In a remarkable act of generosity, Texas Instruments Education, a German-based company, has presented 100 electronic hand-held TI 84 CE calculators worth GHS 100,000 to the Department of Maths and Information Communication and Technology (ICT) Education.
The gesture is to help enhance the teaching and learning of ICT in the Department.
The Director of Texas Instruments Education, Mr. Stephan Griebel, speaking via Zoom, said the donation aligns with the firm’s commitment to advancing ICT education in tertiary institutions.
He pledged to strengthen and foster an even more robust relationship with the Department.
Mr. Griebel noted that such partnerships were crucial for equipping the next generation with the skills and resources necessary to thrive in an increasingly digital world.
The Provost of the College of Education Studies, Prof. Ernest Kofi Davis, on receiving the calculators, said the donation from Texas Instrument Education had come at a time when many students need high-powered calculators to aid their learning.
Prof. Davies displaying one of the calculators
He assured the firm that the calculators would be put to optimal use.
"We hope our friendship with Texas Instrument Education will grow even to other areas of learning instruments that will help us to deliver 21st-century skills," he continued.
The Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology Education, Prof. Douglas D. Agyei, in a remark, thanked the donor for the gesture and appealed for more assistance.
He announced that the faculty had introduced a programme in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) for pre-service teachers in ICT education and the calculators would be of immense help to them.
Prof. Agyei emphasised the importance of equipping students with the essential skills for the fourth industrial revolution.
Head, Department of Maths and Information Communication and Technology (ICT) Education, Dr. Foster D. Ntow
The Head of the Department of Maths and Information Communication and Technology (ICT) Education, Dr. Foster D. Ntow, during his address, expressed his gratitude on behalf of the Department to the Texas Instrument Education.
He pledged to ensure that the calculators were used purposefully.
Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC
Mr. David Tweneboah Koduah, a Sports Coach in charge of Para Sports at the University of Cape Coast, has been selected as one of the six (6) international technical officials for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games Goalball Competition.
Mr. Koduah is the only Ghanaian penciled among the team of technical officials for the Paralympic archery events scheduled from 28th August to 8th September in France.
KEY EVENTS
•Participant, 2016, IBSA Goalball Workshop for Referees/ Coaches / Officials, Abidjan, Cote D'ivoire.
•Participant, 2018, IBSA Goalball Workshop for Referees/Coaches/Officials in Stellenbosch, South Africa.
•Referee, 2022 Cape Winelands Goalball tournament in Stellenbosch, South Africa.
•Referee, 2023, International Trakai Goalball Tournament in Trakai, Lithuania.
Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC
The Faculty of Social Sciences has applauded first-class students for their unparalleled academic performance at this year’s Dean’s Awards ceremony.
One hundred and seventy-two (172) students were awarded at the event which was on the theme, “Navigating the transition from Academia to the Professional world”.
The Dean’s Awards ceremony is held annually to celebrate students with a CGPA of 3.6 and above at Levels 200 to 400.
The Director of Business Support and Innovation Commercialisation for the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme, Mr. Franklin Owusu-Karikari, was the guest speaker at the ceremony.
He challenged tertiary students to widen their scope and learn new skills to contribute to the corporate environment.
Director of Business Support and Innovation Commercialisation, National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme, Mr. Franklin Owusu-Karikari
According to him, students should acquire ICT skills to compete on the global market.
"...I tell young graduates that before you finish your national service, become an advanced expert in Microsoft Office, Word, Access, PowerPoint, and Excell. These are needed in the corporate environment. If you master these five areas you are a complete human being in the corporate environment", he observed.
Mr. Owusu-Karikari advised students to take advantage of mentoring opportunities on campus to receive the requisite grooming that would spur them on to success.
He advised them to be time-conscious in all endeavours since bad time management impeded the progress of many people worldwide, with Ghanaians, not an exception.
Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Prof. Akwasi Kumi-Kyereme presenting an awardee with a certificate of honour
“Many opportunities exist on the job market”, he added, but one could only take advantage of them through punctuality, upgrading of professional skills, and rebranding.”
Mr. Owusu-Karikari, therefore, encouraged students to have an entrepreneurial mindset to avoid unemployment and build linkages that could push them ahead of others in projects they undertake.
He further advised students to leverage forums, seminars and conferences organised on campus and improve upon their capabilities.
The Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Prof. Akwasi Kumi-Kyereme, commended the students for making their lecturers and themselves proud and urged them not to rest on their oars but continue to study hard to realise their vision of becoming what they wanted to be in future.
He said their progress would be monitored as they climbed the ladder of academic excellence.
MP for Cape Coast North, Dr. Kwamena Mintah-Nyarku
In a remark, the honourable MP for Cape Coast North, Dr. Kwamena Mintah-Nyarku, charged students to access driver’s licenses and passports while on campus.
"Minimise the intake of pizza and get a passport and driver's license. You should not leave the shores of UCC without a driver's license or passport. You need these two things as you get to the field of work," he counselled.
The MP praised the awardees for their sterling performance and advised them not to relent in their efforts but to keep on burning the midnight candle to enable them to complete their education with distinction.
At the event, various speakers used the occasion to hail the awardees and commiserated with others who were unable to be on the Dean’s List.
Provost of the College of Humanities and Legal Studies, Prof. Kwame Osei Kwarteng presenting an awardee with a certificate
The ceremony was chaired by the Provost of the College of Humanities and Legal Studies, Prof. Kwame Osei Kwarteng.
Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC
The University of Cape Coast Debate Society (UCC)has won the Centre for Gender Research, Advocacy and Documentation (CEGRAD)-UCC inter-tertiary debate competition with 79.2 points. The University of Education, Winneba and Takoradi Technical University placed second and third with 76.8 and 70.8 points respectively.
The contest, which was on the motion, “Gender quotas should be mandated in politics” had two students from the participating schools arguing for and against the motion after which the panel of judges awarded marks.
The debaters exhibited a high level of knowledge for or against the motion. Still, the UCC Debate Society representatives, who spoke for the motion, exhibited an exceptional performance, intermittently receiving thunderous applause from the audience.
The contest provided a platform for the students to exhibit their talent and boost their confidence in communication and research skills, which would go a long way to enhance their careers as they advance in life.
Director of CEGRAD, Prof. Eunice Fay Amissah presenting a certificate of participation to the winners of the debate, UCC Debate Society
For winning, the contestants of UCC Debate Society received GH¢1,000 while each of the contestants was given a certificate. UEW debaters received GH¢800 and certificates, while contestants from TTU got GH¢ 500 and certificates.
In her remarks, the Director of CEGRAD, Prof. Eunice Fay Amissah, congratulated the participants for their display of knowledge.
She encouraged students not to shy away from such competitions as they provided platforms that helped to strengthen their academic performance and widen their scope of understanding of issues of national interest.
Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Professor Johnson Nyarko Boampong, has been elected the new chairperson of the Vice Chancellors Ghana (VCG).
Professor Boampong succeeds Professor (Mrs) Rita Akosua Dickson of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
He would steer the affairs of the organisation for one year.
Professor (Mrs) Rita Akosua Dickson handing over VCG document to Professor Johnson Nyarko Boampong. With them are the Registrar of UCC, Mr. Jeff Onyame (L) and the Registrar of KNUST, Mr. Andrews Kwasi Boateng.
About Vice Chancellors Ghana
It is registered as a non-profit organisation in Ghana, whose objectives are to promote scholarship, research and innovation and maintain common standards for academic progression.
It also advocates better conditions of service for staff members and asserts professional authority on higher educational matters in Ghana among others.
Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC
The Convener of the Affirmative Action Bill Coalition, Mrs. Sheila Minkah-Premo, has justified the reason for Parliament to fast-track the passage of the long-awaited Affirmative Action Bill, to facilitate gender equality in governance and private life.
According to her, the bill would see an increase in the number of women in leadership.
“The bill will address issues such as marginalising women in public and economic life in Ghana. Again, the bill seeks to ensure that Ghana’s obligations under international human rights instruments to which it is a state party are complied with”, she said.
Mrs. Minkah-Premo made the justification at a public lecture on the Affirmative Action (Gender Equality) Bill organised by the Department of Integrated Development Studies at the School of Development Studies for the University of Cape Coast.
The Coalition seeks to broaden the scope of engagement and understanding among different generations of women and men on how to speed up the process of passing the Affirmative Action Bill into law.
The lecture aimed at seeking students' and faculties support and commitment for the passage of the Affirmative Action Bill, and to court their interest in supporting the bill’s passage.
Speaking further, Mrs. Minkah-Premo indicated that countries such as South Africa and Rwanda were already in the lead with respect to gender equality in governance through affirmative action laws.
Sheila Minkah-Premo, Esq in a group photo with participants in the public lecture
The gender advocate continued, “There is an increase in the number of women in Parliament in these countries. Ghana, which sets the pace on many critical issues, has been left behind and we need the law in place before the close of 2024 to redeem our place in the comity of nations”, she said.
Mrs. Minkah-Premo said statistics of women in governance and leadership revealed that women had been marginalised in the 21st century.
“In Ghana now, our Parliament has a membership of 275 members, but only 40 are women. This represents about 14.5 percent. This is not good enough.”
The Convener added that the bill, which consists of 34 clauses and 6 schedules, seeks a 50/50 percent representation and participation of both women and men in governance, public positions of power, and all decision-making processes of the state.
"It also requires all sectors to reserve a percentage of their employment for women. Political parties are also to be encouraged to adopt voluntary party quotas to promote women’s participation in party politics. The bill mandates all public institutions to adopt gender policies, including recruitment policies, aimed at achieving a balanced structuring of those institutions in terms of gender", she observed.
Mrs. Minka-Premo stressed that the bill, which has undergone several revisions, was withdrawn from Parliament on June 14, 2024, and an updated version had since been laid, gone through the first reading, and was currently before the Gender Committee in Parliament.
She emphasised the need for collective action to ensure the passage of the bill, which had been delayed due to various challenges.
The Convener added that research had proven that it made economic sense to ensure gender equality, as the economy has better opportunities to grow and become more resilient to crises if women and men have equal rights.
Director of the Centre for Gender Research, Advocacy and Documentation-UCC, Prof. Eunice Fay Amissah (left) with some participants
However, Mrs. Minka-Premo, who is a legal practitioner and advocate of the bill, expressed optimism that the current Parliament would prioritise its passage.
The gender advocate called on Ghanaians to join the Affirmative Action Bill Coalition and work together towards the common goal of achieving gender equality and social justice in Ghana.
At the event, the participants agreed on the need for the Affirmative Action Bill to be passed into law.
What is the Affirmative Action Bill?
The Affirmative Action Bill seeks to encourage efforts towards addressing socio-cultural, political, economic, and educational gender imbalances in private and public sectors, per Clause 4 of Article 17 of the 1992 Constitution.
Its objective is to promote the progressive increase and active participation of women in public and active life from a minimum of 30 percent by 2030, under the requirements of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC
A Professor of organic chemistry and co-chairman of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the State University of New York at Plattsburgh, New York, USA, Dr. Rajesh Sunasee, has made a case for Nanocellulose research, applications and commercialization prospects.
Nanocellulose refers to a family of cellulosic materials that have at least one of their dimensions in the nanoscale.
According to him, Nanocellulose could have potential applications in various fields such as biomedical products, electronics, adhesives, and making cement stronger and of better quality among several other advantages.
Dr. Sunasee, who is currently a Carnegie African Diaspora Programme (CADP) Fellow indicated that nanocellulose had potential application in the design of biosensors in crime detection and forensic analysis.
Dr. Sunasee addressing participants during the lecture
He made the remarks while delivering a lecture at a seminar organised by the Department of Forensic Sciences of the College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences at the University of Cape Coast.
The seminar was on the topic: “Nanocellulose: A tiny material with a big future.”
Continuing, he remarked that students could embark on research in the biomedical field, chemistry and engineering among others.
Dr. Sunasee called for the support of governments and private entities to assist students and faculty members interested in the area of nanocellulose.
In a remark, the Head of the Department of Forensic Sciences, Prof. Christian Kweku Adokoh, lauded Dr. Rajesh Sunasee and emphasised the importance of nanocellulose and nanotechnology in the forward match of every country and urged students to be motivated by the lecture and pursue research in nanotechnology.
Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC
As part of efforts to drive academic and social transformation across the African continent, the University of Cape Coast, and the Nelson Mandela University in South Africa, have signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a far-reaching partnership.
The signing of the MoU is premised on the foundation of working together on areas of scholarly convergence, sharing of expertise for a prosperous Africa and a better and equal world for humanity.
Exchange of the signed MoU
The MoU outlines an all-encompassing agenda for collaboration between the two institutions, with the overarching goal of leveraging their collective expertise and resources to positively impact communities throughout Africa and beyond. The scope of the MoU covers student and faculty exchange programmes, joint research projects and publications, sharing of academic resources and best practices, collaborative development of degree and non-degree programmes and organisation of joint conferences, workshops and seminars.
The areas for the collaboration are in the areas of marine and coastal management, ocean sciences, student entrepreneurship and employability, biotechnology and pandemic studies, environmental health, African studies and African languages, digital humanities and university studies.
The NMU delegation with officials of UCC
At the signing ceremony, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, Prof. Johnson Nyarko Boampong, signed the MoU on behalf of UCC while the Vice-Chancellor of Nelson Mandela University Prof. Sibongile Muthwa signed on behalf of NMU.
In her remarks at the ceremony, Prof. Muthwa noted that the historic collaboration would serve as a key learning processes to open new pathways of collaboration. “We consider this relationship with UCC very key in our learning processes to co-construct stronger, better and more substantive and formalised collaborations with higher education institutions in Ghana” she noted.
Vice-Chancellor of NMW, Prof. Sibongile Muthwa
Giving the background of NMU, Prof. Muthwa indicated that the vision of her University was to become a dynamic African University with recognition for its leadership in generating cutting-edge knowledge for a sustainable future. “We regard ourselves as a socially embedded university in service of society” she said.
She indicated that even before the signing of the MoU at the university-wide level, faculty of NMU had been engaging with colleagues from UCC in the areas of marine and coastal management and ocean sciences.
On his part, Prof. Boampong expressed gratitude to Prof. Muthwa and the team from NMU for choosing UCC for the collaboration. He was hopeful that the collaboration was a step in the right direction and assured the NMU delegation that UCC would fulfil its part of the agreement to help reshape the African narrative on the global stage.
Vice-Chancellor of UCC, Prof. Johnson Nyarko Boampong
"This agreement represents a bold step forward in our shared vision to harness the power of higher education to cause meaningful change across Africa. I am confident that working hand-in-hand, the University of Cape Coast and Nelson Mandela University will pioneer new models of collaboration that can inspire and empower communities throughout our continent and beyond."
In his submission, the Director of Africa Centre of Excellence in Coastal Resilience (ACECoR), Prof. Denis Aheto, said faculty at the Centre had been collaborating with their counterparts at NMU on marine and coastal management and ocean sciences. He said ACECoR over the years had trained about 50 Doctor of Philosophy and more than 100 masters students across the continent who were contributing in varied fields in the fisheries, marine and coastal sectors of their respective countries. “We are ever prepared to work with NMU to share knowledge, create innovation, and prepare the next generation of African leaders and problem-solvers."
Director of ACECoR, Prof. Denis Aheto
The Dean of Faculty of Arts, UCC, Prof. Kwabena Sarfo Sarfo-Kantankah, said the faculty was well placed to collaborate with NMU in the areas of culture, heritage and memory. He indicated that the faculty had now constituted a research and grants desk which he invited NMU for collaboration to engage in joint research and grants activities.
Dean, Faculty of Arts, Prof. Kwabena Sarfo Sarfo-Kantankah
The team from NMU comprised the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Engagement and Transformation, Prof. Andre Keet, Senior Director, Mandela International Office, Prof. Judy Peter; Director, Research Support and Management, Dr. Palesa Nathasha Mothapo; Chair for Critical Studies in Higher Education Transformation, Dr. Jenny Bozena du Preez and Project Lead, Africa Collaboration Project, Dr. Nehemiah Solomon Latolla.
Also present at the meeting were the Registrar of UCC, Mr. Jeff Teye Emmanuel Onyame. Dean, Office of International Relations, Prof. Samuel Bert Boadi-Kusi; Dr. Edward Nii Amar Amarteifio of the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Small Enterprise Development; Dr. Alexander Tetteh Kwasi Nuer and Dr. Donatus Bapentire Angnuureng of ACECoR.
The School of Nursing and Midwifery (SoNM) of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) has held its second Research Awards and Grants (RAG) in recognition of outstanding research conducted by staff members of the School.
Instituted in 2021, the annual award scheme is aimed at motivating faculty members to engage in impactful research and also offers an opportunity for them to conduct further research.
The event, held at the Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang Auditorium, was on the theme, “Nursing and Midwifery Research: A Catalyst for Improving Healthcare Outcomes.”
The award winners at the school level were Dr. Susanna Aba Abraham, Dr. Andrew Adjei Druye, Dr. Irene Korkoi Aboh, Dr. Christian Makafui Boso, Dr. Christiana Asiedu, and Dr. Theodora Dedo Azu.
Addressing the ceremony, the Dean of the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Prof. Nancy Innocentia Ebu Enyan, applauded the hard work and dedication of the awardees to excellence in faculty research.
The awardees in a shot with some students of the SoNM-UCC
She explained that the awards demonstrated the commitment of the School to both the research agenda and the Corporate Strategic Plan of the UCC (2023-2027).
Prof. Enyan said the grant to the faculty members was an investment into the future of healthcare in the country.
The Dean entreated the awardees to approach their research ethically with a deep sense of integrity and open-mindedness. She further expressed gratitude to the reviewers, the Directorate of Research, Innovation and Consultancy, and the management of the School of Nursing and Midwifery.
On behalf of the awardees, Dr. Andrew Adjei Druye commended the School for the recognition.
The chairman of the event, Prof. Joseph Benjamin Archibald Afful, of the Department of English, closing the ceremony urged private corporate institutions to support universities to be able to fashion out solutions to problems in the country through research.
Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC