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17 Apr, 2018

COMMEMORATION OF WORLD MALARIA DAY, 2018

The Department of Conservation Biology and Entomology in collaboration with

Ghana Science Association (GSA)

Theme:

Living with mosquitoes in Cape Coast: the threats, mitigation and the role of science

Venue: University of Cape Coast Main Auditorium

Time: Friday 20th April 2018

ACTIVITIES

  1. Exhibition: display of live specimen of different mosquito species Posters on mosquito breeding habitats in Cape Coast and Elmina
  2. Main Talk: “Living with mosquitoes in Cape Coast: the threats, mitigation and the role of science”

Speaker: Dr. Andreas A. Kudom, Department of Conservation Biology and Entomology

Chairman: Prof. Joseph Ghartey Ampiah, Vice Chancellor, University of Cape Coast.

All are cordially invited

African Researchers Must Be at the Forefront of Research on the Continent

17 Apr, 2018 By louis Mensah

Researchers in Africa have been urged to collaborate and lead research into issues that affect the lives of people on the continent.

This call was made at a roundtable discussion during the closing ceremony of the two-week International PhD Summer School which was hosted by the Institute for Development Studies.

Making a presentation at the function, a former Director of the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana, Prof. Akosua Adomako Ampofo, said the goal of research was to make a difference in the society so African Researchers should be bold and open minded to new ideas that would enhance their research capabilities on issues affecting the continent. “Somebody should not be telling us the problems we are going through. We should lead and engage in dialogue and collaborative research about issues that affect our lives as Africans.” She noted.

Prof. Ampofo said African Researchers should recognise and make reference to African knowledge producers whether music, poetry, folktales from the elderly in the society. “We cannot privilege other people’s knowledge about ourselves more than our own” she said.  She urged participants to contextualise concepts and terminologies to fit their environment.

The Director of International Centre for Development and Decent Work of the University of Kassel, Prof. Dr. Christoph Scherrer, implored participants to question the status quo to make it better by mastering their research methods. “Forces of the status quo are highly organised at the global level who are wealthy and very influential and have built strong networks”, he said. He noted that there were powerful forces that determine the status quo and therefore, African Researchers needed to network to come out with objective research findings.

Prof. Scherrer advised participants of the Summer School to take advantage of the network that had been created to broaden their horizon about what was happening at other places to help them to be critical of their own environment and also learn from different perspectives. “The issue of collective forces connects with social forces to make your research valuable. If your research is not valuable, then nothing can be made out of it” he noted.

In his presentation, Dr. Kwabena Nyarko Otoo, of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), said though Ghanaian academics have undertaken several research activities however, the concentration had been at micro level.  He urged academics to interrogate issues at the macro level by focusing on all aspects that contribute to the problems identified.  

 “Academics in Ghana are silent about key issues affecting the country” he said.

Dr. Otoo said academics should be advocates of their research work so that people would be aware of the issues and join forces to ensure that the appropriate recommendations were implemented to solve them. He was worried that academics were not interrogating national policies that various governments had introduced in the country. “Academics in Ghana are silent about key issues affecting the country” he noted.

The roundtable discussion was chaired by Prof. Akua Opokua Britwum.

