The Pro Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Denis Aheto, has met with Prof. Terry Sunderland of the Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences at the University of British Columbia, Canada, at his office.
During the meeting, the two leaders, with other guests, engaged in cordial conversations regarding student and faculty exchanges, joint research, and capacity building.
The discussions also touched on how Prof. Sunderland’s Department could partner with the Africa Centre of Excellence in Coastal Resilience (ACECoR) at UCC to achieve sustainable management and use of the coastal environment through training of human resources and engaging in demand-driven research to support coastal policy development in Africa.
Prof. Sunderland indicated that his Department envisions a cordial relationship between the two units for their mutual benefit.
Pro Vice-Chancellor of UCC, Prof. Denis Aheto and Prof. Terry Sunderland of the University of British Columbia, Canada
For his part, Prof. Aheto walked Prof. Terry Sunderland through the inception of ACECoR and how it provides an enabling environment for both students and faculty, as well as researchers from all over the continent and beyond to work assiduously at reversing the rapid degradation of coastal and marine environments occurring in Africa.
“Though very young, the Centre has a multi-national and multi-cultural student community drawn from eight African countries, including Ghana. Currently, 32% of the Centre’s students are from other countries in Africa. ACECoR endeavours to let students feel at home while pursuing rigorous academic work. The staff and students of the Centre have a strong bond of relationship, with a great sense of community and shared purpose,” he added.
The meeting was attended by some staff and students of ACECoR.
Source: Documentation and Information Section
A not-for-profit organisation, Climate Change Advisors Ghana, has donated two plastic collection bins to the University of Cape Coast (UCC) to help deal with the plastic waste menace.
The Co-founder of CCAG, Mr. Peter A. Doh, said the organisation promotes climate change mitigation and adaptation policies and activities.
Therefore, the CCAG was providing the plastic collection bins for collecting plastic waste on campus, and later, the Environmental Protection Agency would transport it to the recycling centres.
Present at the meeting were a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Animal Science at UCC, Dr. Samuel Ofori, and other members of the CCAG.
The Pro Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Denis Aheto, expressed gratitude to CCA Ghana for the donation and said that while some effort was being made to efficiently manage the waste, many plastics end up in the sea, ultimately affecting one of the critical economic livelihood support sectors, the fisheries industry.
He said the coastal communities and fishermen had their nets catching a lot of plastic instead of fish most of the time. That, he indicated, had worrying effects on their livelihoods. He further explained that the plastics that found their way into the water bodies released microplastics into the water, thus affecting aquatic life.
Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC
A two-day workshop aimed at empowering heads of Public and Private Basic schools and School Improvement and Support Officers (SISOs) on leadership skills has ended at the University of Cape Coast.
Organised by the Institute for Educational Planning and Administration (IEPA), the participants were taken through exemplary leadership, learning-focused management, intensive practical sessions on role modelling, and practical learning.
Participants were also trained in how to engage and collaborate with their communities, how to mobilise resources, among other skills, for the smooth implementation of their visions.
The training formed part of activities marking IEPA’s 50th anniversary and its five years as a UNESCO Category II Centre of Excellence.
In his opening remarks ahead of the training, the Director-General of the IEPA, Prof. Michael Boakye-Yiadom, indicated that effective school leadership was a prerequisite for achieving learning outcomes.
To him, school leadership must be focused on ensuring academic and skills development rather than mere administrative work.
Putting premium on practical learning, the Director-General enjoined participants to involve industry practitioners in the teaching and learning process to enable students acquire practical skills.
Prof. Boakye-Yiadom admitted that the government alone could not channel funds for resource mobilization training and, therefore, school heads should learn innovative methods on how to raise resources to support their activities.
“We are intentionally encouraging and supporting them with the capacity to lead fundraising activities for their school to aid in teaching and learning,” he added.
Some of the participants in the workshop
He urged participants to take advantage of the networking opportunities available and expressed the Institute’s commitment to engaging more heads and teachers in the region to advance education.
The Deputy Central Regional Director of Education, Madam Harriet Oduraa Idun Sagoe, stressed the need for effective leadership in teaching and learning and admitted that a lot of heads of schools were appointed without practical leadership training.
“In Ghana, a lot of us focus on money when we are getting positions. So, if the person is made to understand that whatever they have to offer is prominent, it is going to solve a lot of issues in our schools,” she added.
Madam Sagoe lauded IEPA for the training and appealed to them to expand its reach to cover other parts of the region, while urging participants to apply the knowledge acquired in their respective schools.
A beneficiary of the training, the Headteacher of the Ankaful M/A Basic School, Mr. Eric Asante, said the training had taught them more effective ways to deal with indiscipline among students, as misbehaviour had become a scourge.
Another beneficiary, Madam Philomena Charlotte Forson, called for periodic organisation of such workshops to sharpen the skills of participants and added that the school curriculum as well as students’ behaviour were changing consistently, and therefore periodic training had become imperative.
The facilitators included Rev Father Raymond C Tangonyere and Prof. Bro. Michael Amakye, both from IEPA.
Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC
Faculty members from the College of Education Studies (CoES) at the University of Cape Coast (UCC), who benefited from the Erasmus Getting on Together (GOT) Project, have commenced a three-day workshop designed to share the knowledge and skills they acquired in digitalization and pedagogy with their colleagues.
The Erasmus GOT project is a collaborative initiative involving UCC, the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), Tampere University in Finland, and Tallinn University in Estonia. The project focuses on equipping faculty members with digital skills to enhance effective teaching and learning across institutions. Through this initiative, selected faculty from UCC and UEW received specialized training in digitalization.
The first day of the workshop, which targeted faculty members from the Faculty of Science and Technology Education, was centered on the theme, “Use of Emerging Technology in Higher Education.”
Four presentations were delivered by Dr. Isaac Benning, Dr. Nelly Abaidoo, Dr. Bernard Wiafe Akaadom, and Dr. Samuel Agyeman-Duah.
Dr. Isaac Benning led a session on “Leveraging Gemini AI and Khan Academy for Classroom Use.” He guided participants on how to use Gemini AI to prepare lecture notes and generate audio from slides to facilitate teaching. As part of the session, he helped all participants create their own Gemini AI accounts and practiced using the tool effectively.
One of the presentation sessions
Dr. Nelly Abaidoo’s presentation focused on the use of technology in student assessment. She introduced Mentimeter, a widely used assessment tool, and demonstrated how it could be used for quick and effective assessment. She also provided practical guidance on its application, emphasizing its relevance in modern classroom settings.
Speaking on “Using Technology in Research,” Dr. Bernard Wiafe Akaadom highlighted the advantages of using AI tools in academic research. “AI tools like Copilot AI and ChatGPT can help you to review your students’ research work quickly and also give them a swift response,” he emphasized.
Dr. Samuel Agyeman-Duah concluded the day with a presentation on “Preparing Engaging Presentations.” He encouraged lecturers to constantly improve their classroom delivery, noting that technology, especially AI, could be a valuable aid. “In making your slides for presentation, remember that less is always more, so focus on one idea per slide,” he advised.
Dr. Christopher Yarkwah, the Principal Investigator for UCC, praised the presenters for their outstanding delivery and stressed the importance of propagating the knowledge gained from the Erasmus GOT training to other faculty members.
“We look forward to training more than 100 faculty members in UCC, starting from the College of Education Studies,” he highlighted.
Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC
In the spirit of celebrating Ghanaian culture and tradition, the University Junior High School, University of Cape Coast, has held a Traditional Day Celebration.
The day was used to showcase the traditional clothes of the various ethnic groups in the country to inculcate in the pupils the need to value the Ghanaian traditional fashion. The students made merry with traditional Ghanaian dishes and beverages.
The celebration was in line with ‘Ghana Month,’ a month-long celebration dedicated to recognizing and promoting Ghana's rich cultural heritage. Celebrated in March each year, it is to foster national pride and unity.
Headmistress of UJHS, Mrs Eleanor Onyame, addressing the students
At the ceremony, the pupils dressed in the traditional attire of the various tribes in the country and performed some traditional dances.
The Headmistress, Mrs Eleanor Onyame, said it was important to imbibe in children the African and Ghanaian way of dressing.
She said that the way people dress defines “who they are and where they are coming from," hence, pupils must be taught and encouraged to dress in their traditional attire during specific occasions.
Some students during a performance
Mrs Onyame said the school would continue to teach the children to appreciate their cultural values.
Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC
The College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences (CANS) of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) has presented a Citation of Honour to the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Denis Aheto, following his appointment and investiture as the Pro Vice-Chancellor.
The Provost, Prof. Moses Jojo Eghan, presenting the citation, expressed delight at the appointment of Prof. Aheto and encouraged him to remain steadfast in his role, urging him to build on the successes he had encountered.
He described Prof. Aheto’s appointment as well-deserved, noting his distinguished academic career and familiarity with the UCC environment, which positions him well for success in his tenure.
Prof Eghan expressed the readiness of the College to support Prof. Aheto in all his endeavours.
In response, Prof. Aheto assured the Provost and his accompanying delegation of his commitment to support the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Johnson Nyarko Boampong, in elevating the University during his tenure.
Provost, Prof. Moses Jojo Eghan (Right), presenting the citation to Prof. Aheto (Left)
He said he was looking forward to getting investors to set up students’ residential facilities to accommodate more students.
The citation presented to Prof. Aheto read in part, “The College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences (CANS) extends its heartiest congratulations to you on your appointment as the new Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast. Your exceptional leadership, innovative vision, and unwavering commitment have undoubtedly driven you to this new height.”
It further read, “We eagerly anticipate the positive transformation and progress that your tenure as Pro Vice-Chancellor will undoubtedly bring to our university.”
The delegation from CANS also extended best wishes to the Pro Vice-Chancellor during his tenure.
Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC
The Directorate of Research, Innovation, and Consultancy (DRIC) at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) has held a day’s seminar on "Ethics in Scholarly Work".
The seminar consisted of a presentation by the Editor in Chief of Elsevier's Social, Science and Medicine journal, and a Professor and University Research Chair at the Department of Geography and Environmental Management, University of Waterloo, Canada, Prof. Susan J. Elliott.
Prof. Elliot, presenting on "Unpacking the Black Box of Academic Publishing," indicated the importance of ethics in scholarly work while highlighting the risks of academic dishonesty. She cautioned that students and researchers who engaged in misconduct could face severe penalties, including institutional blacklisting.
One of the key topics discussed was the growing threat of paper mills companies that charge researchers to have their work published in journals through fraudulent means. Prof. Elliott provided tips for identifying these deceptive services, noting signs such as papers that appear “too clean,” fake university affiliations, and the use of non-institutional email addresses.
Prof. Susan J. Elliott addressing participants in the seminar
Prof. Elliott acknowledged the potential risks of using Artificial Intelligence (AI), particularly seeking to manipulate the publication process.
"Make sure you get it right at the beginning because we don’t allow author changes," Prof. Elliott cautioned.
She advised that when researchers want to publish, they should "focus on quality over quantity when submitting research, avoid data mining and unethical research shortcuts, and choose the right journal using tools like journal finders."
She concluded by encouraging all researchers present at the event to note that critiques of their works by Reviewers are not attacks on their personalities, hence, such comments should be taken in good faith.
Prof. David Teye Doku, the Director for DRIC, thanked Prof. Elliot for visiting UCC and making a very impactful presentation that will benefit all members of faculty. Prof. Doku also noted it was essential for all participants to put into practice the lessons learnt at the seminar.
Ahead of the seminar, Prof. Elliot paid a visit to the Pro Vice-Chancellor of UCC, Prof. Denis W. Aheto.
Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC