerns.

 

Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC.

Prof. Elizabeth Capaldi taking her turn at the seminar

Insects can withstand harsh weather conditions - Dr. Combey

09 Mar, 2023 By DIS

The Department of Conservation Biology and Entomology has indicated its readiness to collaborate with other research institutions and industries to apply knowledge of some identified characters of insects to develop environmentally friendly products.

The Head of the Department, Dr.  Rofela Combey, who disclosed this, said "insects’ body have some compounds and small structures that allow them to protect themselves (from extreme environmental conditions)."

" It will be nice that the dress you are wearing for instance can block radiations from the sun or the creams and sunscreens we use can be more effective to protect yourself from high sunlight intensity" she continued. 

 

Dr. Rofela Combey, making a presentation at the seminar

 

Dr. Combey was making a presentation on the topic: “Exploring Insects' Wings as Bio- Inspired Materials." at a departmental seminar held at the Sasakawa conference room.

She noted that through the study, it was realised that dragonfly wings were made up of materials that allowed them to block lights that were harmful to their body generally.

She also added that “insects have structures on the wings that protect themselves from rainfall”. The dragonfly, unlike other insects, is able to fly even in the raining season whereas other insects go into hiding at such a time. The study revealed that this ability of dragonflies is as a result of a property of the wing which prevents it from getting wet.

Despite the general knowledge that insects are harmful, Dr. Combey explained that there are several beneficial insects that already contribute significantly to our comfort as humans through pollination and other ecosystem services but then other area of the knowledge of insects that can be further explored is the application of their inherent characteristics and properties to develop products that would be beneficial to man.

Prior to the earlier presentation, a Visiting Professor from Bucknell University, Prof. Elizabeth Capaldi, speaking on the topic:" Multi Learning Modals in Honeybees", in her presentation noted that honeybees had memory of places that linked them to food sources.

She explained how bees are able to modify their behavior to locate their food resources through learning of their environment and the features present at every point in time.

"When they randomly find food. They remember its location based on what they see from the source of the food and are able to return back to their nest. This helps them figure out where to go to find food on the next trip, " she indicated.

 

Prof. Elizabeth Capaldi taking her turn at the seminar

 

Despite the small brains of honeybees, Prof. Capaldi stated that they could hold memories for a long time as compared to other insects.

The Visiting Professor, therefore, called for urgent steps to protect the habitat of bees, mostly forests, to ensure that the country was able to take advantage of the benefits that bees offer to the citizenry.

Prof. Elizabeth Capaldi

Dignitaries and participants of the 12th SDG Graduate School

Culture is the common denominator for attaining the SDGs

09 Mar, 2023 By DIS

 

The Head of Department of Music and Dance, Dr. Eric Debrah has noted that culture has an important role to play in the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Dr. Debrah explained that the SDGs focused primarily on attitudinal change which could be better communicated through the culture of people.

“Culture is who we are, and what shapes the identity of people and without it there will be no development. How do the people in the local communities appreciate research tailored towards addressing SDGs without taking into consideration their culture values”

He maintained that placing culture at the heart of development policies is the only way to ensure inclusive and equitable development.

Dr. Debrah made these comments in an interview at the 12th SDG Graduate School which is being held at the University of Coast on the theme “Performing Sustainability. Cultures and Development in West Africa”.

The SDG Graduate School is an interdisciplinary collaborative training network for graduate students by the University of Hildesheim, Germany, University of Cape Coast, Ghana and the University of Maiduguri, Nigeria.

Funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the SDG Graduate School focuses on the overlapping areas of culture, arts, conflict, and sustainable development.

Opening the one-week workshop, Prof. (Mrs.) Rebecca Dei Mensah who represented the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Rosemond Boohene, said the SDGs sought to create peace and prosperity for people and the planet now and into the future by reducing the challenges of the globe in 17 cardinal areas.

She was hopeful that discussions at the workshop would help proffer solutions to address the SDGs especially Goal 4.

“The University of Cape Coast will be delighted if these topics are addressed in your deliberations especially Goal 4 which deals with quality inclusive and lifelong learning as well as issues relating to sustainable energy which are still challenges predominant in Africa” she indicated.

 

Opening ceremony of the workshop

In his remarks, the Director, Center for World Music, University of Hildesheim, Prof. Raimund Vogels said the workshop over the years had been phenomenal adding that students had used the opportunity to interact with renowned professors across the globe. 

He stated that one of the objectives of the workshop was to help students complete their programmes on time. “Through this project two cohorts of PhD and Masters students have successfully completed their programmes of study.”

On his part, the Director of the Centre for the Study and Promotion of Cultural Sustainability of University of Maiduguri  Prof. Saliba James, said the project had offered UCC and his University unique opportunities for staff development mostly at the PhD levels.

“Our students have also used this platform to meet and interact with their colleagues from other countries and culture and I must say the experience has been remarkable,” he added.

Present at the ceremony were the Dean, School of Graduate Studies, Prof. Sarah Darkwah; Dean, Faculty of Arts, Prof. Kwabena Sarfo Sarfo-Kantaka; Dean, Office of International Relations, Prof. Kwaku Boakye; Former Head, Department of Music and Dance, Prof. Florian Carl and some senior members and officials of SDG Graduate School project.

 

 

 

 

 

UCC Management donates lab equipment to Dept. of Biomedical Sciences

09 Mar, 2023 By DIS

Management of University of Cape Coast has donated ultra-modern laboratory equipment to the Dept. of Biomedical Sciences. 

The equipment, worth GH¢ 500,000, are to improve teaching, learning and research at the Department. 

The equipment included gel documentation system, autoclave (commercial) and water distillation plant. 

Making the presentation on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Johnson Nyarko Boampong, the Dean of the School of Allied Health Sciences, Prof. Desmond Omane Acheampong, explained that the gesture was in response to an appeal by the Department through the School of Allied Health Sciences to management of the University. 

"The equipment you see today is in fulfillment of a request made by the Department through the School to the Vice-Chancellor and management of the University” he stated.

 

The equipment presented to the Dept. of Biomedical Sciences by management of UCC

 

Prof. Omane Acheampong said the equipment were also aimed at making sure that students were well-equipped, knowledgeable and ready to serve as Biomedical scientists in hospital laboratories across the globe. 

He urged staff and students of the Department to maintain the equipment in order to lengthen their lifespan.

Receiving the equipment on behalf of the Department, the Head of the Department of Biomedical Sciences, Prof. Alexander Egyir-Yawson, commended management of the University for the gesture.

The equipment, which he said had come at the right time, would aid students in their studies and aid lecturers improve upon their teaching skills. 

Present at the brief handover ceremony were other members of faculty at the Department.

 

Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC

 

 

 

 

 

08 Mar, 2023

APPOINTMENT OF DIRECTOR OF UNIVERSITY HEALTH SERVICES

The University of Cape Coast invites applications from suitably qualified applicants for the post of Director, University Health Services, which will become vacant on 1st August, 2023.

The Director of Health Services is the Clinical and Administrative head of the Directorate of University Health Services. He/She is responsible to the Vice Chancellor through the Registrar. 

Qualification/Experience

Candidates seeking appointment to this position must:

i.   possess a postgraduate degree from a recognized university

ii.    have a minimum of ten years post qualification experience as a licensed physician, surgeon, dentist, pharmacist.

Ability to demonstrate adequate working knowledge of the University system will be an added advantage.

Duties/Responsibilities

The Director of Health Services shall be responsible for the provision of preventive, curative, environmental and public health services at the University. His/Her duties include, but are not limited to:

i.                     providing primary health care to staff, students and members of the University community

ii.                   serving as the clinical liaison between Health Services staff and the University community, ensuring the communication of up-to-date medical information to appropriate parties.

iii.                  organizing preventive services, including medical examinations and vaccine requirements for students and staff.

iv.                 ensuring quality services by implementing appropriate scheduling systems, management of client health records, client retention and referral  

v.                   anticipating and identifying problems that affect client care and utilizing appropriate problem-solving processes to correct and/or prevent problems.

vi.                 working with staff in developing and implementing a comprehensive client education programme including health fairs, new programmes, and disease management efforts.

vii.                working with management to initiate and review programmes and practices that are developmentally appropriate and that promote overall health and wellness of the University community.

viii.              maintaining professional growth and development of all staff of the Directorate through participation in relevant continuing education activities and providing guidance and support to the Health Services team.

ix.                 maintaining professional relationships with local health care organizations and professionals to ensure access to necessary referral and consultative services.

x.                   participating in the hiring process and orientation of new members of the health care team.

xi.                 reviewing productivity and quality reports and meeting with health care teams to review individual and group productivity as well as devise and implement corrective action strategies when necessary.

xii.                developing and evaluating all protocols for patient care in conjunction with Health Services personnel.

xiii.              leading in the development and implementation of short and long-range plans to ensure the continued provision of appropriate and high-quality services to students, staff and the University community.

xiv.              ensuring that departments within the Directorate of Health Services meet operational goals including quality, productivity and user benchmarks.

xv.               assisting in the development of the department's budget and identifying and correcting variances from budgeted goals.

 

Mode of Application & Closing Date

1.      Interested applicants who meet the above criteria should please submit completed application forms (obtainable from the DHR or from the University website: www.ucc.edu.gh) and comprehensive curriculum vitae, together with relevant supporting documents and a Three-Page Vision Statement to:

The Registrar

University of Cape Coast

Cape Coast

2.      Applicants should request three (3) referees to submit written reports on them directly to the above address

 

      3.    The closing date for the receipt of applications is Friday, 21st April, 2023.   

08 Mar, 2023

ADVERTISEMENT FOR THE POSITION OF TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER OFFICER

The University of Cape Coast invites applications from suitably qualified and competent professionals for the post of Technology Transfer Officer (TTO).

 

Successful applicant will be directly responsible to the Director, Directorate of Research, Innovation and Consultancy (DRIC) but ultimately to the Vice Chancellor through the Registrar.

 

Qualification/Experience

Candidates seeking appointment to this position Must:

·          Possess a PhD in Intellectual Property and/or related discipline.                                       

·         Possess a Master’s degree in Science, Law, Management, Social Sciences or related field with not less than three years working experience in research, intellectual property and technology transfer.

Essential Skills

·         Advanced communication and interpersonal skills

·         Research skills with entrepreneurial mind-set

·         Strong negotiation skills,

·         Knowledge about the legal and contractual issues in IP administration.

·         Business experience and acumen.

 

Job Description

·         Create and maintain database on all inventions and creations of staff and students of the University.

·         Planning, organising, evaluation and valuation of the IP portfolio of the University.

·         Serve as the first point-of-contact and source of information on the University IP portfolio, technology transfer and related matters for all external and internal stakeholders and partners.

·         Facilitate the appointment and functioning of Departmental/Faculty/College IP representatives.

·         Liaise with the Directorate of Consular and General Services to represent the interest of the University in the enforcement of the IP rights of students and staff.

·         Serve on, and provide administrative and professional support to the IP Technical Committee to implement the mandate of the TTO in accordance with University IP Policy and Strategies.

·         Work with the University Business Incubator, the Design Thinking and Innovation Hub (D-HUB) and related units to facilitate spin-off activities from various departments of the University.

·         Plan and implement training on IP, commercialisation of research outputs and related matters to the student and staff.

·         Lead the review and update of the University IP Policies, Strategies and procedures.

·         Supervise supporting staff to achieve key deliverables in the TTO.

·         Perform any other duties as may be assigned by the Directorate from time to time.

 

Mode of Application

Interested applicants who meet the above criteria should please submit completed application forms (obtainable from the DHR or from the University website: www.ucc.edu.gh) and comprehensive curriculum vitae, together with relevant supporting documents to:

The Registrar

University of Cape Coast

Cape Coast

 

Closing Date

·         Applicants should request three (3) referees to submit written reports on them directly to the above address.

·         The closing date for the receipt of applications is Friday, 31st March, 2023.

 

REGISTRAR

The SRC President presenting the t-shirts to coaches of the team

SRC donates customised T- Shirts to UCC Youngsters

08 Mar, 2023 By DIS

The Students’ Representative Council (SRC) of University of Cape Coast (UCC) has presented sets of customized "T" shirts to UCC Youngsters, a Second Division Team of the University. 

The SRC General Sports Secretary, Mr. Lucas Tatul Ntapuan, presented the items to Mr Edward Nartey, the Acting Head of Sports Section.

Officials with players in the branded t-shirts

Mr. Ntapuan, who had scored three goals for UCC Youngsters in the Central Region Division Two League, called on the playing body to take their training seriously to enable them win all their matches in the league and ultimately qualify to play in the Access Bank Division One League next season. 

He lauded UCC Management's commitment to develop sports infrastructure which included the construction of the Sports Complex. 

Players cladded in their customised t-shirts

Mr. Nartey, who received the items on behalf of the Sports Section, thanked the SRC for the gesture.

He said UCC would focus on the development of grassroots football to unearth talents to feed the various national teams.

 

Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC

Participants listening with rapt attention

D-Hub trains young entrepreneurs

08 Mar, 2023 By DIS

The Design Thinking and Innovation Hub (D-Hub) of the University of Cape Coast in partnership with Access Bank and Development Bank Ghana, has sharpened the skills of young entrepreneurs, and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) on entrepreneurial finance. 

 The workshop was on the theme, "Fundamentals of Entrepreneurial Finance-What Every Entrepreneur Should Know.”

A facilitator analysing a presentation by some participants

 Addressing industry players at the capacity training workshop, a senior lecturer at the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Small Enterprises (CESED-UCC), Dr. Charles Hackman Essel, said the success of any business was not solely hinged on the injection of money but rather ideas. He, therefore, entreated young entrepreneurs to come up with realistic business plans to win the attention of investors. 

 Dr. Essel said the University sought to enhance opportunities for hands-on learning and experimentation to encourage young people to develop problem-solving and critical-thinking potentials.

 He further urged young entrepreneurs to play an active role in the D-Hub and Access Bank initiatives by continuously developing their competencies, skills and professional capacities to stay relevant in the ecosystem.

 Earlier in his welcome address, the Zonal Head of Business Banking, Access Bank, Mr. Jones Darmoe, told participants that the Access Bank SME capacity building training was to engage various SMEs on best solutions the Bank could offer them. 

 According to him, Covid-19 had impacted small and medium enterprises in unprecedented ways and as such, digitisation was a sure bet to navigate the challenges presented.

Resource persons of the programme

 "At Access Bank we realize the need to equip SMEs to be better prepared for the current business trend. Our experience has shown that digitisation offers tremendous opportunities to increase productivity and create jobs" he said. 

 He explained that Access Bank was interested in empowering the youth because they were the greatest assets for building the future.

In a remark, the Director of D-Hub, Dr. Keren Arthur, urged participants to put to good use knowledge they acquired from the workshop.

 She said the current crop of entrepreneurs were interested in finding solutions to common problems of society and implored young entrepreneurs to enter into partnerships with others in the same sector.  This, she noted, would better position them to attract funding. 

Dr. Arthur said D-Hub was committed to supporting and promoting the youths’ ideas and skills for growth and development in the country.

 Other speakers from the Development Bank Ghana (DBG) and the Ghana Enterprise Agency (GEA) also spoke extensively on their mandate to the young entrepreneurs.

 

Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC

Small holder farmer on his way to the farm

Smallholder farmers advised to take central role in social change

08 Mar, 2023 By DIS

A public lecture on the role of farmer organisations in collective action for the attainment of the SDGs has been held at the University of Cape Coast.

The lecture formed part of the Mobilizing Farmer Organisation for Sustainable Agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa (FOMPO) Project, which seeks to explore the emergence and outcome of farmer mobilization for sustainable and small holder-centered agriculture development in Sub-Saharan Africa. The Public Lecture was chaired by Professor Frederick Ato Armah, an Environmental and Sustainability Scientist, who is the country lead on the project. The lecture was attended by faculty and students of UCC, and other participants from Uganda, Zimbabwe, Sweden, and Ghana. 

 

Prof. Chad Bada speaking at the lectureP

Prof. Chad Boda

 

The first speaker was Chad Boda, an Associate Professor of Environmental Science at the Department of Urban Studies, Malmo University, Sweden. His topic was "Comparing Perspectives on the role of Smallholder Farmers in Sustainable Development." About two-thirds of the 3 billion rural people live in developing countries that about 475 million households are smallholder and work on lands less than 2 ha. These smallholdings often fail to generate sufficient income for the farmers’ families. They do, however, fulfil an important function and have the potential to make a significant contribution to the population’s food security as they produce around three quarters of the country’s staple foods.

According to him, smallholder farmers, who are the main actors in maintaining food security in developing countries, should prioritise advocacy to remain relevant and competitive in the sustainable development agenda. He reiterated the need for farmers to take an active role in social change. Prof. Boda also indicated that smallholder farmers could be competitive at any level provided the necessary measures including political freedom, social opportunities, protective security amongst others are put in place.

 

Prof. Frederick Ato Armah

Prof. Frederick Ato Armah, immediate past Director of DRIC.

 

The second speaker was Dr Ellinor Isgren (FOMPO Project PI), a Researcher at the Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies (LUCSUS), and a Senior Lecturer at the School for Global Studies, University of Gothenburg, Sweden. She shared findings on smallholder farming from research studies in Uganda. Making her presentation on the topic: "From Policy to Politics in Sustainable Agriculture Development: The case of Rising Pesticides use in Smallholder Contexts", she noted that smallholder farmers produce about 90 per cent of the staple food citizens consumed in Uganda. This implied that they were the main actors in maintaining food security in the country.                             

She opined that the use of unapproved pesticides did not only pose health dangers to humanity but also environmental challenges that have dire consequences for the entire world. She said the use of unapproved pesticides portend dangers for the environment and human safety as well and advised farmers against patronising non-approved agrochemicals. Dr. Ellinor Isgren, called for the support of stakeholders in the agriculture value chain to educate farmers on the dangers of using illegal and fake pesticides.

She also called on African leaders to set clear-cut laws and regulations guiding the sales and use of agrochemicals and the need for the farmers and dealers to abide by them. According to her, such regulations are critical to ensure the chemicals did not find their ways into wrong hands and onto the market.

 

Dr Ellinor Isgren

Dr. Ellinor Isgren

 

An open forum during the public lecture identified a number of issues that are critical both the sustenance of smallholder farmers and the attainment of the SDGs. These included (a) innovative education and training options for producers; (b) new organisational forms such as cooperatives and start‐ups along the value chain from production to logistics and marketing; (c) financial support; (d) access to farming information; (e) suitable, low‐cost, and simple technological solutions and innovations; and (f) an enabling institutional environment.

In attendance were duty bearers of the University including Professor David Teye Doku (Director, DRIC), Prof Angela Akorsu (Dean, School for Development Studies and country co-lead on the FOMPO project), Dr Brandford Bervell (Deputy Director, DRIC), staff and senior members from DRIC, College of Humanities and Legal Studies, and the Department of Environmental Science, UCC.  

 

Group photograph after the public lecture

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