News

Barclays Bank Presents Scholarships to UCC Students

17 Apr, 2018 By louis Mensah

Barclays Bank Ghana Limited has launched its Barclays Tertiary Awards at a ceremony held at the University.   The award seeks to provide financial support in the form of scholarships to deserving students to go through their tertiary education without any financial difficulty. It was for this reason that Barclays after a thorough selection procedure selected 20 students based on their academic performances. They were given a laptop computer each to facilitate their academic work.   Explaining the rationale behind the awards, the Head of Communications of the Bank, Mr. Cyril Nai said time was changing very fast, therefore, there was the need for students to get training that would help them to achieve their aims in order to help in nation building.   “The growth of young people who are our stakeholders is dear to our heart. Due to this we will use our resources to support them to become better, because when they improve we also improve”, he said.   According to Mr. Nai, as per their shared growth strategy, “we use our resources to help solve problems so in doing this we are trying to help solve the unemployment problems in our society. “In view of this, we look at education and skills development, enterprise development and financial inclusion as some of the solutions to these problems”.   Mr. Nai said education and skills without good talent would not inure to the benefit of students. “Education and skills without any relevant talent will not help you to achieve anything. Most often, we hear industry people say graduates do not have the requisite training to perform. That is why we have set up an online platform, that is “Ready to work” to help train you for the world of work”, he stressed.  “We have gone into scholarships to help students get the right training and skills to be useful in the society”.   He said the Bank would not want graduates to join the bandwagon of unemployed graduates so the awardees would be mentored at the work place and also training programmes would be organized for them even after their education. “You need all these soft skills to be ahead of your peers, you need this added advantage”, he noted.   Addressing the gathering the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Prof. George K. T. Oduro, said funding had become a huge challenge all over the world, so the developed world was using alternative means to help train people. On the contrary, in the developing world and especially in Africa, he said brilliant people fail to get good education due to financial difficulties. It was for that matter that the effort by the Bank to help in the training of such people was commendable and must be supported for it to grow to benefit many others.   “Barclays has paid for your tuition fees and added some extra for your stipend so they need to be appreciated”, he said.   Prof. Oduro said though government continue to subsidize the tuition fees of students, there were other commitments to cater for. For this reason, he said there was the need for others to intervene and provide the needed support by emulating Barclays Bank. He told the beneficiaries that the sustenance of the programme depended only on their efforts and therefore called on them to be good ambassadors of the Bank.   “Barclays will be happy if you become successful in your endeavours by setting up your own businesses”.   Prof. Oduro urged the beneficiaries to put the laptop computers given to them to good use and also take good care of the devices.   Concluding his remarks, he appealed to the Bank to consider providing financial support to a female student who thought of quitting her education at the university and also contemplated committing suicide.    

News

University of Kassel Commends UCC for Fruitful Collaboration

13 Apr, 2018 By louis Mensah

The Executive Director of International Centre for Development and Decent Work (ICDD), University of Kassel, Prof. Dr. Christoph Scherrer, has said his University appreciates its collaboration with the University of Cape Coast.

Prof. Dr. Scherrer made this statement when he paid a courtesy call on the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Prof. George K. T. Oduro, in his office. It would be recalled that UCC and University of Kassel signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2016 to run a joint summer PhD School. The 2018 edition of the Summer School is currently underway on campus.

Prof. Scherrer described the collaboration which started in 2016 as a positive experience.  He said University of Kassel was satisfied with the context in which the two Universities were working together.

He commended UCC for producing quality PhD graduate. “I am impressed about the quality of teaching and the maturity of students trained in this University” he said.

Responding, Prof. Oduro said the University was determined to become visible through such collaborations. He assured that management would continue to create the enabling environment to sustain the relationship.

Prof. Oduro commended the Institute for Development Studies and particularly expressed gratitude to Prof. Akua O. Britwum, for her efforts in making the collaboration a reality.

The visit was also used to sign an agreement for the organisation of joint conferences which forms an integral part of the MoU signed in 2016.

 Prof. Scherrer was accompanied by the Ag. Director of the Institute for Development Studies, Dr. Emmanuel Y. Tinkorang; former Director of CEGRAD, Prof. Akua O. Britwum and Coordinator of the Project, Dr. Angela Akorsu.

Administration
12 Apr, 2018

Animal Care and Use in Research, Education and Testing (ACURET) in collaboration with the University of Cape Coast presents 2nd Acuret Independent Training Workshop on Laboratory Animal Welfare in Developing Countries.

The Workshop is on the theme “Advancing Science, Assuring Responsible Use in Animal Based Experimentation in Developing Countries".

Date: July 16th -18th, 2018
Venue: University of Cape Coast Main Auditorium

 

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

VISION AND OBJECTIVES | OUTCOME | TOPICS TO COVER | SPEAKERS | HOST | ORGANISATION | LOC | REGISTRATION FEE | REGISTRATION CANCELLATION POLICY | ABOUT GHANA & CAPE COAST | ACCOMMODATION | PROGRAM ESSENTIAL INFORMATION

On behalf of the Organizing Committee, we are pleased to invite you to participate in the 2ndACURET Independent Training Program on Laboratory Animal Welfare in developing Countries. The theme is “Advancing Science: Assuring Responsible Animal Based Experimentation in developing Countries” which will hold from July16th – 18th 2018, at the University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.

 

VISION

ACURET-ITP intends to be a global forum to build capacity for Institutional Animal care and use programs in developing countries, raising effective and efficient animal ethical committees (AEC) and Institutional animal care and use committees (IACUC) that will function competently for their respective institutions.

 

OBJECTIVES:

The program focuses on topics relevant to IACUC functions and provides opportunities for small discussion groups and sharing of information among participants. It offers an avenue for networking, exchange of ideas, innovations and new technologies from across the diverse regions of Africa. In addition to the scientific seminars, ample opportunities for group interactions, group work and small group discussions and visitation to an animal facility are available.

 

Didactic sessions will address institutional responsibilities; IACUC charges; relevant informational resources; animal welfare laws, regulations and policies, and best standards. Participants will also be challenged to consider, deliberate, and develop action plans for a variety of potential IACUC scenarios. The Training program will also present a variety of scenarios by topic during the convergence sessions utilizing Audio Response System to capture participant’s responses, followed by an expert panel discussion after the polling.

 

“This workshop will help meet the requirement stated in the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals 8th edition, 2011 that states “All personnel involved with the care and use of animals must be adequately educated, trained, and/or qualified in basic principles of laboratory animal science to help ensure high-quality science and animal well-being”.

 

OUTCOME:

At the close of the Training Program, participants will appreciate the relationship between good animal welfare and good science; become aware of guides, regulations and policies in animal care and use suggestible to their respective institutions for consideration for adoption, apply safety practices in animal handling and be able to advice/promote the establishment a well constituted Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)/Animal Ethics Committee (AEC) for their institution and function efficiently where appointed.

 

The topics covered will include:

  • Regulations, Legislations and Operative guidelines in resource poor economies
  • The IACUC/AEC: Composition, functions and powers
  • Responsibilities of the PI in ABE
  • Institutional responsibilities in ABE
  • What does IACUC/AEC approval mean?
  • Obtaining a valid Assurance
  • Scientific communications in ABE

 

 

CONFIRMED WORKSHOP SPEAKERS

Prof Felix Dapare Dakora   - Keynote Address                                                     

President, African Academy of Sciences, Tshwane University of Technology, South Africa

 

Dr. Cynthia Pekow,

Secretary General, International Council for laboratory Animal Science (ICLAS), Seattle, USA

 

Prof. Phyllis Addo,

University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana

 

Dr. Nathalie Percie du Sert

NC3Rs, London, UK

 

Prof. Francis A. Fakoya,

ACURET Principal, KBTGSP, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

 

HOST:

Prof. Joseph G. Ampiah, Vice Chancellor, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.

 

ORGANIZATION

Prof. LK Sam-Amoah                                              Prof. Francis A. Fakoya,

Chair, Local Organizing Committee                           Director, Training Program

 

Mildred Asmah +233 244 404605                            Raymond Bentil +233 205 909 000

Conference Secretariat                                                            Conference Secretariat

cans@ucc.edu.gh

 

 

Local Organizing Committee

L K Sam- Amoah; College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, UCC, Ghana (Chairman);

Oluwole Olowoyo –University of Limpopo, Pretoria, South Africa

Julius Hagan, Department of Animal Science; UCC, Ghana

Rofela Combey, Dept of Conservation, Biology and Entomology; UCC, Ghana

Moses Teye, Dept of Animal Science. UCC, Ghana

Mildred Asmah, College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, Administration, UCC, Ghana

Kwabena Owusu, College of Agriculture and Natural Sciencs, Finance, UCC, Ghana

Oluwatosin Kennedy-Oko - University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria

Kemi Okosun – ACURET Administration, Nigeria

Francis Fakoya – KBTGSP, Northumbria University, UK

 

REGISTRATION EARLY BIRD AFTER JUNE 15th    ON SITE
ACURET MEMBERS $80  $100     $120   
NON ACURET MEMBERS $100   $120    $150
VENDORS $150 $200 $250
       
LOCAL REGISTRATION      
STAFF  GHC 200  GHC 250 GHC 250
POSTGRADUATE   GHC 100  GHC 100  GHC 100
UNDERGRADUATE  GHC 50 GHC 50 GHC 50

 

The participation fee includes:

• Certificate for Participation

• Admission into every Training Session

• Training package

• Lunch for three days

• Tea/Coffee breaks

* LOCAL PARTICIPANTS WILL PAY AN EXTRA GHC 100.00 FOR LUNCH

 

REGISTRATION CANCELLATION POLICY

For registration cancellation notice, please contact the Local Organising Committee via the channels provided on the footer of this portal.

Cancellation of Registration

1. Cancellation of registration must be submitted in writing or via email and is valid only with acknowledgement of receipt by the Conference Planning Secretariat.

2. Cancellation fees will be charged, depending on the notice given:

   1. If cancellation occurs less than 15 days prior to the Program; the cancellation fee is 100% of the registration fee.

   2. If cancellation occurs between 14 days and 1 month prior to the close of registration the cancellation fee is 50% of the registration fee.

   3. Earlier than 1 month, a cancellation fee of $50.00 will be charged or 50% of the registration fee, whichever is the lower.

   4. If payment has been made by the payment deadline of the event and a visa is not awarded in time to travel to the event, the full registration fee will be reimbursed.  

 

ABOUT GHANA & CAPE COAST

Ghana, with capital Accra, has been one of the most stable countries in West Africa since its transition to multi-party democracy in 1992.

Formerly known as the Gold Coast, Ghana gained independence from Britain in 1957, becoming the first sub-Saharan nation to break the chains of colonialism. Ghana is the second-largest producer of cocoa beans, with a hot tropical climate.

During the day, temperatures average between 26 to 29°C (often exceeding 30°C) and humidity can be high.

During the winter months (from late November to early March), winds from the northeast bring dust from the Sahara. Known as the Harmattan, these can reduce visibility to just one kilometer.

The venue, University of Cape Coast, set in the coastal line of the Atlantic in the South West region of Ghana, set in a serene environment with a beautiful Seaview, a lush green landscape in the legendary tourist destination in Ghana.

The campus provides a serene atmosphere for serious scientific networking and lovely social ambience. The City exhibits many historical sites which the social program incorporates for this event. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HNpiKkiYSE

 

Travel to Ghana.

The Kotoka International Airport, Accra, is about 9.656 kilometers north of Accra and served by several local, regional and international airlines.

Some of the International Airlines that come to Accra are Delta Airline, British Airways, Lufthansa, Air Morroc, Turkish Airways, Ethiopian, Rwandan Airways, Kenya Airways, South African Airways, Emirate and others.

You can fly in to Accra direct or transit through any of the African Countries.

 

Accommodation

Participants are responsible for their accommodation, this event being a non-residential program. However, special concession is offered for program participants who wish to lodge at University of Cape Coast Guest House.

Please indicate to the Secretariat if you wish to lodge at  UCC-GH.

You may however prefer to make your own arrangement.

A list of comfortable hotels is provided below. Please contact the hotel directly for booking and please inform us if you are going to organize your stay individually.

 

Hotel Location Contacts
Pempamsie Cape Coast 00233 56 151 2407
Ridge Royal  Cape Coast 00233 31 200 3222
Sasakawa Guest House UCC, Cape Coast 00233 20 586 6305
Institute of Education Chalets UCC, Cape Coast 00233 54 201 3369

PROGRAM ESSENTIAL INFORMATION

Language

The official language of the Training is English. No translations will be offered.

 

Certificate of Attendance

Certificate of Attendance will be awarded at the close of the Program.

 

Time Zone

Ghana Standard Time is GMT +0.00

 

Currency and Taxes

The Ghanaian Cedi (GHc) is the official national currency. The exchange rate is 1 US$ = Ghana Cedi 4.40.

 

Visa Requirements

Various processes are available depending on your nationality, purpose of travel and eligibility.
All Nationals of Countries that are signatories to the ECOWAS treaty of May 1975 have Free Entry within 90 days and should have valid travel documents e.g. Country’s Passport or ECOWAS Travel Certificate. Admission into the country is through approved port of entry.

Make any enquiry pertaining to Travelling to Ghana on the Website of the Ghana Immigration Service: http://www.ghanaimmigration.org/

 

Letter of Invitation

Upon request, the Secretariat will send a personal invitation to registered participants. This invitation is meant only to help visitors to obtain a Visa, and is not a commitment on the part of the organizers to provide any financial support.

 

Liability and Insurance

The Training Program Organizers cannot accept responsibility whatsoever for injury or damage involving persons and property during the meeting. Participants are advised to make their own arrangements with respect to health and travel insurance. You may be required by Ghana immigration to present a valid Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate before being allowed to board flights and upon arrival. Please update your vaccination records.

 

Safety and Security

Please note that even though it is very safe to move around even at night in Cape Coast and Accra, participants are advised to take good care of themselves. ACURET/UCC will not be responsible for any unfortunate incidents due to neglect or transgression on your part.

 We advise you to exercise proper caution. Participants should not walk on the street at night or take public transport at night alone. It is wise to make photocopies of valuables such as your passport, tickets and any travellers’ checks. Keep one copy with you in a separate place. As a sensible precaution against luggage tampering, including theft, lock your luggage before departing for Accra and while leaving your rooms for training sessions.

 

Other information

Weather & Clothing: The Climate in Ghana is Tropical, but temperatures vary with seasons and elevations. In most areas, the highest temperatures occur in March and the lowest in August. July would be the middle of the rainy season in the coastal regions of Ghana, the weather is generally warm in Cape Coast during the day.

 

Voltage: Ghana uses 220-240 volts AC. The plug in use throughout the country is of the three square pin, 13-amp type (UK system).

 

Water: It is advisable to always drink bottled water. 

 

For further information or need for support on logistics, please contact

 

Mildred Asmah +233 244 404605                            Raymond Bentil +233 205 909 000

Conference Secretariat                                                            Conference Secretariat

cans@ucc.edu.gh

 

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

N.B: There is a pre-workshop event open to participants, in particular students, on Scientific Writing Skills in Animal Experimentation.

Students who desire the event manual should indicate during registration. A fee of GHC 20.00 would be applicable on-site. 

 
All are cordially invited.
RSVP: LOC: 233 244 404 605/233 205 909 000
 

12 Apr, 2018

The Centre for Gender Research, Advocacy and Documentation (CEGRAD) presents a Dissemination Seminar on the theme "Gold between my Thighs? Examination of Child Prostitution a Ghanaian Metropolis".

Speakers

Dr. Georgina Oduro (Dept. of Sociology & Anthropology)
Dr. Evans Ekanem (Director, UCC Health Services)
Dr. Bolanle Erinosho (Faculty of Law)

Date: 24th April, 2018
Time: 2:30pm
Venue: UCC Main Auditorium

The University Community and the general public are invited.
 

SGS Awards Research Grants to 38 Postgraduate Students

12 Apr, 2018 By louis Mensah

Thirty-Eight postraduate students of the University have received grants to support their research work under the auspices of the Samuel and Emelia Brew-Butler-SGS/GRASAG and UCC Research Grant.

The Grant which is aimed at supporting qualified graduate students to produce quality research and also enable them complete their work on time, received a total of 62 applications out of which 38 were successful after a rigorous selection process. A budget of one hundred thousand cedis was made available to be disbursed to successful applicants.

Beneficiaries received amounts ranging between 3,000 and 2, 400 Ghana cedis to support their respective research.

Speaking at the presentation ceremony, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor Prof. George K. T. Oduro, intimated that all over Africa, universities were trying to strengthen their research bases, therefore Postgraduate studies was receiving prime attention to meet the growing demands of the rankings of universities.

In view of this, according to the Pro Vice-Chancellor, the University was also trying its possible best to create an enabling environment for the delivery of postgraduate studies in order to meet the current trends in university education the world-over.

Prof. Oduro described the grant facility as a prudent intervention since research involved a lot of money. “You need a lot of money to undertake any research, so this facility has come at an opportune time for you to do a good job and complete on record time”, he noted.

Prof. Oduro thanked the School of Graduate Studies for instituting the awards and assured that management would do everything within its power to support them to achieve the aim for which the scheme was established.

Prof. Oduro cautioned the recipients that: “the reason for the grant is to facilitate research work and not for buying other things not related to your studies. So, it is an obligation to make the SGS aware of the progress of your work at any level and also if there is the need to refocus the work, let the school know”.

 

The Pro-Vice-Chancellor said he was sad to learn that some students presented the same proposal for the awards. He told the students that, that bothered on plagiarism which is seriously frowned on by academia and asked them desist from such practices.

 

“This is a serious offence in academia, the university takes serious exception to this and you must guard against that as students”, he admonished.

He clarified rumours that, executives of GRASAG were not qualified to apply for the grant, rather, he said if any of them wanted to apply for the grant, all they needed to do was to declare that intention to the awards committee to avoid conflict of interest.

 

 

 

 

News

Collaboration is Needed to Ensure Funding of African Universities

12 Apr, 2018 By louis Mensah

A former Vice-Chancellor of UCC, Prof. D. D. Kuupole, has recommended that the public, private partners and universities need to collaborate effectively to ensure a well-funded system for African universities especially, public universities in Ghana.

According to him, it was prudent, to discuss and explore various possible sources of funding for universities because these sources had their advantages and disadvantages relating to quality of education offered at the universities.  He said that would determine whether individuals in society could afford to acquire university education through these funding sources.

Prof. Kuupole was speaking at the maiden Vice Chancellors Ghana (VCG) Conference on Higher Education held at the Institute of Statistical Social and Economic Research (ISSER) Conference Hall, University of Ghana, Legon which was on the theme “Funding Public Universities in Africa – the New Paradigm”

Prof. Kuupole said methods of funding education had never been uniform all over the world. “Every country either developed or develops, finances her educational system considering so many factors,” he explained

Prof. Kuupole said that at independence, many countries sought to reform education to accelerate economic and social development and Ghana was no exception.  “Analysts and commentators of Ghana’s development have often compared her to South Korea and Malaysia and spoken of how both countries, having started on the same economic level as Ghana, have achieved faster economic growth whilst Ghana struggles to break through into middle-level income status” he said.

According to him at the time of independence, Ghana had a carefully articulated plan of how education was going to support the efforts to become a prosperous economy. He said After 60 years of independence, Ghana’s higher education system has expanded and made significant strides however, these institutions are at the cross-roads, almost cash-strapped and need a serious bail-out.

In order not to affect quality, Prof. Kuupole said some analyst had proposed multiple sources of funding for universities in Africa. “Apart from public resources and tuition fees from students and their parents, other private resources and university-industry collaboration have been acknowledged as sources of funds for universities” he added.

Prof. Kuupole said funding of higher education institutions, especially the universities, had become very pertinent in the face of increasing student population, rising cost of living, competing needs for governments’ limited resources, among other things. 

In the last decade and a half, he said Ghana had experienced an exponential increase in enrolment in tertiary education as a result of the increasing high demand for post-secondary education among school leavers. “It is noted that this increase in student enrolment has a direct bearing on required funding” he indicated.

In the face of dwindling funding from Central Government, Prof. Kuupole, recommended that Higher institutions of learning must put in place effective marketing strategies to attract greater number of international students from other African Countries and even from the Western Communities.

The former Vice-Chancellor of UCC also said Higher education institutions in Ghana must endeavour to run innovative and market driven academic programmes and partner with the private sector. “Universities must incorporate in their training radical skills development reforms that are required by the private sector” he advised.

Prof. Kuupole noted that: “Alumni are a strategic asset in the mobilization of resources for the running of institutions of higher learning. Universities should therefore give recognition to their most supportive stakeholders and provide a platform for harnessing ideas and mobilizing resources to help develop their institutions”.

Prof. Kuupole further advised universities to undertake Institutional Fundraising activities through alumni fundraising, endowment funds, foundations and other forms of investments.

 

 

 

News

African Governments Must Prioritize University Education

11 Apr, 2018 By louis Mensah

The Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Prof. George K. T. Oduro, has called on African governments to put premium on university education by investing more in the sub-sector to improve on the quality of delivery.

“if African governments want universities to deliver quality education and quality research, then they must prioritize university education and invest more in the sub-sector”, he noted. 

He said African governments must enact policies that will enhance funding opportunities for universities.

Prof. Oduro made these statements at the Vice Chancellors Ghana (VCG) Conference on Higher Education held at the Institute of Statistical Social and Economic Research (ISSER) Conference Hall, University of Ghana, Legon. The maiden VCG conference was on the theme: “Funding Public Universities in Africa – the New Paradigm”.

Citing Ghana as an example, Prof. Oduro said in the 1940s funding of Universities were the sole responsibility of African governments. “Universities received 100% budgetary allocation which were released far before the commencement of each academic year. There was no experience of delayed payment of staff salaries”, he noted.

Prof. Oduro said funding was even extended to providing students personal needs. “Students were provided with almost everything, including pocket money by the government, just to ensure that the needed psychological and physiological comfort was obtained for smooth scholarly work” he stated.

 According to Prof. Oduro the trend started changing from the mid-1990s when universities began experiencing dwindling government funding. He said that in 1996 government funding was reduced by 26.3%; thus universities received only 73.7 % of the total amount needed for their operations.

He said in spite of the setting up of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFUND) to fund major infrastructure developments of universities, a number of these projects including lecture theatres, science laboratory, libraries and administrative offices had stalled for over 10 years. 

Ever since the introduction of cost sharing in 1997, Prof. Oduro said universities had never received the full government subvention. He added that universities now had to borrow from the banks to pay salaries of workers before they were reimbursed later by government. He said sometimes it had to take more than four months before the reimbursement was done.

On the need to review funding policies, Prof. Oduro said African governments must revoke policies that seek to stifle funding facilities available to universities. “For example, a policy relating to IGF that seeks to centralize the processes of utilizing university’s internally generated funds needs to be revisited,” he said.

 

He recommended that Government approved budgetary allocations were released on time to universities. “In situations, where subventions are unduly delayed by Governments or Parliamentary decisions on student fees are unduly delayed, it creates unnecessary tension on campuses, throws planned activities overboard and adversely affects operations of the university,” he stated.

Prof. Oduro appealed to the Ministries of Finance across the sub-Region to be sensitive to the time-bound budgetary needs of universities and thereby ensure early release of subventions. Time they say, is money.

He concluded that: “Meeting the human resource and infrastructural needs of African universities which are necessary for achieving quality in university education requires adequate budgetary allocation”.

A former president of Association of African Universities (AAU), Prof. Is-haq O. Oloyede, in his presentation said Ghana and Nigeria had their first universities in 1948 and shared a lot of things in common. He noted that most of West African universities shared similar features and challenges.

Some of the features he mentioned included: physical characteristics common goals and aspirations; weakness and helplessness; historical affinity, social economic status and cultural relationship. Some of the challenges he stated were; corruption, bad governance, brain drain, Infrastructural deficit, increased enrolment, inadequate planning and data.

In Nigeria, he said, there were three major sources of funding available to the universities and they include government, Internally-Generated Revenue (IGR) and external interventions.

Prof. Oloyede said the fact that universities could no longer depend on governments alone meant that there was the need for university leaders to rethink, retool and regenerate in order to generate enough funds for their activities.

 

Administration

Adehye Hall Climaxes Hall Week Celebration with a Grand Durbar

10 Apr, 2018 By louis Mensah

Adehye Hall has climaxed its 55th Hall Week Celebration with a call on the future generation of women to be bold, focused, hardworking, and also serve as role model to others.

The week-long celebration was on the theme “Celebrating the Past, Honoring the Present and Shaping the Future of an Ideal Woman”.

Addressing the durbar, the Provost, College of Humanities and Legal Studies, Prof. Dora Edu-Buandoh, said the future generation of women should be ideal in many ways. She said they must be educated to meet the challenges at the place of work.

“The workplace is challenging not only because women have to work and still run families. The biggest challenge is that women have to prove themselves twice” he observed.  She added “That double bind that frustrates the woman of today will continue to haunt the woman of tomorrow if we do not shape the lives of young boys with the young girls”. According to Prof. Edu-Buandoh, the educational system should equip the future generation with confidence and skills sets that would be needed in the future place of work

Prof. Edu-Buandoh said the future ideal woman should have decorum in lifestyle, dressing, attitude, communication and relationships. She advised the students to make good use of the training they had received even after marriage stressing that “the future does not have space for women who will just marry and be housewives”. 

The Provost called on the students to follow the steps of women working in the University. “So we want you to look at us as your role models. The context in which we operate as educated women, as women in positions of trust, as wives, mothers, sisters, daughters is still not even but we cannot afford to live in a state of victimhood. You must get up”. She advised them to be focused and set achievable goals and work towards realising them. She mentioned opportunities available to them on campus and urged them to build their skills in entrepreneurship by taking advantage of the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Small Enterprises Development.

On behalf of the Hall Warden, Ms.  Paulina Kwafoa, the Senior Hall Tutor, Mr. Ebenezer Aggrey, said the hall continued to ensure that its students were trained in all spheres of their lives thus traditionally, culturally and intellectually. She said ladies of the hall continue to excel in their academic works and sporting activities.

Ms. Kwafoa advised the students to be guided by the outstretched eagle of UCC Coat of Arms which signifies strength, determination and excellence. She urged them to stay away from extra-curricular activities that would negatively affect their studies.

Some of the achievements of the Hall she mentioned were the installation of CCTV cameras, creation of a garden for relaxation for students. She also noted the dilapidated nature of the wardrobes in the rooms was a major challenge and called for more support to fix them.

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