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UCC Hosts Carnegie Fellowship Professor

11 Jun, 2017 By louis Mensah

Kwamina Panford from Northeastern University has been awarded a fellowship by the Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program to work at the Institute for Development Studies (IDS) of the University of Cape Coast (UCC). Prof. Panford who has arrived on campus will work with the Director of IDS, Professor Patrick Agbesinyale to publish a baseline study of Ghana’s new oil districts, conduct other research, develop curriculum and host workshops on Ghana’s new petroleum industry. Professor Panford’s project titled “Toward Sustainable use of Africa’s Natural Resources: The Case of Ghana’s Oil and Gas” is one of 43 projects that pairs African Diaspora scholars with one of 35 higher education institutions and collaborators in Africa to work together on curriculum co-development, research, graduate teaching, training and mentoring activities in the coming months. The visiting Fellow will work with research fellows at UCC on a wide range of projects that include research in banking and finance; developing curriculum in therapeutics and environmental toxicology; mentoring faculty in computer science; and teaching and mentoring graduate students in media and communications and in a new interdisciplinary public health programme. The Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Programme is providing support to several programme alumni to enable them to build on successful collaborative projects they conducted in previous years. The Programme, now in its fourth year, is designed to reverse Africa’s brain drain, build capacity at the host institutions, and develop long-term, mutually-beneficial collaborations between universities in Africa and the United States and Canada. It is funded by Carnegie Corporation of New York and managed by the Institute of International Education (IIE) in collaboration with United States International University – Africa (USIU- Africa) in Nairobi, Kenya, which coordinates the activities of the Advisory Council. A total of 282 African Diaspora Fellowships have now been awarded for scholars to travel to Africa since the program’s inception in 2013. Fellowships match host universities with African-born scholars (individually or in small groups) and cover the expenses for project visits of between 14 and 90 days, including transportation, a daily stipend, and the cost of obtaining visas and health insurance. Professor Panford’s fellowship is from May to August, 2017.

Healthcare Providers Receive Training on Gender and Health

07 Jun, 2017 By louis Mensah

The Centre for Gender Research, Advocacy and Documentation (CEGRAD) has organised a day’s training workshop on Gender and Health for some healthcare providers in Ghana. It was aimed at sensitising and building the capacity of healthcare professionals to identify and address gender issues arising in their practice and service delivery. The workshop, held in collaboration with the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of the School of Medical Sciences, University of Cape Coast, brought together medical officers, nurses, physicians assistants, midwives and other healthcare providers. "Gender Sensititive Ethical Practice in Health care Delivery" was the theme for the workshop. Speaking on the topic “Introduction to basic concepts in Gender, Sexuality and Reproductive Rights,” the Research Coordinator at CEGRAD, Dr. Angela Akorsu, noted that gendering involved inculcating gender ideologies and role expectations into individuals. According to her, gendering also implied the acquisition of a social and sexual identity and the learning of appropriate sets of behaviours and capacities associated with one’s sex. In almost all cultures, she noted that, females were exposed to patriarchy- a system of power relations in which women are subordinated to men. Dr. Akorsu explained that patriarchy thrived on seven pillars of social institutions that reinforce women’s subordination, namely: family, media, health, religion, political, educational and economic. She, however, noted that patriarchal control also involved socially powerful women wielding male power for the benefit of men. She said, for example, it was older women with power who indulged in the activities of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), widowhood rites, among other harmful cultural practices. The Research Coordinator admitted that “gender is a social creation” but expressed concern that it was constructed in a way that limits women’s life chances, creating needs and vulnerabilities in women with implications for education, health care, income and political participation. “It is not the fact that it is socially created that boarders us, but the way it is structured; the way it limits women’s life chances, that is what we are concerned about,” Dr. Akorsu added. Touching on Sexuality and Reproductive Health, the Director of CEGRAD, Prof. Akua Britwum, noted that sexuality and reproductive health was one of the most contested areas in health care delivery with deep implications for ethical practices. She explained that healthcare professionals faced ethical challenges when their patients, with sexual partner preferences such as homosexuals, bisexuals and heterosexuals, seek for medical treatment. Prof Britwum said two primary objectives relevant to sexual health were quality of sexual relations and individual access to reproductive rights and responsibilities. She noted that some health policies and health care practices had significant impact on sexuality and, therefore, advised healthcare practitioners not to remain quiet on issues of sexuality because “it is central to reproductive and sexual health”. For his part, the Head of Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Dr. Joseph Adu, who took participants through Gender issues in Ministry of Health Gender Policy, said the main objectives of the Gender Policy were to promote professional ethics and human rights amongst health workers in the delivery of health care and also to address gender gaps in health care delivery at the household level. To achieve the goals and objectives of the policy, Dr. Adu observed that the Ministry should design gender sensitive policies and programmes that would ensure equal opportunities, create an enabling work environment for both women and men, build the capacity of staff of the Ministry to ensure gender responsive budgeting. He said some of the challenges facing the policy document included resource mobilization and allocation, research, gender responsive budgeting and, monitoring and evaluation. A senior lecturer at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Dr. Evans Agbeno led participants during an interactive sessions on Gender and Healthcare Delivery, whilst Dr. Genevieve Adukpo and Ms. Amanda Odoi also handled Strategies for Gender Sensitive Programme Reform and Ethical Practices.

UCC Affiliation Team Visits Institute of Development and Technology Management

07 Jun, 2017 By louis Mensah

A team of Assessors from UCC has paid a working visit to the Institute of Development and Technology Management (IDTM) to discuss the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Development Studies to be introduced by the Institute. The visit forms part of the requirement to grant IDTM affiliation to run PhD in Development Studies. IDTM provides post graduate programmes in Development Studies. The team from UCC comprised Chairman of Committee of Institutional Affiliation, Prof. Edward Marfo-Yiadom; Dean, School of Graduate Studies, Prof. Ernest Laryea Okorley; Prof. Francis Enu-Kwesi (Curriculum Reviewer); Dr. Precious Mattah; Ms. Paulina Afful Arthur; Mr. Justice Agyenim Boateng and Mr. Alex Allotey. The leader of UCC team, Prof. Marfo-Yiadom, said the University was willing to engage in fruitful collaboration with IDTM. He said the visit was to inspect facilities at the Institute as well as discuss the curriculum and other institutional documents. On behalf of the team, Prof. Marfo-Yiadom recommended to management of the Institute to review some portions of the curriculum for the PhD programme and update some of the institutional documents to meet UCC requirements for affiliation. The Rector of IDTM, Prof. John Micah thanked the team and expressed the Institute’s readiness to partner UCC to introduce the PhD programme. He was also grateful for the Affiliation team’s comments and recommendation on the Institute’s documents and promised to effect the necessary corrections to meet the required standard.

Don't Rush to Social Media- Pro-Vice-Chancellor advises Student Leaders

06 Jun, 2017 By louis Mensah

The Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Prof. George K.T. Oduro, has advised student leaders to refrain from taking to social media to vilify the University without any recourse to authorities. Prof. Oduro noted that the essence of social media was to ensure information sharing to enhance social relationships and not for purposes of vilifying and abusing individuals, groups or the University. Rather, Prof. Oduro called on students to safeguard the image of the University in all their endeavours, adding that " you can never write your CV without reference to University of Cape Coast". The Pro-Vice-Chancellor made these observations during Management and Student Leadership Retreat at Takoradi to take stock of past activities and map out strategies and take decisions to project the image of the University on a higher pedestal. Present at the retreat were some Provosts of the five Colleges, Director of Finance, representative of the Director of Internal Audit, Director of Academic Affairs, Director of Legal Consular and General Services and Hall Masters/Warden, Dean and Vice Dean of Student Affairs. The student leadership comprised the current and former Presidents of SRC, GRASAG and the various Junior Common Room. Prof. Oduro advised the students against the misuse of communication and its tools but rather admonished them to focus on these tools to properly to facilitate social development and also deepen the enviable image of the university worldwide. He also urged students to seek clarifications and make their concerns known to the appropriate quarters, stressing that it was only when management and governing council were not reacting to their concerns that they(students) could seek external support. The Pro-Vice-Chancellor also paid glowing tribute to the immediate past Vice-Chancellor, Prof. D. D. Kuupole, for instituting the annual retreat to help stakeholders of the University to brainstorm on important issues to advance the cause of the University. At end of the two-day retreat, management and student leaders came out with some resolutions for implementation in the next academic year. The Vice Dean of Students Affairs, Dr. Eugene Darteh, chairman of the Monitoring and Evaluation Committee and his team would follow up on the implementation of the resolutions at the retreat. In this regard, Provosts, Deans,Directors and Heads of the various offices in the University have been urged to cooperate with the committee during the exercise. Some of the issues discussed at the three-day retreat were sanitation, registration of students, ICT infrastructure, security, academic work,students welfare among others. The SRC President, Mr. Henry Tony Arthur on behalf of the student leadership thanked management for the opportunity to interact with them concerning the welfare of students. He appealed to management to implement the resolutions of the retreat so that students would continue to pursue their academic work in a more conducive environment.

UCC to Introduce Bachelor of Chinese Programme

06 Jun, 2017 By louis Mensah

The University of Cape Coast (UCC) will soon introduce a Bachelor of Chinese programme. This came light at the first anniversary celebration of UCC Confucius Institute. The Confucius Institute offers opportunity for both students and faculty through grants and scholarship to learn the Chinese language and culture. The Ghanaian Director of the Institute, Prof. Kwadwo Opoku Agyemang, noted that in almost a decade and a half, the Institute has spread to over 84 countries in the world and over six (6) million people have taken the proficiency test in Chinese as well. Prof. Opoku Agyemang said currently 410 universities have absorbed the Confucius Institute system into their curriculum and 2.1m new learners have so far been registered this year. The Ghanaian Director called for the need to think deeply and carefully about the relationship and open up to new opportunities that the collaboration offered. “For us at UCC, Confucius Institute offers many avenue of growth for development. There has been healthy development between lecturers, administration and officials of the Institute”, he noted. In an address, the Central Regional Minister, Mr. Kwamena Duncan commended the University for creating the partnership that has brought tremendous benefits to both parties, the region and the country at large. The regional minister said the Chinese have undertaken some major infrastructure development in the country including the Cape Coast Sports Stadium and the Kotokuraba market. Mr. Duncan said the Chinese placed a lot of value on the teaching and values of Confucius, which were fairness and justice. “Things that underpinned his teaching were fairness and justice; and also believed in the correctness of attitude and punishment for those who deviated”. “No doubt this period belongs to the Chinese, the world is calling on China for leadership now that America has relinquished its leadership role”. He commended the leadership of the University for their foresight and urged them to continue to support the institute. The Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, Her Excellency, Sun Baohong, said the Institute had travelled an extraordinary journey for the past 12 years and has 1.2m students across the world. “It has become the backbone of learning the language and culture all over the world”. Madam Sun Baohong said Confucius Institute UCC is the 500th to be established in the world and the second in Ghana. The Ambassador said, the theme, “Ghana-China in Harmony” was apt since the two countries would work with others to promote the development of their peoples. She said Ghana was the second country in Africa to establish diplomatic relations with China some 56 years ago and the partnership has brought enormous benefit to the countries. The Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Prof. George K. T. Oduro, in an address, said by opening its curriculum to include Chinese language and culture, the University was creating opportunities to engage with one of the most influential economic and cultural presence in the world. Prof. Oduro indicated that “at a more immediate level, engaging with China through the Confucius Institute allows us to discover new methodologies and approaches that can ultimately reinvigorate and re-purpose our study of our own Ghanaian culture and languages, including even those foreign languages we have historically learnt to tame by domestic usage”. Prof. Oduro therefore urged close collaboration between Confucius Institute and our many Language Departments saying, “this is the broad humanistic ideal that incited the creation and crafting of the original proposal leading to the founding of the Confucius Institute at UCC”. The Pro-Vice-Chancellor noted that in Africa today, the promise of democracy was evolving since there were signs of positive growth and fairness, in institutional development and deep adjustment to the challenges of the day. “More and more, our leaders are coming to see that the old, closed ways of doing things have to be challenged, and that smart planning hinged on innovation and a robust and balanced system of international cooperation”, he declared. “In celebrating Confucius Institute at UCC, therefore, we put on display our wish to build for ourselves and our future an open and successful society in which we enjoy the full benefits of all cultural and intellectual heritage of the world”, he stressed.

IEPA Students Go on Student Exchange Programme to Auburn University

06 Jun, 2017 By louis Mensah

An orientation programme has been held for three students from the Institute for Educational Planning and Administration (IEPA) who are visiting Auburn University, USA, on an exchange programme. The team is made up of Mrs. Efua Eleanor Onyame, Rev. Sr. Clarence Uzogara and Rev Emmanuel Adjetey Okorley, all first year MPhil students of IEPA. Opening the programme, the Director of IEPA, Dr. Mrs. Rosemary Bosu, stated that the objective of the trip was for the team to see how youth programme conferences for high school students are organized so that they can also replicate it in the Senior High Schools in Ghana when they return. They will be part of a service learning of the poor black communities and also interact with students of Auburn University. On behalf of management, the Pro- Vice Chancellor, Prof. George K. T. Oduro, congratulated the team and advised them to be good ambassadors of IEPA and the University of Cape Coast. He emphasized that the programme being the first of its kind, the future depended on the team for sustainability. He further noted that currently, no support exist for students on such exchange programmes and hinted that efforts are being made so that students can also get some kind of supports for such programmes. He ended by expressing his appreciation to the director of IEPA and Dr. Boakye-Yiadom for facilitating the programme and wished the students a fruitful trip. The team led by Dr. Boakye-Yiadom leaves for the US on 10th June, 2017 and returns on 20th June, 2017.

Indiana State University Delegation Confers with Pro VC

30 May, 2017 By louis Mensah

A delegation from the Indiana State University, USA, has held discussions with the Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Prof. George K. T. Oduro, on areas of possible collaboration with the University of Cape Coast (UCC). The discussions, among other things, centered on the areas of higher education on students’ affairs management. Earlier, the delegation, led by an Assistant Professor in Educational Leadership, Amy French, along with some students, paid a familiarization visit at the Institute for Educational Planning and Administration (IEPA) to acquaint themselves with the academic activities of the Institute. Receiving the delegation at the Council Chamber, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor reiterated management’s commitment to enhance the visibility of UCC through collaboration, assuring the visitors that management would do everything it could to make the collaboration between Indiana State University and IEPA yield the desired results. He added that UCC was concerned about collaborations that would help strengthen the programmes of the University and expand the capacity of its faculty. For her part, Prof. French expressed gratitude to UCC for the hospitality accorded the delegation and gave an assurance that Indiana State University would take the collaboration seriously to ensure the growth of the two institutions, particularly regarding higher education on students’ affairs management. Present at the meeting were Dr. Rosemary Bosu, the Director of IEPA; Dr. Micheal Boakye-Yiadom, a Research Fellow at IEPA, and Mr. Felix Adu Poku, an Assistant Registrar at the Directorate of Public Affairs.

Coastline Must Be Conserved to Play its Ecological and Economic Role-Dr. Aheto

29 May, 2017 By louis Mensah

A call has been made for the conservation of the coastline to enable it play its ecological role for the marine and coastal environment. The Director of the Centre for Coastal Management (CCM), University of Cape Coast, Dr. Denis Aheto made the call at the opening of a five-day course on Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation in Coastal Areas, at Anomabo. The course was designed to meet individual learning needs as well as providing valuable and constructive feedback for both participants and trainers alike. Of late Climate change and variability are affecting communities especially, those along our coast as seen with the intermittent flooding, seasonal drought and increasing land and temperatures. Participants were drawn from the National Disaster and Management Organisation (NADMO), Fisheries Commission, Land Use and Spatial Planning and Authority formerly (Town and Country Planning Department), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV). Speaking at the opening, the Director of CCM said the course was meant to build the capacity of professionals within the Civil Service to do things right particularly with our coastline. The Director was not happy with the wanton erection of illegal structures along the coastline from Ola to Iture on the Cape Coast- Takoradi highway and called on the Metropolitan Assembly to take steps to stop the development. “For the University of Cape Coast we have seen a rapid development of our coastline where we are having expanding ad hoc structures for entertainment or drinking spots. I think this an issue that, even as a university we have to take a close look at because it is not only destroying the aesthetic value or environment but I am also calling on the assembly and Environment Protection Agency to clamp these activities”. Dr. Aheto said traditionally, the areas have served as landing beaches for fishermen and it was not good these unfortunate developments are taking place on our beaches. He said even though the course was focusing on professionals from the Volta and Eastern regions, adding that “conservation of the coastal environment does not say that people should not utilize the environment, it should be done, but it must be managed in a way that people can use it and at the same time we can conserve it for it to have its ecological impact on the marine and coastal environment”. Dr. Aheto who is also the project manager, said the Centre has sent a position paper to the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) to factor coastal management issues in national development planning. He announced that the Centre was supporting five communities in the Western region with alternate livelihood to fishing to help reduce the pressure on the coastline. “If they make money from these alternative livelihood support programmes they will not go cutting the mangrove”, he stated. He also called for the need to share information and data in the sector adding, “Development of database has been well coordinated; it is not only UCC hut all the four public universities and it is a legitimate database”. He added that there were currently over 250 documents that have been posted on a newly created database website known as FishCoMGhana for people to access.

UCC Renews Collaboration with University of New England

26 May, 2017 By louis Mensah

The University of Cape Coast (UCC) and the University of New England (UNE), United States of America, have resolved to renew the collaboration between the two institutions. The earlier Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which was signed between the two institutions in 2008, centered in the areas of public health practice, research interests and collaborative clinical care since 2008. In a bid to reactivate the MoU between the two institutions, two officials from UNE led by Dr. Jennifer Morton paid a courtesy call on the Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Prof. George K. T. Oduro. Welcoming the officials, Prof. Oduro said the University as part of its internationalisation agenda was committed towards establishing as well as strengthening partnership with institutions across the world that would contribute positively to both partners. “The Vice-Chancellor’s agenda is to firm up the internationalisation agenda of the University by establishing mutual beneficial relationships that will help project our University and partner institutions,” he stressed. Speaking at the meeting, Dr. Morton said UNE had partnered UCC Hospital over the years to embark on a project dubbed “Ghana Health Immersion” at Sekondi in the Western Region. She said faculty and students from UNE join staff of the UCC Hospital and community health outreach workers from the Assemblies of God Church in Sekondi to provide health care to some communities in the Western Region Dr. Morton noted that it was important to review the MoU to bring on board the School of Nursing and the Department of Population and Health in order to expand the scope of work of the partnership. “Our students learn a lot when they come to Ghana and they are eager to learn more about what happens in Africa,” she added. She indicated that they were ever ready to also welcome UCC faculty and students to the US for a similar exercise. Trisha Mason from UNE Service Learning said students and faculty report every year of the life changing experience that they had gained at the personal and professional level. She noted that in 2016, the students learned copious amounts of knowledge from their Ghanaian health professionals especially the UCC team. She noted that the experiences they gained puts them ahead of their student counterparts in terms of tropical disease knowledge and cultural competency. Present at the meeting were the Provost of the College of Humanities and Legal Studies, Prof. Dora Edu-Buandoh; the Director of Academic Planning and Quality Assurance, Prof. Kofi Awusabo-Asare; Dean of the Centre for International Studies, Prof. Rosemond Boohene. Others included the Director of Academic Affairs, Mr. Jeff Onyame; the Director of Public Affairs, Major Kofi Baah-Bentum(rtd) and Mr. Kobina Esia-Donkoh, a senior lecturer at the Department of Population and Health.

“Our Ability to Manage in Unity Kept Us Going”- Former President of GRASAG

26 May, 2017 By louis Mensah

The immediate past President of the Graduate Students Association of Ghana (GRASAG), UCC Chapter, Mr. Seth Odame-Mensah, has called on the new executives of the association to be united and focused in their quest to serve their members. Mr. Odame-Mensah said this when he handed over the leadership mantle of GRASAG to Mr. Benjamin Sundeme, at a ceremony held at the Main Auditorium. The newly-elected executives of GRASAG were sworn into office at the ceremony The former GRASAG President said despite all the challenges his team faced, they were always united to work together to deliver their campaign promises. “Your human relation skills must be on top as a team even in the toughest of times. What kept my team going was the ability to manage in unity, we had our trials, scandals and challenges but because we were united you never heard about much quarrels,” he charged the new president and his executives. “Whiles we were grappling to deal with challenges from the system to achieve our goals, much distractions were also being orchestrated by some of our colleagues who, instead of coming on board to help find solutions to the problems, were rather trying to gain prominence by disseminating false ideas and deliberately appealing to the deepest hate responses within the human minds,” he noted. Mr. Odame-Mensah therefore, appealed to members of the association to stop such attitude which according to him was causing unnecessary tension in students’ politics. According to Mr. Odame-Mensah his team made great strides during their term in office. Among the achievements he catalogued were organising research training; introducing Graduate Empowerment Summit, maiden disbursement of research funds to members and International Women’s’ day celebration seminar. Others included part payment of school fees policy; Graduate Assistantship programme; refund of medical bills to students; Representation on the Graduate Hostel Management Board and Lobbying of SRC to support GRASAG Research Fund. On behalf of the former executives, he congratulated Mr. Sundeme and the other executives on their successful election and pledged to support the new president and his team whenever the need arose. Speaking at the ceremony, the new President, Mr. Sundeme expressed gratitude to members for the show of confidence and exceptional mandate conferred on him and the other executives. He also thanked his predecessor, the past Senate Chair and Senators, Chief Justice and members of the Judicial Council of GRASAG. The President of GRASAG assured members of the association that his team would do its best to restore confidence and trust in members have lost in the association. He implored the new leadership of Senate and Senators, Chief Justice and prospective members of various committees of the association to stand out in the discharge of their duties. He also extended a hand of invitation to all those who contested in various positions but could not make it to come on board to work towards the forward match of GRASAG. Mr. Sundeme noted that under his term of office, he would build stronger ties between GRASAG and the School of Graduate Studies to find solution to challenges postgraduate students face in UCC. “I always say that student leaders can never fight management in finding solution to the challenges of their followers but rather, we must cajole them by putting up good cases and fostering warm relations,” he added. The Vice-Dean of Students, Dr. Eugene Darteh, who was the guest of honour at the function commended GRASAG for conducting a peaceful election. He praised Mr. Seth-Odame and his team for their dedicated service to the association and the cordial relationship they established with management whilst in office. He urged the past executives to ensure that they complete their thesis and for that matter their programme of studies on schedule noting that “you must distinguish yourself not only in student leadership but also in academics because that is the only evidence that you’ve successfully completed your postgraduate studies”. Dr. Darteh advised the current executives to learn how to relate well with the School of Graduate Studies in particular and the University management in general so that they would achieve their objectives for the association and also have their grievances addressed. He noted that the University would always apply the rules and regulations in the students’ handbook whenever appropriate however, “nobody in management is happy to apply a rule that will negatively affect students.” The function was chaired by the Vice-Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, Prof. Kankam Boadu. Present were President of the Students Representative Council (SRC), Mr. Tony Arthur and other executives of the SRC and National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) UCC chapter.

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