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PURC assures UCC of improved utility services

28 Apr, 2025 By DIS

The Executive Secretary of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), Dr Shafic Suleman, has assured management of the University of his topmost priority to ensure improved utility services on campus.

He indicated that he would use his good offices to improve the strained relations between UCC and ECG over frequent power disconnections.

“I think ECG should try to enhance its relationship with UCC. As a regulator, we are always available to resolve every challenge through dialogue,” he said.

Dr. Suleman gave the assurance when he paid a courtesy call to the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Denis Aheto, as part of his official working tour of the Central Region.

He expressed his readiness to set up a Regulatory Laboratory in the Commission and said he would need the University’s support in that regard.

Prof. Aheto, on his part, congratulated Dr. Suleman on his appointment and elevation.

Executive Secretary of PURC, Dr Shafic Suleman (L) and Pro VC of UCC, Prof. Denis Aheto (R)

He expressed disappointment over ECG's aggressive stance in constantly disconnecting power to the University campus despite an existing arrangement between the two parties towards settling the University’s debt.

He said the University had proposed to ECG to meter some offices, but to no avail.

Prof. Aheto was happy that the PURC would set up a Regulatory Lab and indicated the readiness of the University to support the cause.

He praised the Ghana Water Company Limited for its quality of service to the University.

Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC

 

UCC celebrates 1,187 graduates

25 Apr, 2025 By DIS

The University of Cape Coast, UCC, has held its 57th congregation to celebrate students who have successfully completed various postgraduate programmes.

In all, 1,187 students, including 46 PhDs, 102 MPhil, 124 MA, 17 MCom, were celebrated for their academic achievements. 

The rest were 3 Master of Nursing, 605 Master of Education, 64 Master of Business Administration, 184 Master of Science, and 42 Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE).

Key among the personalities who graduated with the PhD was Dr. Kwabena Antwi- Konadu, the Manager of Campus Broadcasting Service, UCC, and Apostle Dr. Samuel Yaw Antwi,the immediate past Cape Coast Area Head of the Church of Pentecost and Board Chairman of Pent Media Centre.

Delivering his address, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Johnson Nyarko Boampong, commended the students on their giant feat and urged them not to rest on their oars but to work hard in all spheres of life.

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Johnson Nyarko Boampong, speaking at the congregation

He  stated that hard work, resilience and dedication by the 2025 graduating class had yielded positive results. 

The Vice-Chancellor urged the graduates to be good ambassadors of the University and endeavour to support their alma mater in whatever position they found themselves.

Prof. Boampong said that the University remained resolute to strengthen and expand post graduate education, and therefore, indicated that it would mobilize resources to foster strategic partnership and create an enabling environment that impacts research and postgraduate training.

“I wish to assure you that UCC will not relent in its effort to build a graduate education that meets the highest standards ready to serve in every sphere of life,” he continued.

Prof. Boampong paid glowing tributes to the Emelia and Sam Brew Butler Research Fund for supporting postgraduate students to produce cutting edge research to solve societal challenges.

The Vice-Chancellor admitted that UCC was facing challenges as regards funding to support research activities and appealed to stakeholders to support the research agenda of the University. 

He advised the graduates to imbibe integrity ,respect and collaboration to overcome challenges and urged the students to be innovative and drive social impact, as they were entrusted with the University's legacy.

He urged them to prove themselves to the rest of the world as worthy intellectuals, ethical professionals and responsible graduates.

The Valedictorian, Dr. Justina Adams, who started Ph.D. (Business Administration) in January 2022, and completed in September 2024, said the education she and her colleagues had received was a great privilege and must not be taken for granted.

Special awards were given to deserving students.

Source: Documentation and Information Section

 

 

UCC Confers Degrees on 5,291 at 57th Congregation

23 Apr, 2025 By DIS

The University of Cape Coast (UCC) has graduated a total of 5,291 students of the College of Distance Education (CoDE) during the 10th to 12th sessions of the 57th congregation.

The graduands were from all the ten regions of Ghana.

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Johnson Nyarko Boampong, congratulated the students and expressed confidence that they had been adequately prepared to contribute to the development of society.

“To our esteemed graduands, your journey to this moment has been marked by perseverance, sacrifice, and unwavering dedication. Leverage the knowledge and skills you have acquired to drive positive change in you communities and beyond.

He announced that the Agona Nyakrom, Dominase, and Accra centres had received full accreditation and were officially recognized as satellite campuses of the University.

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Johnson Nyarko Boampong speaking at the congregation

Prof. Boampong indicated that the newly commissioned CoDE ICT Centre, equipped with state-of-the-art video conferencing facilities, had significantly enhanced its digital teaching infrastructure, broadening its educational reach throughout Ghana and across the African continent.

To improve educational outcomes and enhance the employability of graduates, Prof. Boampong indicated that CoDE had embraced a blended learning model.

“This approach integrates face to-face and digital instruction, with the aim of equipping students with critical 21st century skills, including digital literacy, effective communication, collaboration, and professional presentation,” he said.

The Vice-Chancellor lauded the College’s most transformative initiatives: the Prison Education Programme.

“Initially launched in partnership with the Plan Volta Foundation, this programme extends tertiary education to inmates at the Nsawam Medium Security Prison. What began as a pilot effort has now evolved into a landmark intervention that reflects the University’s enduring commitment to inclusive and rehabilitative education,” he said, indicating: “Despite facing early financial challenges, the University boldly assumed full funding responsibility.”

 Gratitude

The Vice-Chancellor extended appreciation to devoted teaching and administrative staff, whose tireless commitment had been central to the accomplishments of CoDE.

The Vice-Chancellor used the occasion to urge the graduands to carry the torch of UCC wherever they go and encouraged them to be proud ambassadors of UCC.

Students

Some of the students said they were excited to have successfully graduated, adding that the experience had been satisfying and challenging.

Some of them indicated that many of the students had to combine work, family and school and that could have contributed to many not getting first class.

A Bachelor of Commerce (Management) graduand, Mr. Cudjoe Martin, had a CGPA of 3.9 to emerge the Overall Best Graduating Student.

Awards including cash prizes and plaques were presented to deserving graduands.

Source: Documentation and Information

 

 

Confucius Institute celebrates 16th UN Chinese Language Day

22 Apr, 2025 By DIS

The Confucius Institute (CI) at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) has marked the 16th United Nations Chinese Language Day celebration on the theme: “Chinese Language: A Gift Across Time and Space.”

 The celebration, in collaboration with the Central Regional Coordinating Council was aimed at promoting the Chinese language and fostering cultural exchange.

This year, the Confucius Institute at UCC commemorated the day at one of its Confucius Classrooms, Penuel International School, which is located at Kasoa.

Penuel International School signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with CIUCC in 2018 and has since incorporated Chinese Language into its curriculum.

The celebration was attended by dignitaries including the Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, His Excellency Tong Defa; the Central Regional Director of Education, Emmanuel Essuman; the President of Ghana Overseas Chinese Federation, Mr Tang Hong; China and Ghana directors of the Confucius Institute at the University of Cape Coast and teachers and students of the Grace Field International School, as well as Aburaman Senior High School.

Speaking at the function, the Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, Tong Defa, said the Chinese language served not only as a bridge for communication but also for invigorating educational and cultural exchanges and cooperation between China and Ghana.

Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, HE Tong Defa

He noted that by the end of 2023, over 85 countries had integrated Chinese language into their national education systems, with more than 180 countries teaching Chinese worldwide.

“More than 30 million people outside of China are learning Chinese, and a total of nearly 200 million people have learnt or used Chinese.

He praised a student of UCC, Miss. Lilian Ama Serwaa Tobias, for emerging as the winner of the 23rd Chinese Bridge Competition at the tertiary level for the year 2024.

The Ambassador noted that three Confucius Institutes had been established in Ghana, currently enrolling 15,000 students and providing Chinese language instruction to over 150,000 students in total.

He further encouraged Ghanaian students to take the Chinese language seriously.

“Learning Chinese will bring you more opportunities in the future. We will surely see a lot of you become civilian ambassadors of Ghana to China and contribute to deepening our bilateral relations,” he added.

Ambassador Tong commended the teachers and volunteers at the Confucius Institutes for their contributions to Chinese language education and cultural promotion.

He acknowledged the students for their achievements, encouraging them to work harder to achieve better results and to meet the high expectations in their educational journey.

Students in a performance at the event

The Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute at the University of Cape Coast, Prof. Ou Yamei encouraged the students to study Chinese at the institute and experience the profound Chinese culture.

She said the celebration was an opportunity for students to learn the Chinese language and develop interest among the pupils in the language.

The Central Regional Director of Education, Mr. Emmanuel Essuman, in a remark, noted that learning Chinese would create job opportunities in Chinese companies operating in Ghana and the Directorate would support Confucius Institute to achieve its mission in Ghana.

In 2010, the UN Department of Public Information established the day, with the aim "to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity, as well as to promote equal use of all six of its official working languages throughout the organisation”.

April 20 was chosen as the date to pay tribute to Cangjie, a mythical figure who is presumed to have invented Chinese characters about 5,000 years ago.

Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC

 

UCC and FAO Host Seminar on Mapping of Farmers Markets in Ghana

17 Apr, 2025 By DIS

The School of Agriculture in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), has organized a seminar aimed at establishing a clear definition of farmers' markets in Ghana and exploring the various forms they take across the country.

The event, themed “Mapping of Farmers’ Markets in Ghana Project,” brought together participants from the Central Regional Coordinating Council, the Central Region Apex Farmers Association (CRAFA), as well as farmers and consumers within the Central Region.

In his welcome address, the Dean of the School of Agriculture, Prof. Henry De-Graft Acquah, expressed his delight in the collaboration between UCC, CRAFA and FAO. He commended the stakeholders for organising such a significant seminar aimed at ensuring the sustainability of the Farmers Market initiative, which commenced in October 2021.

Coordinator of UCC project team, Dr. Selorm Akaba, delivered a presentation on “Mapping of Farmers Markets in Ghana.” He indicated that Ghana was a founding member of the World Farmers Market Coalition, which was supported by the UN-FAO Food Coalition in 2020. He further noted that the first Farmers Market was a collaborative effort involving researchers and practitioners from UCC, the Central Regional Coordinating Council, CRAFA, and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), including the Central Regional Department of Agriculture.

A group photo of participants in the seminar

Dr. Akaba outlined the benefits of the Farmers Market, stating that it will “ensure a high level of trust between farmers and consumers and reduce traceability cost in the value chain.” He acknowledged that the Farmers Market also faced challenges, such as high labour costs and scarcity of resources. “That is why there is a need to come together to pull resources into this project,” he added. He further explained that the objective was to “test the Methodology and Study Models of Farmers market in Ghana.”

Ms Valentina Sommacal, Rural Institutions and Services Expert at the FAO, commended Ghana and UCC for taking the lead on this initiative in Africa.  She also reaffirmed FAO’s commitment to the programme.

The Pro Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Denis Worlanyo Aheto, assured participants of the University’s full support for the project.

“The university is strongly behind this project initiative. Initiatives like this have a high potential to train farmers and therefore need to be applauded,” he stated.

During a breakout session, participants were divided into four groups and assigned the task of developing definitions for farmers' markets and identifying the different forms they take across the country. One of the definitions that emerged from the group discussions described a farmers’ market as "a group of farmers selling to consumers in a specific area, which does not necessarily have to be a physical location."

Source: Documentation and Information Section - UCC

 

 

 

Pro Vice-Chancellor interacts with Prof. Terry Sunderland

11 Apr, 2025 By DIS

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

 

Climate Change Advisors Ghana donates plastic bins to UCC

11 Apr, 2025 By DIS

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

 

Basic school teachers, SISO undergo Leadership Training

11 Apr, 2025 By DIS

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

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