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

Mr. Abanga Abdul-Karim Ibrahim, a level 200 non-residential Bachelor of Commerce in Finance, of the College of Distance Education (CoDE) has won the maiden Student Idea Business Challenge.

 Organised by the Directorate of Research, Innovation and Consultancy (DRIC) and Design Thinking and Innovation Hub (D-HUB), the competition was a platform for industry players to scout innovative ideas among students.

Mr. Ibrahim, who presented on the topic: " Low-cost wind turbine technology for households," received a GH¢ 2,000 cash prize for picking up the first position. Cash prizes of GH ₵1, 500 and GH ₵1, 000 were awarded to the second and third contestants.

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Mr. Abanga Abdul-Karim Ibrahim receiving his cash prize

A total number of forty-three (43) students from various colleges within the University competed in the challenge, which was held at the New Examination Centre.

For his part, Abanga thanked management and staff of CoDE for the confidence reposed in him and praised DRIC and DHUB for the initiative to train students to become entrepreneurs.

The Director of DRIC, Prof. David Teye Doku, expressed joy in seeing a student from CoDE winning the competition and encouraged him to strive and attain higher heights.

He commended all stakeholders who helped to make the Academia-Industry Research and Innovation Fair a success.