The Minister for Education, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh has called on African governments to collaborate with Universities to develop a curriculum that trains people to be innovators and inventors as well as create opportunities to reduce or prevent migration.      Dr. Prempeh noted that Ghana was committed to providing for the establishment of an educational system intended to produce well-balanced individuals with the right knowledge, skills, values, aptitudes and attitudes to become functional and productive citizens for the total development and the democratic advancement of the nation.

The Minister was speaking at the opening of a three-day Training on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Model Curriculum on Media, Migration and Refugee Matters hosted by the Department of Communication Studies on the theme “Interrelated Issues to the Media, Migration and Refugee Issues in the Context of a Curriculum Model”.

Dr. Prempeh said the international media had over the years featured harrowing scenes of news stories of young Africans mostly men seeking a new life in Europe by crossing dangerous deserts and seas. “Many lose their lives in the process, but those that make it seem to inspire wave after wave of their desperate fellow citizens to risk their lives for this dangerous crossing” he noted.  Making reference to the Landmark UN Migration Studies published on Monday, 21st October, 2019, he stated that, “ 93 per cent of Africans making the journey to European countries along irregular routes would do it again, despite facing often life-threatening danger because of the search for what many term as better lives”.

Touching on some possible causes of illegal migration, he indicated that African migrants were urged on by their lives of hopelessness, despair and lack of opportunities in their countries and, therefore, see Europe as their only hope of a better life. “The UNDP recommends in a report that opportunity and choice must expand at home to stall the movement of many African youths from using illegal or legal means to migrate to Europe,” he noted. He indicated that as long as people remained poor, uneducated and unskilled, they would seek to migrate by whatever means to a better life elsewhere no matter the dangers.

The model curriculum seeks to provide journalism educators with a comprehensive set of modules, enabling them to train journalism students to better understand the complex factual dimensions of migration coverage, and to translate this knowledge into sound and sensitive yet critical and challenging reporting techniques. It is important to embed the migration story within the actual context of the national political economy. African reporting has tended to emphasise the impact of migration on countries of destination, leaving audiences in Africa only marginally interested in the subject. However, migration can – and should – serve as a mirror of the societies from which the migrants emerge. The story needs to be brought home to Africa in a way that is as dispassionate as it is compelling and convincing, and bring in the perspectives of all stakeholders, local and international. Media reporting constitutes the first line of a people's history. What are journalists in Africa telling about an era that is marked by these dangerous and massive movements of citizens in search of greener pastures?

In her address, a representative of Africa Positive, Veye Tatah explained that the model curriculum would provide journalism educators with a comprehensive set of modules, to enable them to train journalism students to better understand the complex factual dimensions of migration coverage, and to translate this knowledge into sound and sensitive yet critical and challenging reporting techniques.  

Veye Tatah indicated that it was important to embed the migration story within the actual context of the national political economy. “African reporting has tended to emphasize the impact of migration on countries of destination, leaving audiences in Africa only marginally interested in the subject” she noted. She further however posited that “Migration can – and should – serve as a mirror of the societies from which the migrants emerge. The story needs to be brought home to Africa in a way that is as dispassionate as it is compelling and convincing, and bring in the perspectives of all stakeholders, local and international”.

In her view, “Media reporting constitutes the first lines of a people's history” and asked rhetorically,  “What are journalists in Africa telling about an era that is marked by these dangerous and massive movements of citizens in search of greener pastures?”

The Provost of the College of Humanities and Legal Studies, Prof. Eric Francis Amuquandoh, said the training workshop was very crucial since most developing countries including Ghana continue to lose capable citizens who could have contributed to the development of their countries. He was hopeful that the training would bring to the fore some thorny issues that needed to be addressed to reverse the trend. 

The Provost noted that the media played very important roles in the development of any nation and therefore, inculcating this curriculum in their training would enhance their understanding of migration and refugee issues. “This will enable them to report the issues in a professional manner devoid of gaps,” he noted.

The Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management has held the maiden 'Dinner' to climax its 10th Anniversary Celebration.

In her welcome address, the Head, Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Dr. Eunice Fay Amissah, stated that the gathering was the first of its kind in the history of the Department, where lecturers and students meet and dine together. She noted, "The 10th Anniversary Celebration is not an occasion of merry making but it is meant for us to reflect on our achievements over the years, and to strategically plan for coming years.” Dr. Amissah also indicated that activities marking the celebration of the anniversary have been organised by staff and students of the Department and therefore used the occasion to commend them for their hard work, commitment and effort towards the entire celebration.

The Head of Department thanked her colleagues for their enormous support and contribution to making the Department one of the best in the University. She applauded partners of the Department from Germany and Switzerland for their presence and participation.

The Ghanaian Departmental students' group presented gifts to the German and Swiss groups at the dinner. 

In attendance were Prof. Ishmael Mensah, Dr. Abednego Kofi Bansah, Mrs. Priscilla Baba Bansah, lecturers from Germany and Switzerland, as well as staff and students from the department.
 

The Counselling Centre, has organized a two-day Mental Health and Wellness Week programme for staff and students of the University Community under the theme: “Speak Up, Speak Out: Changing our Conversation on Mental Health.” 

The Director, Counselling Centre, Rev. Fr. Dr. Anthony Nkyi, stated that the Centre’s core responsibility in University is to assist students to excel in their academic work because success could not be achieved without a good mental health. He noted, “The importance of this programme cannot be overemphasised because the mind can be described as the headquarters of the individual and if it becomes unwell, the consequences can be devastating.” Rev. Fr. Nkyi indicated that it was based on this reason that the Centre deemed it necessary to join in the promotion and awareness creation of the importance of the well-being of the mind.  

The Director said that the aim of the programme was to sensitize staff, students and the entire University Community to support mental health awareness by being ‘agents of positive change’ and by ‘speaking up and speaking out’ threats to their mental well-being. He was also hopeful that the programme would help arrest the stigma meted out to persons living with mental health problems. 
The Provost, College of Education Studies, Prof. Ernest Kofi Davis, in his address said that the state of the mind of every individual was a key determinant of the level of productivity of each person. He added, “The psychological and emotional well-being of staff of any organisation is the key to the attainment of the vision and mission of that organisation.” He explained that for the University's vision to be achieved for innovative teaching, research, outreach and professional development, it would need both staff and students with psychological and emotional well-being.

   
Prof. Davis, who also represented the Vice-Chancellor, noted that mental health has become a major concern on university campuses around the world and in recent times the cases of mental health issue reported at the Counselling Offices and the Centre in this University was overwhelming. The Provost said, "This could be attributed to how students are challenged to cope with academic, relationship, financial and other social demands encountered during their studies and carrier plans after graduation." He stated that these and many more stressors which were experienced by students could lead to lower academic performance, examination anxiety, examination malpractice, depression, social isolation, suicidal thoughts and attempts. He urged students to develop the ability to deal with stress in their academic endeavours because that was the key to their academic success and well-being. 
Prof. Davis said there was the need to occasionally create such platforms to discuss issues relating to the mental health of students. He was hopeful that the campaign would create awareness about the dangers associated with this growing but preventable menace. He advised students to visit the University's Counselling Centre, which is staffed with professionals, to assist staff and students that might have any mental health issues. The Provost remarked, "Don't die in silence, speak up, speak out.  Let's altogether change our conversation on mental health." 

The Guest Speaker, a Clinical Psychologist at 37th Military Hospital, Accra, Dr. Erica Danfrekua Dickson, indicated that everyone has one way or the other been affected by mental health problems or conditions before and would continue to experience it. Dr. Dickson noted that people with mental health conditions were usually disregarded and stigmatised in our society and therefore called for the appropriate measures to be put in place to help destigmatise or address the issue. Dr. Dickson urged staff and students to take very good care of themselves and maintain positive mindedness in their daily activities, conversations and relationships. The Clinical Psychologist acknowledged the effort of the Centre in its campaign to alert the University Community on mental health issues and appealed to the to create an inclusive and supportive mechanism to help address existing cases. Dr. Dickson urged the University to involve the other stakeholders to support staff and students in order to realise productivity and sustainable academic success. She appealed to policy makers to effectively operationalise policies on mental health issues.

The Guest Speaker recommended that academia should develop research interest in mental health issues because it was one of the areas with huge research gap. She advised staff and students to visit the Counselling Centre whenever the need arose. "We must not blame people but encourage them to seek help. When you find your friends or peers having mental health problems, speak up to them and encourage them to seek appropriate support," Dr. Dickson said.  

 
The Director, Directorate of University Health Services (DUHS), Dr. Evans Ekanem, commended the Centre for their effort and initiative to create awareness on mental health in the University community. He urged staff and students to seek counselling and guidance from the Centre for all their professional, academic, psychological and emotional problems anytime the need arose. The Director charged stakeholders to include mental health at all levels of curriculum designs and programmes in schools. Dr. Ekanem, who chaired the function, advised both staff and students to, "Be wise and use your time wisely, carefully, socially and psychologically for the benefit of your mental well-being."
In attendance were Prof. (Mrs.) Linda D. Forde, Prof. Godwin Awabil, Prof. Josuah Omotosho, and Dr. (Mrs.) Rita Adzovie. Others were Dr. Stephen Doh Fia, Mr. Eugene Kwarteng Nantwi, staff and students.