The College of Health and Allied Sciences (CoHAS) of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), in partnership with the Convention of Biomedical Research in Ghana (CoBReG), has launched its 2025 conference under the theme “Biomedical and Clinical Research in Africa: Connecting Scientists for Future Innovations.”
The event, held at the School of Graduate Studies Auditorium, marked the 2nd CoHAS and the 15th CoBReG joint scientific convention.
The President of CoBReG, Dr. Oksana Ryabinina, urged participants to view the gathering as more than a routine meeting.
“Together, let us make this conference not just an event but the start of enduring collaborations that will transform scientific research in Africa,” she stated, admonishing participants to engage fully in all activities that would take place throughout the three days.
Speaking on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Johnson Nyarko Boampong, the Provost of the College of Health and Allied Sciences (CoHAS), Prof. Martins Ekor, emphasised the importance of the platform in advancing impactful research.
He indicated that the platform brought leading scientists, students, and stakeholders together to engage in scientific research discourse.
Provost of CoHAS, Prof. Martins Ekor, representative of the vice-Chancellor at the event
Additionally, Prof. Ekor highlighted some achievements of CoHAS, mentioning the production of impactful research contributing to solutions that address health needs of society.
He further noted that the event was a testament to the fact that the future of scientific innovation could not be realised in solitude but through collaboration.
A former Pro Vice-Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Prof. Ellis Owusu-Dabo, who was the keynote speaker, spoke on the topic “Promoting Academia-Industry Research Partnership for Innovation and Sustainable Development”.
He highlighted three key benefits of such collaborations – empowering the industrial sector by building connections with higher education, allowing universities and industries to learn from each other’s strengths, and creating mutually beneficial outcomes for both academia and industry.”
Prof. Ellis Owusu-Dabo stressed the need for stronger partnerships between academia and industry to drive innovation and sustainable development.
Immediate past Pro Vice-Chancellor of KNUST, Prof. Ellis Owusu-Dabo
“As scientists, we must set the African-led research agenda for scientific innovation. We must make deliberate efforts to create intentional research and collaboration,” he stated.
In addition, a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Mathematics, UCC, Dr. Stephen Moore, delivered a presentation on “AI in Biomedical & Clinical Research in Africa”, focusing on the transformative potential of machine learning in advancing healthcare solutions on the continent.
The event also featured a presentation of a plaque to the keynote speaker, Prof. Ellis Owusu-Dabo, in recognition of his contribution.
Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC