Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Joseph Ghartey Ampiah, has indicated the University of Cape Coast’s commitment to strengthen its relationship with the University at Buffalo (UB) in the United States of America. Prof. Ampiah noted that the two universities had been working together through exchange of expertise, experience and best practices even though the relationship was yet to be formalized at the institutional level. Prof. Ampiah said this when he received two officials from UB who were at the UCC for a working visit. The visit was supported by the UB School of Management’s Dean, Professor Paul Tesluk as part of his strategic plan for the UB School of Management and encouraged by Vice Provost for University Libraries, Madam Austin Booth as part of her continued efforts towards global open access and resource sharing. The two officials were professor Dr. Dorothy Siaw-Asamoah (Clinical Assistant Professor) and Cynthia Tysick (Associate Librarian). Introducing the UB Team to the Vice Chancellor, a Research Fellow at Institute for Educational Planning and Administration (IEPA), Dr. Mike Boakye-Yiadom thanked the Vice Chancellor for his support of the UCC-UB partnership, and encouraged the participating departments at UCC to invest in the programmes for the mutual benefit of the two institutions. The Vice-Chancellor commended UB’s School of Management and University Libraries for exhibiting keen interest in the collaboration adding, “UCC is ready to formalize its relationship with UB so that we can continue with the good work we have started.” He expressed confidence that both institutions would benefit immensely from the collaboration especially in the area of awarding joint certificates, exchange of faculty members and students. Briefing the Vice-Chancellor on the purpose of the visit, professor Dr. Siaw-Asamoah said they were currently working with the Institute for Educational Planning and Administration (IEPA); School of Business (SoB) and the Sam Jonah Library. She explained that UB was introducing a year-long Leadership Development Programme to selected MBA and M. ED. Educational Administration Sandwich students in IEPA and SoB. As the facilitator of the course, she said UCC students taking the course as part of their respective programmes have been very phenomenal in terms of their appreciation of the topics and high level engagement. Dr. Siaw-Asamoah also assured the Vice-Chancellor that UB was prepared to partner with UCC to enhance the reputation and visibility of both institutions on the African continent and globally. She informed the Vice-Chancellor that faculty and students from UB have indicated their willingness to play active role in the collaboration. Dr. Dorothy Siaw-Asamoah highly commended Dr. Mike Boakye-Yiadom for being the brainchild of the UCC-UB partnership. On her part Madam Tysick said she had been interacting with staff of the Sam Jonah Library on how to improve of the services to the University Community. She said UB Library would continue to share best practices with UCC Sam Jonah Library in order to create visibility for the University. Mr. Kwame Boohene who was also present at the meeting said the interaction had been very helpful to staff of Sam Jonah Library especially in the area of customizing and marketing the services of the library to promote visibility for UCC. He prayed the good relationship that had begun between the two Universities would be sustained and improved upon. It would be recalled that Dr. Mara Huber, UB Associate Dean for Undergraduate Research and Experiential Learning and Madam Cynthia Shore, Senior Assistant Dean and Director of External Relations led a delegation to visit UCC in January 2017 to discuss collaboration between the two Universities. Present at the meeting were Director of IEPA, Dr. Rosemary Bosu; Research Fellow at IEPA, Dr. Mike Boakye-Yiadom; Deputy Librarian Mrs. Paulina Afful-Arthur; and Dr. Mensah Abrampah of the Department of Management Studies, SoB.  

The Department of Sociology and Anthropology, in collaboration with the Foundation for Security and Development in Africa (FOSDA) and the National Peace Council (NPC) has organised a two-day forum on national security to address security challenges confronting the nation. The forum was organised under the theme, “Ghana’s Peace and Security 60 years on: Successes, challenges and prospects.” In his opening remarks, the Head of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Dr. Brempong Osei-Tutu, thanked faculty members and students of the Department for their support in sustaining the forum over the years. He said the forum aimed at examining Ghana's security architecture and interrogating the role the various agencies have played in the past and examining the way forward for these agencies in ensuring a more peaceful environment that would enhance the country's socio-economic and political development. On his part, the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Prof. Francis Eric Amuquandoh, implored Ghanaians to refrain from acts that could dent the enviable reputation and image of the country. He called for a second look at the rising incidence of armed robbery, political vigilantism and mob injustice, to help restore sanity to the country. Opening the forum, the Deputy Minister of Interior, Hon. Henry Quartey, who represented the Minister for Interior, Hon. Ambrose Dery, explained that peace and stability were preconditions for sustainable national development of the country. Hon. Henry Quartey expressed the readiness of government to maintain law and order and deal ruthlessly with trouble makers in accordance with the laws. He noted that insecurity retarded the development of the nation and affected investor confidence in revamping the country's economy. On his part, the Deputy Minister for Defense, Major Derek Oduro (Rtd), observed that government was committed to preserving the environment and fighting the menace of illegal mining (Galamsey) tooth and nail. He noted that government would not renege on its mandate to provide adequate security for the citizenry. A former National Security Advisor, Brigadier General Nunoo Mensah, on his part, observed that before independence, the political atmosphere of Ghana was more sustainable than the present situation. He, however, expressed worry that state institutions had compromised their standards to the whims and caprices of political leaders. He called on the government to tap the experiences of people who could help the development of the nation, irrespective of their political affiliations. The Chairman of the National Peace Council, Most Rev. Professor Emmanuel Asante, stated that the scourge of unemployment among the youth was a threat to national security. Therefore, he appealed to the government to formulate an ironclad national policy on job creation to address the rising rate of unemployment among the teeming youth of the country. Prof Asante urged like- minded individuals and international development-oriented organisations to incorporate security consciousness into their social intervention policies and programmes to help maintain law and order in the country. Rev. Prof. Asante underscored the need for a national effort to jealousy guard the nation’s peace and stability credentials to attract the requisite investments to create jobs. The Head of the Department of Research at the Kofi Annan International Peace Keeping Centre (KAIPC), Dr. Kwesi Anning, commended the Department for the initiative and urged Civil Society Organizations to engage stakeholders on the need for peace and security. He also called on Ghanaians to note that “national peace is a shared responsibility and not the sole responsibility of the security agencies”. Dr. Anning concluded that, “The second step is to translate what has been discussed here into practical policy intervention. These deliberations give some seriousness and prudence to the problem of peace and security in Ghana”. Participants at the forum were drawn from the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Prisons Service, Immigration Service, Ghana National Fire Service, Bureau of National Security, Civil Society Organisations, political parties, second cycle institutions, youth groups, faculty and postgraduate students of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, UCC.

Barclays Bank Ghana as part of its Shared Growth Ambition programme is offering scholarships to 20 undergraduate students of the University of Cape Coast(UCC). The intended scholarship package, targeting strictly Ghanaian students from level 200 to 400, includes full payment of tuition fees, household income, laptop and food subsidy. The package, which is renewable for every academic year, also covers stationery, hostel and academic user fees. The Director of Marketing and Corporate Relations of the Bank, Mrs. Nana E. Boison, announced this when she led a three-member delegation to pay a courtesy call on the Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Prof. George K. T. Oduro, at the Council Chamber. Mrs. Boison said over the past five years, the Bank had concentrated its energies on education and other humanitarian projects across Ghana, especially communities where the Bank conducts its operations. The Director stressed that the Bank had been enjoying cordial working relationship with the UCC. It was against this backdrop, Mrs. Boison explained, the Bank decided to introduce the scholarship scheme to brilliant but needy students of the University under the Barclays' Shared Growth Ambition initiative. Barclays' Shared Growth Ambition provides its clients, customers, shareholders and the communities which it serves access to a prosperous future. Giving details about the criteria of the Scholarship, Mrs. Boison stated that at the end of the scholarship year, beneficiary students could re-apply for the next academic year. In view of this, she said beneficiary students must attain a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 and above to continuously enjoy the scholarship. The Director added that student beneficiaries would need to open a Barclays' Ignition Account (Student Account) into which the funds would be disbursed to support their basic needs. Welcoming the delegation, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Prof. George K.T. Oduro, conveyed the deepest felicitations of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Joseph Ghartey Ampiah, to the delegation. He thanked the Bank for the Scholarship. Prof. Oduro expressed the hope that the Bank would expand the scholarship net in order to cover more students onto the scheme. He, however, requested the Bank to design special staff development packages to hone the skills and build capacities for all categories of staff of the UCC. Mrs. Boison was accompanied on the visit by Mr. Zubrin Mohammed (Assistant Vice-President, Corporate and Investment Banking) and Mr. Cyril Nai (Assistant Vice-President, Communications) Present at the meeting were the Registrar, Mr. John Kofi Nyan; Dean of Student Affairs, Prof. Koawo Edjah; Director of Academic Affairs, Mr. Jeff Onyame; Deputy Director of Finance, Francis Obeng; Senior Assistant Registrar, Office of the Vice-Chancellor, Mrs. Georgina Asi Owusu and Junior Assistant Registrar, Mr. Felix Adu-Poku.