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Adhere to professional ethics — Prof. Gatsi to UCC finance staff

30 Nov, 2023 By DIS

 

Staff of the Directorate of Finance of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) have been alerted on the possible threat to the legitimacy of the finance profession if they fail to adhere to the code of conduct of the profession.

 In this regard, they have been urged to uphold the principles and the code of ethics of the profession to ensure honesty, integrity, transparency, confidentiality and trustworthiness in the execution of their duties.

 The Dean of the School of Business at UCC, Professor John Gatsi, who gave the advice, said respect for ethics was critical as they formed the backbone of any professional institution. 

 He was speaking at a seminar organised by the Directorate of Finance Welfare Association (DoFWA) as part of its 30th anniversary celebration on the topic, “Professional Work Ethics".

 He told the finance officers about the boundary documents of the University such as the Procurement Act and Processes, the Public Financial Management Act, and the Financial and Stores Regulations, whilst admonishing them to follow religiously the provisions in all the documents.

A section of staff of the Directorate of Finance

Prof. Gatsi mentioned some of the professional misconducts as disclosing information acquired in the course of professional engagement to others without the consent of the client, gross negligence of professional duty, refusal to provide timely records, reports and wrong advice among others.

He said it was important for finance officers to enhance their skills in the areas of operations to help deliver quality service.

Due to the sensitive nature of the work of finance officers, Prof Gatsi urged the Directorate to come up with a gift policy to guide staff. 

According to him, gifts received by finance officers had the potential to compromise their professionalism.

 Speaking on the topic, "Liver-Kidney Cross Talk", the Director of University Health Services, Dr James Kojo Prah, called on Ghanaians to stop consuming too much alcohol to avoid kidney and liver problems. He bemoaned the spate at which Hepatitis B Viral and its related diseases like liver cancer, cirrhosis, fatty liver disease were ravaging families in the country.

Director of University Health Services, Dr James Kojo Prah

He advocated an increase in the consumption of fruits due to their benefits to humans whilst he encouraged the general public to report to the hospital early to reduce the extent of damage of these diseases.

“Drinking water, engaging in exercise, reducing the intake of junk and avoiding addiction to painkillers are the best ways to care for the kidneys,” he added.

 The Director of Finance, Mrs. Elizabeth Obese, advised the staff of the Directorate to take their health seriously and attach a sense of professionalism in the discharge of their responsibilities.

 Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

DPA holds retreat to develop action plan for 2024

30 Nov, 2023 By DIS

The Directorate of Public Affairs (DPA) has held a day’s retreat to develop an action plan for 2024 to serve as a guiding working document.

The action plan will serve as a roadmap for undertaking key actions and setting targets to be achieved in 2024.

Opening the workshop, the Director of Public Affairs, Major Kofi Baah-Bentum (rtd), commended heads of sections and units as well as their staff for contributing towards managing the University’s corporate image positively.

“Each sectional and unit head and your staff have helped through various roles to build an enviable reputation for the University,” he said.

Major Baah-Bentum noted that the retreat was aimed at setting clear targets to be achieved in 2024 which would subsequently help to shape the Directorate’s strategic plan for the next five years.  

He urged participants to think outside the box and develop bold and ambitious strategies to improve the Directorate's function at the University.

The Director of Public Affairs Major (rtd) Kofi Baah-Bentum

The Director of Public Affairs said the action plan would help to identify potential obstacles or challenges that need to be addressed in order to achieve the desired outcome, while facilitating effective communication and collaboration among the sections and units under the Directorate.

As part of the retreat, heads of the various sections presented reports of their activities for 2023.

Working in groups, participants critiqued the action plan for the previous year and developed a new one for 2024.

Heads of sections present at the retreat were the Manager, Campus Broadcasting Services (CBS), Mr. Kwabena Antwi-Konadu; Head, Documentation and Information Section (DIS), Mr. Nasir Yaqub Entsie; Head, Public Relations and Protocol Section (PR/PS), Mr. Felix Adu-Poku and Head of Accra Office, Mr. Umar Moomin Farouk.

 Also present were Chief and Principal Administrative Assistants of the sections and units under the Directorate.

Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vice-Chancellor receives University of the West Indies delegation

29 Nov, 2023 By DIS

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Prof. Johnson Nyarko Boampong, has received Prof. Clive Landis, the Principal and Pro Vice-Chancellor of the University of the West Indies (UWI), Barbados, and his accompanying delegation visiting UCC.

 The visit was aimed at deepening the academic relations between the UWI and the UCC.

 During the meeting, Prof. Landis said the UWI had developed "an articulated BSc Pre-Clinical - MB ChB medical degree programme."

According to him, the articulated medical degree programme was developed between the UWI and the University of Ghana.

In light of that, he said "The UWI is keen to extend a similar collaborative arrangement with the University of Cape Coast." 

Prof Johnson Nyarko Boampong, VC of UCC receiving from Prof Clive Landis, the Principal and Pro Vice-Chancellor of the University of the West Indies

For his part, Prof. Boampong, who welcomed the delegation, said UCC was ready to collaborate with the UWI on the articulated medical degree programme.

He indicated that the College of Health and Allied Sciences at UCC had the competence to assist the UWI.

 The meeting also discussed a number of issues of mutual interest.

 The delegation accompanying Prof. Landis were Dr Damian Cohall, the Dean of the Faculty of Medical Sciences; Dr Jeanese Badenock, the Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology; Dr Kenneth Connel, the Deputy Dean of Recruitment and Outreach at the Faculty of Medical Sciences.

 Present at the meeting were the Registrar of UCC, Mr Jeff Onyame and other top UCC office holders.

 Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC

 

Embrace entrepreneurship - UCC senior staff advised

29 Nov, 2023 By DIS

 

The immediate past president of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA), Barima Dr Ofori Ameyaw I, has called on members of the Senior Staff Association (SSA) of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) to take advantage of the opportunities available within the entrepreneurship space to rake in additional income.

According to him, senior staff members while in active service could venture into entrepreneurship as a pastime to cater for themselves even after retirement.

 Barima Dr Ameyaw I, who is also the Kwahufour Tufuhene, made the call when he was speaking at the SSA-UCC entrepreneurship seminar on the theme, "Empowering Senior Staff for Entrepreneurial Success; An Added Advantage."

 The former GUTA President encouraged the members to learn to take risks to enhance their income.

 Barima Dr Ofori Ameyaw I addressing the seminar

He noted risks enable one to learn new skills and grow already existing ones.

 Drawing from his personal experience, Barima Dr Ameyaw I told the senior staff of the many difficulties that fraught his entrepreneurial journey and counselled them to take the bull by the horns to face challenges associated with entrepreneurship.

 The former GUTA President, who is known in private life as George Kweku Ofori, expressed worry that the youth in the country were obsessed with getting employed in the public sector to receive salaries rather than “daring to be entrepreneurs.”

 He noted that the infiltration of all sectors of the retail trading market in Ghana by non-Ghanaian nationals was an affront to the GIPC Act 865.

 Barima Dr Ameyaw said if the illegal activities of the foreigners were not stopped, it could take a toll on entrepreneurship in the country.

 He, therefore, passionately appealed to Parliament through the Member of Parliament of Cape Coast North, Dr. Kwamena Minta Nyarku, who was present at the seminar, to swiftly come up with pragmatic measures to solve the challenges.

 The Director of the Office of Ethics and Internal Investigations at the Bank of Ghana, Mr Bernard Otabil, for his part, asked entrepreneurs to adopt ethical financial responsibility to sustain their businesses.

He also underscored the importance of integrity and trust in business.

 Mr Bernard Otabil

The Director of Human Resource at UCC, Rev. Isaac Baafi Sarbeng, in a remark, threw his weight behind the call for senior staff to venture into entrepreneurship but was quick to caution them against using official office hours to do business.

 The seminar was chaired by Prof. (Mrs.) Mavis Serwah Benneh, the founding Director of the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Small Enterprise Development at the UCC.

 Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC

 

 

 

Prof. Aheto_waterloo

Prof. Denis Aheto appointed visiting professor at University of Waterloo in Canada

28 Nov, 2023 By DIS

The Director of the Africa Centre of Excellence in Coastal Resilience (ACECoR) at the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Prof. Denis Aheto, has been appointed as a visiting professor at the Faculty of Environment of the University of Waterloo in Canada.

In a letter signed by the Dean of the Faculty, Prof Bruce Franye, and dated November 21, 2023, said:” I am writing to extend an invitation to you to hold the University of Waterloo’s “TD Walter Bean Visiting Professorship in the Environment” for the 2023/2024.

“We think of no one who has contributed more to coastal resilience and connects better with our Faculty of Environment and University of Waterloo’s mission to impact positive change than you,” the letter added.

According to the letter, Prof. Aheto was selected based on his outstanding leadership on environmental and social issues globally.

As TD Walter Bean Professor, Prof. Aheto would also present a public lecture to high school students during his visit and interact with hordes of undergraduate and graduate students across the University.

That, the letter indicated, was also in line with the decision of the University to host the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Solutions Network Canada (SDSN Canada) and was committed to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals through partnership, education and innovative research.

Prof. Aheto is expected to deliver the public lecture in March, 2024.

About TD Walter Bean Visiting Professorship

The University of Waterloo established the TD Walter Bean Visiting Professorship in the Environment with funding from TD Canada Trust in order to assist the University to continue on its mission of impacting positive change locally and globally, to honor the memory of Walter Bean- an outstanding local, national, and global citizen.

 

UCC Pensioners' Association embarks on excursion

22 Nov, 2023 By DIS

As part of efforts to promote the ‘Experience Ghana, Share Ghana’ Campaign, the Pensioners' Association of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) recently toured the renovated and modernised Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park and Mausoleum, in Accra, on an excursion. 

The excursion provided the hale and hearty retirees an opportunity to learn valuable insights into the history and impacts of Ghana's first President.

While touring the facility, the retirees were shown around the Mausoleum, which houses the bodies of Kwame Nkrumah and his wife, Fathia Nkrumah.

Also on display were Kwame Nkrumah’s official car, his black limousine of 1960 vintage, as well as the metallic casket that carried Dr Kwame Nkrumah from Guinea to Ghana, along with the student mattress and the mirror he used in school.

The tour guides seized the moment to educate the retirees on the ‘Cold Room’, a place that showcases the life and legacies of Ghana’s first President.

In an interview, a member of the Association, Mr. Francis Darko, said the excursion was part of activities geared towards deepening the domestic tourism agenda in Ghana.

According to him, Dr Nkrumah remained a strong pillar of Ghana’s tourism as some of the developmental projects he led remain the backbone of the country’s tourism.

Mr. Darko paid glowing tribute to late President Jerry John Rawl­ings for the idea of building a monument in honour of the first President of the country.

 Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC

 

 

 

UCC holds 8th Research Awards and Grants Ceremony

22 Nov, 2023 By DIS

Known for its research-intensive agenda, the University of Cape Coast (UCC) through the Directorate of Research, Innovation and Consultancy (DRIC), has organised the eighth Research Awards and Grants (RAG) ceremony to support quality research and encourage research excellence and innovation amongst faculty.

The RAG ceremony provides a forum for recognising research endeavours that are closely linked to the research agenda and the interests of departments, schools/faculties, and colleges within the University.

The ceremony, held on the theme, “Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Innovative Research and Sustainable Development”, also served as a platform to share ideas and brainstorm on how the University could harness AI to contribute to the research and innovation ecosystem for sustainable development.

A total of 44 awards were given and of the number, 41 were under the Research Support Grant (RSG) category with 3 under the Best Research Award (BRA) section.  The awardees directly contributed to the University of Cape Coast's sterling performance in the 2024 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings (WUR).

Opening the ceremony, the Vice-Chancellor of UCC, Prof Johnson Nyarko Boampong, underscored the need for Ghanaian universities to put their innovative research into action to impact the lives of the citizenry.

Prof Johnson Nyarko Boampong-Vice-Chancellor of UCC 

“The conduct of relevant cutting-edge research … capable of rendering tangible and innovative outputs that tackle our developmental problems is one sure way of providing solutions to the societal challenges that we are faced with in the 21st century, “he said.

Prof. Boampong threw a challenge to universities to pursue intensive research   because “national, continental, and global decision making are hinged on the output of scientific research and its implication on policies.”

“In Africa for example, social and economic challenges span across various dimensions hence, the need to solve them in an integrated and multidimensional fashion”, he noted.

He asked African universities to engage in multidisciplinary research instead of working in silos to solve societal problems.

“Research must be multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary since knowledge to solve societal problems is no longer in distinct silos of disciplines,” the Vice-Chancellor pointed out.

Prof. Nelson Buah (left), Former Pro Vice-Chancellor,  presenting an award to a group of awardees

Through research, Prof. Boampong stated that UCC had chalked up many successes in the world, including being among the top universities globally for research influence and sustaining the position as the best university in Ghana, and West Africa for three consecutive occasions.

He urged DRIC to be consistent in finding innovative ways to improve the research outputs and grant portfolio of the UCC.

For his part, the Director of DRIC, Prof. David Teye Doku, said the mandate of DRIC was to stimulate research excellence, innovation and grants-making not only within UCC but also across Ghana and Africa.

In pursuit of its mandate, Prof. Doku indicated that DRIC had promoted and increased the quality and quantity of its research outputs over the past half-decade by encouraging the publication of scientific papers in credible outlets.

He said the research and innovation agenda of UCC was guided by a five-year Research Agenda (2023-2027), which was carefully developed through stakeholder consultations across the University.

Prof. Doku stated that the agenda took inspiration from the National Agenda 2057, the Africa Union (AU) Developmental Goal (AU Agenda 2063) and Sustainable Development.

The Vice-Chancellor of UCC (in red tie) being supported by two former Vice-Chancellors and the Director of DRIC (left) to cut the anniversary cake. Looking on are two former Pro Vice-Chancellors

The ceremony also witnessed the commemoration of the 10th anniversary of DRIC-UCC. An anniversary cake was cut by the Vice-Chancellor with the support of other dignitaries at the event to climax the celebration.

Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

141 medical students gear Up for clinical training

21 Nov, 2023 By DIS

The 14th batch of medical students at the University of Cape Coast School of Medical Sciences (UCCSMS), who have completed the pre-clinical phase of their training, have begun the clinical stage.

The 141 students, decorated with white coats and stethoscopes, swore an oath to provide the highest standard of ethical care for their patients as they undergo another three-year practical training in the hospital wards under the supervision of medical consultants and other healthcare professionals.

The Deputy Registrar of the Medical and Dental Council, Dr. Pascal Kobiah, administered the SMS Oath to the students.

 In his remarks, the Guest Speaker, a consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Prof. Kobinah Nkyekye, congratulated the students on the completion of their three-year basic science of medicine and advised them to show respect and compassion towards their patients.

 He cautioned the students to be careful not to breach the confidentiality of their patients on social media and implored them not to erode the trust of the public in medical doctors in the discharge of their professional duties.

A section of the medical students taking the SMS oath

He further asked the students to be guided by the tenets of the medical profession and reflect its core values. He also encouraged the students to, among other virtues, remain loyal to the medical profession, show respect for patients’ well-being and humanity, as well as cooperate with each other.

Prof. Nkyekyer advised them to show commitment and dedication during their clinical training and adopt a life-learning attitude to put to good use the knowledge acquired in the classrooms. 

He further urged the students to justify the investments being made in them by their parents, whilst commending parents and guardians of the students for their unflinching support to invest in the education of their children and wards.

Prof. Nkyekyer told the students to guard jealously the enviable reputation of the University of Cape Coast.

He said challenges abound in the profession so the students should seek help from professionals when faced with daunting challenges in the execution of their medical responsibilities.

Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Prof Kobinah Nkyekyer

The Dean of the UCCSMS, Prof. Sebastian Eliason, advised the students "anytime you don the white coat remember you are under an oath".

In a message read for him by the Provost of the College of Education Studies, Prof Ernest Kofi Davis, the Vice-Chancellor of UCC, Prof. Johnson Nyarko Boampong, urged the students to exhibit utmost professionalism, discipline, and confidentiality in the medical profession.

He applauded the students for their hard work over the years and urged them to carry the good image of UCCSMS everywhere they found themselves.

Prof Boampong told the students to accept constructive criticisms in good faith in the discharge of their professional duties. He assured SMS that the management of the University would continue to support SMS to deliver on its mandate to produce fully-fledged medical doctors for the country.

Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC

 

 

Utilise Artificial Intelligence to Conduct Innovative Research – Prof. Amoako-Yirenkyi

21 Nov, 2023 By DIS

The Head of the Department of Mathematics at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Prof. Peter Amoako-Yirenkyi, has urged African universities to take advantage of Artificial Intelligence (A1) to solve societal problems confronting the continent.

According to him, African universities could connect their innovative research with AI to solve seemingly impossible problems to achieve sustainable development.

“AI came for people in Africa. We can begin to solve problems that almost seem impossible with AI. It is possible to connect your knowledge base with AI to help you build a very sustainable culture,” he remarked.

Prof. Amoako-Yirenkyi was speaking at the 8th Research Awards and Grants Ceremony organised by the Directorate of Research, Innovation and Consultancy (DRIC) of the University of Cape Coast (UCC).

Themed, “Artificial Intelligence for Innovative Research and Sustainable Development,” the event was to support quality research and encourage research excellence and innovation amongst faculty.

A section of participants

A total of 44 awardees were honoured for their direct contributions to the University of Cape Coast's sterling performance in the 2024 Times Higher Education World University Rankings.

Prof. Amoako-Yirenkyi admitted that African countries were lagging behind in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2030.

He maintained that it was time African countries made use of AI as a catalyst for development. To that end, Prof. Amoako-Yirenkyi asked universities across the globe to align their mandates and visions with the SDGs, maintaining that “without the universities, the world can't achieve these objectives”.

He encouraged academic researchers to align their thinking with the SDGs.

“No matter what you do as a research person, it is inside the SDGs. So, it is important that while you are thinking about your next research see where it aligns so that whatever you do becomes sustainable by default,” Prof. Amoako-Yirenkyi explained.

Awards

Prof. Dora Francisca Edu-Buandoh, a former Pro Vice-Chancellor, displaying her citation of honour for her contribution to DRIC

At the ceremony, Prof Samuel Kofi Tulashie and Prof. Ernest Teye, both from the College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, as well as Dr Peterson Owusu Junior, from the College of Humanities and Legal Studies, were adjudged the best researchers.

Apart from the grantees and awardees, DRIC honoured the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Johnson Nyarko Boampong, the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Rosemond Boohene along with past Vice-Chancellors and Pro Vice-Chancellors of University of Cape Coast and former staff of DRIC, with Leadership Excellence Awards for their immense contributions towards the growth of DRIC.

Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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