The University of Cape Coast signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the University of Lincoln (UK). The partnership is to ensure mutual cooperation between the two universities in research development, faculty student capacity strengthening and student exchange programmes. To firm up the implementation of the MoU, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Joseph Ghartey Ampiah, tasked a three-member delegation under the leadership of the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Prof George K. T. Oduro, to visit authorities of the University of Lincoln recently. Other members of the delegation were Dr. Richmond Afoakwah, Head of Department of Forensic Sciences, and Mr Dan Osei Mensah Bonsu, also of the Department of Forensic Sciences. The delegation met with various officers of the University of Lincoln. During one such meeting with Prof Toby Wilkinson, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (External Relations) of the University of Lincoln, he expressed profound gratitude to the UCC team for making time to visit Lincoln. He said that his office was in the process of intensifying the international relations of the University and hence saw the visit of the UCC team as not only timely but also crucial. Prof. Wilkinson said that the two universities have a lot to learn from each other. “In the face of dwindling support from the British Government to Universities, partnership with institutions from developing countries are crucial. The time has come for us in the UK to learn how to manage limited resources. So this cooperation should not be limited to academics and research. We should extend the exchange programmes to personnel in our Finance, Human Resource and Estate Offices”, he said. The Pro Vice-Chancellor of UCC on his part commended the University of Lincoln for receiving gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework 2017. Prof. Oduro reiterated UCC’s vision to be strongly positioned with a world-wide acclaim, and said further that partnering with the University of Lincoln would indeed help UCC to achieve its vision. He was hopeful that in the very near future UCC would stand in similar gold-winning stead. Of particular interest to him was the University’s approach to ensuring student satisfaction. “It is not surprising that your University is ranked among UK’s top ten for student satisfaction by postgraduate and International Students on the Whatumi Student Choice Awards 2017”, he said. “We will recommend your Student Union to our Student Representative Council and ensure a collaboration at the student front as well”, Prof. Oduro said further.   The UCC delegation held further meetings with the Head of College of Science and Engineering, Prof Libby John and the Head of the School of Chemistry, Prof Ian Scowen. During these meetings, discussions on specific outcomes of the MoU were discussed. The School of Chemistry, for example, will from next summer host Level 200 B.Sc. Forensic Science students from UCC to take a four-week summer course in Instrumental Analysis at Lincoln. The teams also agreed to develop several academic and training programmes, especially in the field of Forensic and Investigative Sciences.  

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, Prof. Joseph Ghartey Ampiah, has affirmed the University’s commitment to ensure a holistic growth of Colleges of Education in Ghana. Prof. Ampiah noted that UCC would not renege on its responsibility as mentors of the Colleges but provide the necessary assistance to help the colleges achieve their mandate of producing quality teachers for the basic schools in the country. The Vice-Chancellor made these statements at the signing of Affiliation Agreement and Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between UCC and two Colleges of Education. The colleges were Al-faruk College of Education, Wenchi and St. Vincent College of Education, Yendi.  Prof Ampiah said the decision by the two institutions to enter into agreement with UCC was an indication that they were committed to the collaboration. He said the Affiliation Agreement and MoU would bind each of the partners to live up to expectation. “We need to be each other’s keeper so that when we go wrong, you draw our attention for the right thing to be done and in the same way we will let you know if you are not on the right path,” he added. As part of the mentorship arrangement, Prof Ampiah said UCC would continue to build the capacity of the different categories of staff of the Colleges, saying “we promise to do our best to help your tutors to upgrade themselves and also build their capacities in the area of research, proposal writing and publication.”   The Director of the Institute of Education, Prof. Frederick Ocansey, noted that 47 Colleges of Education including 44 public and three private were currently affiliated to UCC.  He also assured the two colleges that UCC with its vast experience in mentoring would support them to deliver on their mandate, On behalf of Al-Faruk College of Education, the Principal, Mr. Wahab Sualibu, expressed gratitude to the management of UCC for accepting the College as an affiliate. He said the primary focus of the College was to train competent Arabic teachers for Arabic basic schools in the country since most of the teachers who handle Arabic in those schools lacked formal education. He seized the opportunity to thank the Director of the Institute of Education and some lecturers at the Institute for lending a helping hand even before the signing ceremony. The Principal of St. Vincent College of Education, Dr. Erasmus K. Norriewu-Mortty, described the ceremony as a memorable one adding that “without UCC we will not have been where we are”. He was hopeful that there were better days ahead for the two institutions.  He asked for support in terms of research to enable the tutors develop their skills to write quality articles for publication in local and international journals.