A Professor of English at the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Prof. Dora Francisca Edu-Buandoh, has called for a change in Ghanaian parliamentary discourse.
According to her, discourses in Parliament have been characterised, in recent times, by obscenities, provocative or threatening language, personal attacks, and insults which sometimes cloud the discussion on the floor of Parliament.
Prof. Edu-Buandoh made these remarks while delivering her inaugural lecture on the topic, "Discourses of Our Times: Power, Norms of Language Use, and Identity Formation".
She bemoaned the fact that unparliamentary discourse had degenerated to the extent that the current Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Bagbin, at a point had to employ unparliamentary language to caution the use of unparliamentary discourse in Parliament.
This was when the Speaker of Parliament was compelled to draw the attention of Parliamentarians to the fact that speaking on the floor of Parliament required some decorum.
Prof. Edu-Buandoh being robed by former VC-UCC, Prof. Ghartey Ampiah (L) and VC-UCC, Prof. Johnson Nyarko Boampong. Looking on is the Director of Public Affairs, Major Kofi Baah Bentum (rtd)
She quoted the Speaker of Parliament, who cautioned parliamentarians by likening their behavior to being "in the market or Chop bar."
"The language employed questioned their intellectual capacity, imputed falsehoods, deception, and even criminality to their personalities," she said.
To investigate how Parliamentarians adhere to language norms, she conducted a comprehensive study in 2020, uncovering approximately 73 instances of unsavory comments, tags, and labels used within the Parliament of Ghana.
According to her, discourse served as a powerful tool for those in positions of power to reflect, reinforce, and perpetuate power dynamics within society.
Within contemporary discourse, she indicated that inordinate power, manipulation, disrespect, a sense of entitlement, and control were prevalent themes.
Further, Prof. Edu-Buandoh urged society to pay meticulous attention to language norms as they play a pivotal role in shaping our collective national identity.
She emphasized the importance of upholding the laws of respect and courtesy, which were vital for proficient engagement in discourse and for nurturing a cohesive national identity.
Members of the Atta-Mills Heritage Group in a photo with Prof. Edu-Buandoh after congratulating her
Drawing upon her expertise in critical discourse analysis, Prof. Edu-Buandoh underscored the significant role that different discourse domains play in our lives.
"There's academic, scientific, business, political, and media discourse," she noted, asserting that each domain possessed its unique set of terms and communication patterns.
Prof. Edu-Buandoh highlighted the contextual nature of discourse and its profound impact on language proficiency.
"One is not a proficient user of the language when he or she does not consider how context-dependent discourse is," she remarked.
Expressing concern about the dangerous impact of discourse on the mind, she stated that "minds are largely controlled by discourse, and as such, the symbolic elites possessed the legitimate power to shape public opinion, control the narrative, and influence identity formation."
Prof. Edu-Buandoh in a shot with some members of the 1993 UCC Alumni Group
She cautioned against the political discourses of our times, which employed propaganda, misinformation, and disinformation to sway emotions and maintain control.
Prof. Dora Francisca Edu-Buandoh @ a glance:
•Born on April 1, 1962
•Had her primary education at Essikadu Methodist Nursery, Saltpond Methodist Primary B School and the Tema Padmore Street Primary School.
• Attended Koforidua Methodist Girls School for her middle school education.
• Attended Asanteman Secondary School in Kumasi for a year and moved to Oda Secondary School for her O' Level Certificate.
•Obtained her Teachers' Certificate 'A' (Post Middle) at the Komenda Training College in 1986.
•Earned a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree with English major and a Diploma in Education at UCC 1993.
• Served as a Teaching Assistant and Senior Research Assistant at the Department of English from 1993 to 1997.
•Obtained her Master of Philosophy degree in English Language at UCC in 1999.
• Appointed as Assistant Lecturer in 2000 and became a Lecturer in 2001.
• Awarded a Ph.D in Language, Literacy and Culture from the University of Iowa, USA 2006.
• Appointed as Coordinator for Communicative Skills Unit, UCC (2008-2010).
• Promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2008 and to Associate Professor in 2012.
• Served as Head of the Department of English from 2010 to 2012.
• Appointed as the Coordinator of the J.E. Atta Mills Library Project and also J.E. Atta Mills Commemorative Lectures in 2015.
• Appointed as Dean of Faculty of Arts from 2012 to 2016.
• Served as the first female Provost of the College of Humanities and Legal Studies from 2016 to 2018.
• Served as the Chairperson of the Presidential Committee on Emoluments of Article 71 Office Holders in Ghana in 2016.
•Appointed first female Pro Vice-Chancellor at UCC between 2019 and 2021.
• Promoted to professor of English in 2021.
• Launched the Dora Edu-Buandoh Foundation to support equitable access to higher education and the advancement of young women in Ghana on 15th November 2022.
• Blessed with a son - Dr. Fiifi Edu-Afful
• A staunch member of the Evangelical Methodist Church of Christ, Ghana.
• Delivered inaugural lecture on the topic: " Discourses of our Times: Power, Norms of Language Use, and Identity Formation," on Tuesday, 9 April, 2024.
Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC
Ghanata Senior High School has emerged winner of the maiden Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Ideathon Challenge on Air Pollution organised for Senior High Schools by the Breathe Accra Project.
Bole SHS took the 1st runner-up position, whilst Twene-Amanfo SHS and the Ghana National College grabbed the second and third runner-up positions respectively with Kpasenkye STEM placing fourth in the contest.
The participants from Bole SHS focused on converting waste papers into ethanol, aiming to tackle waste disposal challenges within their school. They argued that the common practice of disposing of or burning student waste papers releases toxic gases into the atmosphere, which in turn adds to air pollution. They advocated the sustainable alternative of turning paper waste into alcohol to lessen this.
Students of Ghanata SHS proposed to build wearable monitors that will alert people sensitive to air pollution, including asthmatics and individuals with cardiovascular diseases in polluted environments. This innovative device, they noted, is designed to trigger alerts when air pollution levels surpass a certain threshold, benefiting vulnerable populations such as the hearing-impaired.
Ghanata SHS further outlined plans to mitigate air pollution through the construction of Biochar and the development of electrostatic exhaust filters for vehicles. Their multifaceted approach underscores their commitment to addressing air quality issues and improving environmental health in their communities.
One of the SHS groups at the Challenge pitching their concept to enhance air quality
Twene-Amanfo SHS developed a concept of equipping billboards embedded with electrostatic precipitators to battle air pollution. According to them, the strategic placement of such billboards along roadsides, where vulnerable populations, particularly women and children were often exposed to high levels of air pollution would effectively reduce air pollution.
The students of Ghana National College indicated that their proposal focused on developing wearable and portable sensors using waste materials assembled from e-waste. Their approach aims to reduce costs by repurposing discarded electronic components thereby promoting sustainability in sensor production. Also, they outlined plans to construct do-it-yourself (DIY) sensors, further emphasizing their commitment to affordability and accessibility in addressing air quality monitoring challenges. Ghana National College's inventive solution demonstrates a proactive approach to environmental stewardship and technological innovation.
After rigorous evaluation and thorough questioning by the judges, GHANATA SHS emerged as the victors with an impressive score of 84.4 points. Bole SHS and Twene Amanfo SHS shared the second position with equal scores of 77 points. Ghana National College and Kpasenkpe STEM SHS secured the fourth and fifth positions with scores of 73.2 and 72.6 points, respectively. To break the tie between Bole SHS and Twene Amanfo SHS, both schools participated in a quiz focused on community engagement. Bole SHS secured the first runner-up position by earning an additional 9 points, while Twene Amanfo SHS became the second runner-up with an additional 7 points.
The competition showcased the innovative ideas and dedication of all participating schools to addressing air quality challenges, with GHANATA SHS ultimately crowned winner. Following the competition, each participating school was honoured with a certificate of participation, recognising their contribution to the event. Additionally, the first and second runners-up were awarded plaques along with a cash prize of GHS 1000 each.
GHANATA SHS, the winners of the competition, received a plaque and a cash prize of GHS 2000 in recognition of their outstanding performance and innovative solution. These awards served to celebrate the achievements of all participants and encourage continued dedication to addressing environmental challenges.
After the contest, an Associate Professor of Environmental and Nutritional Epidemiology at the University of Cape Coast, Prof. Kofi Amegah, who is also the Project lead for the Breathe Accra Project, said the brain behind the challenge was innovative, timely, thoughtful, and required adequate funding.
He said the competition was designed to inspire students to devise innovative solutions using low-cost sensor data to address air pollution within their communities.
Prof. Kofi Amegah speaking at the Challenge
According to him, the proposals demonstrated the commitment of all the schools towards addressing air quality issues and improving environmental health in their communities.
For her part, Miss Emily Fertik, the Head of Public Diplomacy at the US Embassy in Ghana, while highlighting the importance of engaging young people through STEM, said the US was committed to supporting air quality work in Africa.
The event brought together scientists and students.
A group shot of participants after the Challenge
About the Breathe Accra Project
This is a community-driven project which aims at enhancing the air quality in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA). In addition, the project seeks to address the worsening air pollution problem in GAMA and its impact on public health, and also identify the vulnerable populations for targeted intervention.
Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC
The University of Cape Coast (UCC) has relocated a taxi rank operating at Science to a temporary place on the “School Bus” road.
This will pave the way for a more congenial atmosphere to ensure teaching and learning at the newly-built School of Sustainable Engineering.
The Assemblymember for the UCC Oldsite Apewosika electoral area, Mr. Jake Kakra Ewusie, appealed to the management of the University to ensure that all agreements regarding the relocation are enacted to the letter. This, he noted, will ensure that the members of the various driver unions operating on the University’s campus will not be disgruntled.
Assemblymember for UCC Oldsite Apewosika electoral area, Mr. Jake Kakra Ewusie
The representative of the Cape Coast Metropolitan Coordinating Director, Mr. Joel Opare Asare, called on the leadership of the taxi rank to prevail on their members to relocate to the new place. He further asked the leadership to bring a master plan to carry out their activities.
Mr. Asare expressed gratitude to UCC for complementing the effort of the Assembly.
Representative of the Cape Coast Metropolitan Coordinating Director, Mr. Joel Opare Asare
Inaugurating the new taxi rank, the Director of Human Resource-UCC, Rev Isaac Baafi Sarbeng, said the temporary taxi rank was well situated and spacious enough to host additional ranks and also had some mobile washrooms to serve the drivers to go about their operations.
He urged them to observe road traffic regulations on campus.
Chairman of the GPRTU at UCC, Mr Arhin, said drivers on campus played an integral role in the University.
He said drivers would comply with directives and asked the University to put in place measures to curb floating drivers who do not belong to any of the driver unions.
Director of Consular and General Services, Mrs. Alberta Yaa Graham
The Director of Consular and General Services, Mrs. Alberta Yaa Graham, in a short remark, expressed gratitude to the taxi drivers for accepting to relocate to the new taxi rank.
Present at the ceremony were the Director of Public Affairs-UCC, Major (rtd) Kofi Baah Bentum, members of staff of the Directorate of Physical Development and Estate Development (DPDEM) and other Senior Members of the University.
Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC
A professor of Mathematics Education at the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Prof. Ernest Kofi Davis, has stressed the need for social and cultural issues, including values in mathematics to be considered seriously in mathematics curriculum development and delivery in the country.
That, according to him, would make the teaching and learning of the subject relevant to students.
To him, mathematics was often taught out of context to students using foreign concepts, making it difficult for them to link those abstract concepts to their everyday realities, culminating in poor performances.
Prof. Davis made these suggestions at his inaugural lecture which was on the theme, “Sociocultural Issues: A Missing Ingredient in Mathematics Curriculum Development and Delivery in Ghana.”
Prof. Davis being robed by former VC-UCC, Prof. Joseph Ghartey Ampiah (L) and Prof. Johnsonson Nyarko Boampong, Vice-Chancellor (R)
He maintained that while the literature suggests that every culture generates its mathematics that may not be the same as the “Western” or “international mathematics”, curriculum development and delivery in mathematics appears to adopt the culture-blind approach.
Prof. Davis, also the Provost of the College of Education Studies-UCC, stated that students’ mathematical competence should be built on what they already know.
“If we want to train students who are relevant to the current demands of our 21st century, then the students will require adequate mathematical skills otherwise they cannot survive the 21st century demand”, he noted.
“To make the teaching and learning of Mathematics relevant to students from indigenous communities and sub-Saharan African countries that were once colonised, there is the need to appreciate the local aspect of mathematical knowledge, values and the local aspect of Mathematics pedagogy, and their implications for curriculum development and implementation”, Prof. Davis continued.
The Oguaamanhen, Osabarima Kwesi Atta II (in green) flanked by some traditional leaders
Prof Davis said stakeholders paid very little attention to the social and cultural factors as well as the cognitive mode of students in the development and implementation of Mathematics curricula. That approach, he noted, disabled the students’ abilities to develop the ideal mathematical proficiency.
“I argue that students who are labelled as weak and eventually excluded from formal education may be so labelled not because they are weak in Mathematics but because curriculum development and delivery systems continue to ignore and deny the existence of students’ everyday mathematical representations and practices,” he stressed.
Staff members of the College of Education Studies-UCC presenting a citation to Prof. Davis
Prof Davis added that the government’s agenda to modernise classrooms at the basic school level should transcend political generations for the classroom environment to be modelled to support modern approaches in teaching.
Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC
The School of Business has held its annual Dean’s Award ceremony to celebrate first-class students who obtained a CGPA of 3.6 and above at levels 200 to 400.
A breakdown of the 302 students who were honoured for their hard work includes 126 level 200 students, 68 level 300 and 108 level 400 students.
For the first time, since the inception of the Dean's Award, three (3) postgraduate students (level 850) with the highest CGPA were also rewarded for their academic accomplishments.
The Executive Vice President and Head of Goldfields West Africa, Mr. Joshua Mortoti, who was the guest speaker, asked students to be disciplined to enable them to attain great heights in life. He noted that with discipline, they could perform better in their studies to justify the huge investment being made in their education.
Executive Vice President and Head of Goldfields West Africa, Mr. Joshua Mortoti
Mr. Mortoti advised the students to acquire soft skills such as communication and interpersonal skills in addition to their chosen careers. He maintained that it was not enough for the students to have only academic certificates because gaining soft skills provided an added advantage in developing one's career.
He mentioned that to develop soft skills, students need to also have communication skills and the ability to work in a team.
He underlined the need for the students to embrace success with humility to make a difference.
Mr. Mortoti, who is also the President of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, reminded the students that "success is not linear", calling on them to "read the times" in order not to lag behind in life.
The Dean of the School of Business-UCC, Prof. Gatsi (L) presenting an award to Ms. Frances Eshun, a postgraduate student.
The Dean of the School, Prof. John Gatsi, said the school would continuously hone the skills of students to be employable in society.
He said the school would target qualified high school students in deprived areas to enrol in business programmes next academic year.
Prof Gatsi said plans were afoot to ramp up postgraduate enrolment in the school, describing the current postgraduate figure of 214 as woefully inadequate.
During the event, some professional bodies including the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), Chartered Institute of Accountants Ghana (CIAG), and the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants (ACCA) showed support for the awards with various sponsorship packages.
The Provost of the College of Humanities and Legal Studies, Prof. Kwame Osei Kwarteng, chaired the function.
Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC
The Centre for Coastal Management-ACECoR at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) has inaugurated a new Library at its new multi-purpose building complex.
The new Library is named after Prof. Daniel Pauly, Lead Scientist on the Sea Around Us Project at the Institute of Oceans and Fisheries at the British Columbia, and Prof. Rashid Sumaila, a Professor of Ocean and Fisheries Economics at the same university based in Canada.
The facility, located at the second floor of the ACECoR multi-purpose building is capable of seating 50 students in well-demarcated compartments.
Inaugurating the Library, the Director of ACECoR, Prof. Denis Aheto, said the Centre decided to honour Prof. Daniel Pauly and Prof. Rashid Sumaila on grounds of compelling reasons among them, their enormous contributions to the development of blue economy and fisheries in particular among other specific support for ACECoR notable among them are the donation of books, providing project partnership opportunities, and mentorship to the Centre through their role in the Centre’s International Scientific Advisory Board (ISAB).
He said the duo had donated several fisheries and coastal management books to stock the library and had pledged to donate more to enhance teaching and learning within the outfit.
According to him, students required constant exposure to books to develop and maintain an interest in reading as well as knowledge, which played a critical role in shaping their academic performance.
He used the occasion to express his gratitude to Prof. Daniel Pauly and Prof. Rashid Sumaila for the donation and promised that the books would be well utilised for posterity.
For his part, Prof. Daniel Pauly, nicknamed the Ocean Whistleblower, urged researchers and students to link science to activism.
He told the gathering that nothing could take away the existence of books adding that “not even the advent and prevalence of the internet in today’s world can be comparable to reading books”.
Prof. Pauly, therefore, used the opportunity to encourage students to take reading seriously to contribute to the growth of ocean economy in the country.
He revealed during the event that they were planning to donate some more books to the library in the coming months.
He appealed to ACECoR to take good care of the books as they have valuable lessons which could go a long way to impact students.
Prof. Rashid Sumaila, on his part, told the gathering and students that they could achieve whatsoever they put their minds at and encouraged them to aspire to become responsible persons and leaders who would contribute significantly to the development of their respective communities and the country at large.
He thanked ACECoR for the honour done him and vowed to contribute significantly for the forward match of ACECoR.
Prof. Sumaila pleaded with students to take their studies seriously and take advantage of the library to enrich their knowledge.
Present at the event were the Provost of the College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, Prof. Moses Jojo Eghan, and the Dean of the School of Biological Sciences, Prof. Aaron Tetteh Asare.
Prof. Daniel Pauly at a Glance
- Known for his work in studying human impacts on global fisheries
- • Most cited fisheries scientist in the world - 2020.
- • Former Director of UBC Fisheries Centre from October 2003 to October 2008.
- • Known for key global research projects on fisheries publications on shifting baseline, fishing down the foodwebs, Fishbase, Ecopath and Ecosim .
- • Donated his personal and acquired books in his professional life to ACECoR-2023.
- • First Professor on a Sabbatical at ACECoR -2024
Prof. Rashid Sumaila at a Glance
- Former Director of Fisheries Economics Research Unit at the UBC Institute for the Oceans and Canada Research Chair.
- Volvo Environment Prize Winner in 2017.
- Named as one of the 100 Most Influential Africans by New Africa Magazine for his work as a "Global Champion of the oceans in 2023".
- Described by peers as a leading interdisciplinary fisheries economist
- Chair, International Scientific Advisory Board of ACECoR
Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC
The University of Cape Coast has held an orientation for Cadet Officers Course 53 of the Ghana Police Academy at the Ghana Police Training School in Accra.
The Cadet Officers made up of 431 officers will also pursue Postgraduate Diploma in Security Studies from the Department of Forensic Sciences, University of Cape Coast as part of their regular police training.
In her address at the programme, the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, Prof. Sarah Darkwa, noted that the University of Cape Coast would create a conducive academic environment for them to pursue their studies. She indicated that as postgraduate students they should abreast themselves of the Academic Policies and Regulations for Graduate Studies.
Dean, School of Graduate Studies, Prof. Sarah Darkwa with the Faculty officer of the School,Mr. John Linscell Yen making a presentation at the orientation
Prof. Darkwa noted that the School would provide them with the necessary support to help them complete their programme within the scheduled period of study. She urged them to take their studies seriously by participating in seminar sessions and completing all assignments.
The Head, Department of Forensic Sciences, Prof. Christopher Adokoh, indicated that the programme was introduced to provide students with enhanced knowledge in the principles and practice of leadership, management, and administration in the security services.
He noted that the programme would equip them to explore and demonstrate understanding of contemporary security issues and also equip them with professional competencies in security sector management and leadership.
Head, Department of Forensic Sciences, Prof. Christopher Adokoh speaking at the programme
Prof. Adokoh indicated that the Department would soon run Master of Science and Master of Philosophy in forensic and security related programmes to create more opportunities for personnel of security agencies to advance their professional career.
Prof. Adokoh said the Department would liaise with the Police Administration to provide them with the best of experience in their studies.
The cadet officers listening to presentations at the orientation
In his presentation at the function, the Dean of Students, Prof. Eugene Kofuor Maafo Darteh, advised the students to cultivate a thirst for knowledge and dedicate greater part of their time at the academy to studies.
He further urged the students to prioritise their studies while making time for pursuing their passions and building meaningful relationships.
Dean of Students, Prof. Eugene Kofuor Maafo Darteh
Prof. Darteh entreated the police officers to observe the rules and regulations for students of the University. “Whilst studying at UCC, be mindful of the fact that the University has rules, regulations and policies that govern students’ activities. You’re expected to familiarise yourselves with by these regulations and policies” he implored them.
Taking them through the registration process, the Head of Student Records Section, Mr. Abdulai Mohammed Najimudeen, mentioned that the University would create a portal for students to access all information regarding their programmes of study. He noted that without registration, they could not be considered as students.
Mr. Najimudeen emphasised that the was the medium for students to check their results and also receive notices and other important information from the University.
Head, Students Records Section, Mr. Abdulai Mohammed Najimudeen
The UCC team responded to questions from the cadet officers on the presentations.
The Director of Academic Affairs of the Ghana Police Academy, ACP Francis Yiribaare, thanked the team from UCC for providing the prospective students with insightful information about the University and the Postgraduate Diploma in Security Studies.
He said the Academy would continue to collaborate with UCC to build the capacities of Cadet Officers to effectively discharge their professional duties as senior police officers.
ACP Yiribaare noted that for the past four years, the award of the degree from UCC had motivated graduates of the Police Academy to excel at their duty posts and also advance in their career.
Director of Academic Affairs of the Ghana Police Academy, ACP Francis Yiribaare
He encouraged the students to take advantage of the opportunity to acquire knowledge to enhance their work and also progress to the top.
Other members of the UCC team were Dr. Benjamin Aboagye, Dr. Prince Amoah Barnie, Dr. Yusif Abdullah and Mr. Samuel Cudjoe from the Department of Forensic Sciences. Also present were Mr. John Linscell Yen from the School of Graduate Studies and Grace Akosua Akyeabea Sackey from the Directorate of Public Affairs.
Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC
Final-year students reading Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) Management have donated some educational materials to Kwaprow Junior High School to enhance the academic performance of learners.
The items, which included five whiteboards, two graph boards, four boxes of markers, and four packs of dusters, were meant to augment the effort of parents in providing the academic needs of their children.
The gesture forms part of the semester course, “Project Management”.
Some of the pupils present at the presentation
Presenting the items on behalf of the students, a lecturer at the Department of Marketing and Supply Chain Management, Dr. Eric Gonu, said the initiative was borne out of the project management course aimed at enhancing the students' understanding of project management concepts while putting into practice the concept learned. This will contribute positively to the growth of the community.
He said though the educational materials were inadequate to cater for the huge number of learners in the school, Dr. Gonu expressed the hope that the gesture would go a long way in enhancing the quality of learning in there.
He encouraged the students to take their studies seriously to climb the academic ladder.
A section of Level 400 BCom Management students at the presentation
Receiving the items on behalf of the pupils, the Headmistress of the school, Mrs. Victoria Mensah, commended the effort of the final-year students and promised the learners would make good use of the items.
She recounted how donations from students and faculty from the University of Cape Coast had benefited the school and relieved it from a lot of recurring expenditures.
Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC