The School of Allied Health Sciences (SAHS) has held a handover ceremony with a call on the newly appointed Heads of Department (HoD’s) to make their staff a priority.

Speaking at the function, the Dean of SAHS, Prof. Desmond Omane Acheampong, advised the new office holders to be fair to all in their respective departments.

“Be ready to apologize when you go wrong because it takes strong people to apologize,” he entreated them.

Prof. Omane Acheampong urged them not to take things personally but stand firm to defend decisions they take in their line of duty.

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“Criticism is part of the work we do, so don’t be surprised if people criticize you for your actions as a leader,” he charged them.

The Dean told the new office holders to profile their staff properly in order to know their strengths and weaknesses adding, “this will help you to assign them duties appropriately”.

At the ceremony, Prof. Richard Kobina Dadzie Ephraim, took over from Prof. Alex Azuka Ilechie as the Vice-Dean.

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Prof. Kobina Dadzie Ephraim also replaced Prof. Isaac Dadzie as the new Head, Department of Medical Laboratory Science.

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The outgoing Heads of Department of Physician Assistant Studies and Department Optometry and Vision Science Prof. Stephen Ocansey and Prof. Alex Azuka Ilchie respectively handed over to the Dean Prof. Desmond Omane Acheampong who will take temporary responsibility until substantive heads are appointed to the two departments.

Dr. George Ghartey Kwansah, took over from Dr. Alex Boye as Coordinator of Department of Sports and Exercise Science.

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In his address, the Dean, Prof. Desmond Omane Acheampong, congratulated the newly elected office holders. He also commended the outgoing heads for the remarkable successes chalked during their tenure at their respective departments.

Touching on the individual achievements of the outgoing heads, Prof. Omane mentioned that during the tenure of Prof Dadzie, he defied all odds to set up and procured substantial state-of-the-art equipment for the laboratory to facilitate practical sessions at that the Department of Medical Laboratory Science.

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Turning to Prof Ocansey, the outgone HoD of Department of Physician Assistant Studies, Prof. Omane Acheampong said he secured a space at the New Lecture Theatre and transformed it into an ultramodern laboratory as well as creating offices for the department in the same building.

In addition, he said Prof. Ocansey acquired a school bus for the Department. “Prof. Ocansey consolidated and solidified the Department by creating two units in the department, and this signifies the hallmark of a great leader who will go beyond his comfort zone to ensure that things are in place for his followers” Prof. Omane Acheampong added.

Continuing, the Dean of SAHS said the outgone HoD of Optometry and Vision Science, Prof. Ilechie who was also the Vice-Dean of the School supervised the establishment of an Eye Clinic at the Cape Coast Technical University.

“Prof. Ilechie expanded the Department by even converting his office as part of the Department’s clinic at the Science Complex. He is indeed a passionate and hardworking leader,” Prof. Omane Acheampong remarked.

Prof. Omane Acheampong thanked Dr. Alex Boye for his efforts in sustaining the Department of Sports and Exercise Science during his tenure.

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Staff members of the School of Allied Health at the ceremony

He urged the new Coordinator Dr. Ghartey Kwansah to intensify enrolment drive to increase the number of students in the Department.

On behalf of the new office holders, Prof. Ephraim, said they would be committed to their duties to ensure that their respective departments in particular and the School in general become one of the best in the University and beyond.

Prof. Isaac Dadzie who spoke on behalf of the outgone office holders mentioned that their tenure of office gave them the opportunity to make some impact in their respective departments. He also entreated the new officers to build on their achievements to move the School to a higher pedestal.

Prof. Dadzie reminded them to follow-up on letters to ensure quick responses from Management and other offices in the Central Administration.

An Academia-Industry Research and Innovation Fair to foster long-lasting collaboration and partnership between key stakeholders in Academia and Industry to impact society and humanity at large has been held at the University of Cape Coast (UCC).

The fair was on theme, "Accelerating Progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in partnership with Industry." 

Put together by the Directorate of Research, Innovation and Consultancy (DRIC) in collaboration with the Design Thinking and Innovation Hub (D-Hub), the fair was aimed at bringing together the Academia, Industry and other key stakeholders to exhibit their products and services, interact and identify needs and potential solutions and products for the benefit of society and humanity.  

The two-day event took place at the New Examination Centre (NEC) at UCC and provided opportunity for exhibitors to showcase several creative research outputs and entrepreneurial initiatives.

^{The Vice-Chancellor of UCC with dignitaries touring some of stands at the fair}

The fair had segmented stands to allow for easy identification of products and services. 

The fair was attended by academia, policymakers, opinion leaders, students and the general public, as well as second cycle educational and tertiary institutions and a host of non-governmental organizations.

Opening the fair, the Vice-Chancellor of UCC, Prof. Johnson Nyarko Boampong noted that the gap in competencies in industry could only be reduced or closed through collaboration between academia and industry to address the scourge of graduate unemployment.

He said entrepreneurship was the main engine and driving force by which developing countries could catch up with the developed nations and, therefore, he was committed to making UCC an entrepreneurial university to enable students create their own businesses after school.

While praising seasoned researchers for producing creative research for the University, the Vice-Chancellor noted that the Fair would be a win-win outcome for all stakeholders.

The Director of DRIC, Prof. David Teye Doku, in a brief address, said DRIC had championed and supported research and innovation at all levels throughout the UCC.

According to him, DRIC had promoted and facilitated the adoption of innovation and research output for societal benefits over the past decade of its existence.

"DRIC and D-Hub are well positioned to provide training for faculty, staff, and students of the University throughout the entire research and innovation ecosystem, from ideation to product,"  Prof Doku continued.

Interacting with University reporters during the fair, most patrons were grateful for the initiative and called for regular organisation of fair at the University to bridge the yawning gap between academia and industry.

As part of the programme, Zenith bank presented a cheque for 150,000 cedis to support the fair.

The Department of Vocational and Technical  Education (VoTEC), University of Cape Coast, has celebrated the 2023 edition of the UNESCO UNEVOC World Youth Skills Day on the theme, “Skilling teachers, trainers and youth for a transformative future.”

 The annual celebration is to sensitise governments across the world to implement pragmatic interventions to support hands-on job creation and deepen awareness of citizens on economic opportunities that are available in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

 An expert in Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET), Dr Henry Fram Akplu, addressing the audience, attributed the rise in youth unemployment to the high demand for foreign goods by Ghanaians.

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Dr Henry Fram Akplu speaking at the programme

 "If we stubbornly buy foreign goods…we must realize we are punishing ourselves. I will say that the main cause of youth unemployment in Ghana, especially among skilled people, is our craze for foreign goods" he stated.

 Dr. Akplu advised the youth to acquire soft skills such as punctuality, positive attitude towards work, character and communication skills in their chosen career. He indicated that it was not enough for Ghanaian youth to have hard skills, pointing out that the soft skills provided an added advantage in developing one's career. The TVET expert further added that aside hardskills, no employer would hire an individual without a good attitude.

He counseled them to have multiple skills and refrain from limiting themselves to a particular job career.

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The audience at the lecture

Dr. Akplu said with the advent of Artificial Intelligence, Robots were taking up jobs of people in the world as a result of the attitudes of employees.

 "Robots don't steal, human beings will steal. Robots can’t feign sickness, humanbeings feign sickness," he explained.

 Dr Akplu advised Ghanaian youth to take jobs seriously to improve the socioeconomic development of the country.

The Director of DAQPA, Prof. Daniel Agyapong charged the youth to take a keen interest in the acquisition of skills that would make them employable so they do not end up joining thousands of unemployed youth parading on the streets across the country due to the lack of job opportunities in the country.

He was, therefore, confident that the current state of training the Department had empowered its students would soon turn the nation’s economy around as many students keep equipping themselves with the right skills to make them economically stable after completing their education.

 For her part, the Head of Department of VoTEC, Dr.  Patience Danquah Monnie, in a short address, said the Department would do everything it could to unleash the potentials of  students.

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HoD of VOTEC Dr. Patience Danquah Monnie speaking at the function

 She said the Department would imbibe the requisite technical knowledge and skills to ensure that Ghana’s future workforce was productive.

 Background

 In 2014, the United Nations General Assembly declared July 15 each year as World Youth Skills Day, to celebrate the strategic importance of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship.

 It is based on this that countries select appropriate days to mark the day to remind the world of the need to support the training and acquisition of skills for the youth.

Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC