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Israeli Ambassador with the VC

We are Ready to Collaborate with UCC- Israeli Ambassador to Ghana

12 Aug, 2020 By louis Mensah

The Israeli Ambassador to Ghana, Her Excellency, Shani Cooper, has expressed her country’s readiness to partner UCC to boost Agribusiness, Technology and Innovation.
    
Her Excellency, Shani Cooper, made this known when she paid a courtesy call to the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Johnson Nyarko Boampong.

The Israeli Ambassador noted that Ghana and Israel had a long standing relationship that the Vice-Chancellor and his team could capitalise on to develop the University. She indicated that Education was a priority to her country and hence, the Embassy would connect UCC to universities and organisations in Israel. 

Israel's Success Story

Ms. Cooper who also has oversight responsibility over Liberia and Sierra Leone said the Embassy would partner the University to become one of the best destinations of higher education in Africa and beyond in the areas of Agribusiness, Technology and Innovations.  She indicated that through effective collaborations, industries in Israel offered start-up packages to graduates to begin their own businesses. “Our universities have direct collaboration with the private sector so we always help our students to start businesses as soon as they graduate," she explained.

Students' Experience in Israel

The Israeli Ambassador announced that plans were far advanced to include UCC in an exchange programme where levels 200 and 300 as well as postgraduate students pursuing Agriculture would be attached to farms in Israel. Such students according to her would be working in various areas in agriculture such as fishing, animal rearing, and crop production using green house technology for 11 months. This would enable them to acquire knowledge and skills in agribusiness. She explained that the project was being executed between Israel and the Government of Ghana through the Ministry of Food and Agriculture. She added that the first batch of 55 students from Ghana went to Israel in 2019. "I must add that the Ghanaian students distinguished themselves when they went to Israel and they are highly sought for by our farmers,” she added. 

Ms. Cooper expressed interest to learn more about UCCs success story in the area of Distance Education which she noted would be beneficial to Universities in Israel.

The Israeli Ambassador to Ghana presenting a biogas system to the Vice-Chancellor

Entrepreneurial University

On his part, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Johnson Boampong, said his vision was to transform UCC as an Entrepreneurial University. He noted that this vision was inspired by his visit to Israel where he realised that the country was making good use of the green house technology to boost agriculture for local consumption and export. 

Prof. Boampong indicated that UCC was interested in expanding its partnership with the Embassy in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM),  Agribusiness, Technology and Innovation, Primary Health Care, and History. “My leadership has an enormous task ahead of us and we look forward to partner you to implement this vision and we know the Israeli Embassy in Ghana can connect us to universities and organisations in Israel,” he stressed.

Agribusiness

In the area of Agribusiness, Prof. Boampong informed the Ambassador that the University had large hectares of land for commercial farming and would need the expertise of Israel to develop grid irrigation and green house technology. “We intend to vigorously pursue agri-business through this commercial farm venture,” he explained. 

The Vice-Chancellor commended the Ambassador for expressing interest to support his administration to achieve his vision for the University. He assured the Ambassador of a fruitful working relationship with UCC.

The Israeli Ambassador donated a biogas system that could produce gas for domestic and industrial use as well as liquid fertilizer for agriculture purposes. 

The Vice-Chancellor later took Ms. Cooper to the University Teaching and Research Farm to inspect the Green House project.

Present at the meeting were the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Dora Edu-Buandoh; Registrar, Mr. Jeff Teye Onyame; Provost College of Distance Education, Prof. Isaac K. A. Galyuon and Dean, School of Agriculture, Prof. Elvis Asare-Bediako.

Soil and Land Use Evaluation   

Content: The course exposes students to definition of land evaluation terminologies, types of land evaluation and review of soil properties of importance to agriculture. The course introduces students to soil survey for agricultural and non-agricultural uses, soil maps and land improvement, methodology of land evaluation for agriculture, the role of land evaluation in development planning, evaluation at the local, regional and national scales, soil suitability classification, land capability classification and land productivity rating.

Objective: 
At the end of the course, students will be able to:
1.    Understand the concepts and procedures of land evaluation
2.    Employ data to substantiate suitability of soil and land for specific purposes.

 Reading materials
1.    Dent, D. and Young, A. 1981. Soil Survey and Land Evaluation. Allen and Unwin, London.
2.    FAO. 1988. FAO-UNESCO Soil Map of the World. Revised Legend. World Soil Resources Report 60. FAO, Rome.
3.    Webster, R. and Oliver, M.A. 1990. Statistical Methods in Soil and Land Resource Survey. Oxford Univ. Press, Oxford, UK
4.    Young, A. 1976. Tropical Soil Survey. Cambridge Univ. Press

Course Code: 
ASS 810
No. of Credits: 
3
Level: 
Level 800
Course Semester: 
First Semester
Select Programme(s): 
Soil Science

Statistical Methods and Experimental Design   

Content: The course is designed to cover elements of experimentation, principles of experimental designs, sample experimental design, some problems in experimentation and possible remedies, one sample and two-sample hypothesis, linear and non-linear models, complex relationships, analysis of covariance, probability and distribution estimation and hypothesis testing and practicals multivariate analysis.

Objectives:

  1. To expose the students to statistical concepts and methods.
  2. To equip students to be able to use appropriate computer programmes to design experiments and analyse data.

Reading materials

  1. Lindeman, H.R. 1974. Analysis of variance in Complex Experimental Designs. W.H. Freeman, San Francisco.
  2. Mead, R., Curnow, N and Hasted, A. M. 1994. Statistical Methods in Agriculture and Experimental Biology, 2nd Edn. Chapman and Hall.
  3. Snedecor and Cochran, W.G. 1989. Statistical Methods. 8th Edn. Iowa State Univ. Press. Iowa, USA.
  4. Steel, R.G.D and Torrie, J.H. 1980. Principles and Procedures of Statistics. A Biometrical Approach. 2nd Edn. McGraw Hill International Edns.
  5. Webster, R. and Oliver, M.A. 1990. Statistical Methods in Soil and Land Resource Survey. Oxford Univ. Press, Oxford, UK

 

Course Code: 
ASSASS 809
No. of Credits: 
3
Level: 
Level 800
Course Semester: 
First Semester
Select Programme(s): 
Soil Science

Thesis

The elective courses will be selected in consultation with the student’s Supervisor; bearing in mind his/her research interest. All courses are examinable at the end of the semester

The PhD. programme is by research. However, student may be required to attend or audit certain courses, depending on their academic background. The core course is ASS 999 (Thesis).

Research Areas:
Student’s research will be based on one of the following areas:

(a)    Pedology 
(b)    Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition
(c)    Soil and Land Evaluation
(d)    Soil Chemistry
(e)    Soil Ecology
(f)    Soil and Water Conservation 
(g)    Management of Soil Resources
(h)    Soil Physics
 

Course Code: 
ASS 899
No. of Credits: 
6
Level: 
Level 900
Course Semester: 
First Semester
Select Programme(s): 
Soil Science

Thesis

The PhD. programme is by research. However, student may be required to attend or audit certain courses, depending on their academic background. The core course is ASS 999 (Thesis).

The elective courses will be selected in consultation with the student’s Supervisor; bearing in mind his/her research interest. All courses are examinable at the end of the semester.

Research Areas: Student’s research will be based on one of the following areas:

  1. Integrated Soil Fertility Management
  2. Environmental Impact Assessment
  3. Hydrological Processes in Soil
  4. Land and Water Conservation
  5. Environmental Soil Chemistry
  6. Soil Colloids and Soil Pollution
  7. Surface and Peri-urban Hydrology and Water Quality
  8. Climate Impact on Agricultural Production
  9. Management of wetlands
Course Code: 
ASS 899
No. of Credits: 
6
Level: 
Level 900
Course Semester: 
First Semester
Select Programme(s): 
Land Use And Environmental Science

Research Methodology       

Content: The course offers an overview of research methodology including basic concepts employed in quantitative and qualitative research methods. It also will expose students to photography and biological illustration, language for scientist and computer applications for research.

Objective: To introduce students to scientific literature search, report writing, on-farm research techniques and data management system.

Recommendation materials

  1. Gomez, K.A. Gomez, K.A. & Gomez, A.A. 1984. Statistical procedures for agricultural research. John Wiley & Sons
  2. Kumar, R. 2019. Research methodology: A step-by-step guide for beginners. Sage Publication Ltd., London
  3. Sahu, P.K. 2013. Research methodology: A guide for researchers in agricultural science, social science and other related fields. Springer. New Delhi.
  4. Wall, T. & Stokes, P. 2014. Research methods. Macmillan Publishers, New York, USA.
Course Code: 
ASS 825
No. of Credits: 
3
Level: 
Level 800
Course Semester: 
Second Semester
Select Programme(s): 
Land Use And Environmental Science

Agriculture, Environment and Climate Change

Content: The course exposes students to radiation and temperatures in the tropics, general circulation of the tropical atmosphere, water and energy balance, rainfall seasonability and variability in the tropics, evaporation and evapotranspiration in the tropical ecosystem, tropical disturbances, turbulent transfer and wind relationships, tropical climates and energy production. The course also equips students to evaluate the impact of climate change on agriculture, environment, man and hydrological cycle.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of climate change on agricultural production

Reading materials

  1. Enger, E.D. and Smith, B.F. 1991. Environmental Science: A Study of Interrelationships. 4th Edn. W.C. Brown Publishers
  2. Jackson, I.J. 1977. Climate, Water and Agriculture in the Tropics. Longman group Ltd., London.
  3. Manteith, J.L. 1975. Principles of Environmental Physics. Whitstable Litho Ltd., Whistable, Kent
  4. Nieuwolt, S. 1978. Tropical Climatology. An Introduction to the Climates of the Low Latitudes. John Wiley and Sons. Chichester, England.

 

Course Code: 
ASS 811
No. of Credits: 
3
Level: 
Level 800
Course Semester: 
First Semester
Select Programme(s): 
Land Use And Environmental Science
Degree Type: 
Master of PhilosophyDepartment of Soil Science
Programme Duration: 
2 years (Standard Entry)
About Programme: 

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Goal / Objectives: 

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Career Opportunities: 

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Entry Requirements: 

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Degree Type: 
Doctor of PhilosophyDepartment of Soil Science
Programme Duration: 
3 years (Diploma Entry)
About Programme: 

Since the inception of the postgraduate programme in 2001 in ‘pure’ Soil Science, the department has found it increasingly difficult to attract students, which perhaps could be partly due to the low demand for ‘pure’ Soil Scientist in the job market. This problem, coupled with the threat to the health and well-being of people and global systems posed by environmental degradation and climate change, prompted the department to review its postgraduate programme. The review indicated the need to design a programme which will train graduates to tackle problems of environmental degradation in a sound way. 

Goal / Objectives: 

(i)    To expose students to the scientific principles of pollution at chemical levels and soil management in order to enable them approach environmental issues in a realistic way.
(ii)    To equip students with the concepts and procedures of land evaluation and use soil/land data to substantiate suitability of soil/land for specific purposes.

Career Opportunities: 

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Entry Requirements: 

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VC with Management of College of Education

New VC and Registrar Continue with their Tour to Colleges and Directorates

10 Aug, 2020 By louis Mensah

The new Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Johnson Nyarko Boampong and the Registrar, Mr. Jeff Teye Emmanuel Onyame, have embarked on the second leg of their tour to Directorates and Colleges in the University.
        
The visit this time took them to the Directorate of Academic Planning and Quality Assurance (DAPQA), Directorate of Research Innovation and Consultancy (DRIC), Directorate of University Health Services (DUHS), Centre for International Education (CIE), College of Education Studies (CES) and the College of Humanities and Legal Studies (CHLS).

The Vice-Chancellor and Registrar were accompanied by the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Dora Edu-Buandoh.  

DAPQA

The first point of call was at DAPQA, where the team interacted with the Director, Prof. Godwin Awabil, and his sectional heads. Explaining the purpose of the visit, Prof. Edu-Buandoh said the Vice-Chancellor and Registrar were there to show appreciation to the director and his team for supporting them at their investiture. He said the visit was also to formally inform them that they had assumed office.

Prof. Boampong called for unity and a sense of purpose among members of the University Community to develop the UCC as a first class university in Ghana and beyond. “With unity we can achieve a lot together but we cannot succeed when we are divided” he noted. The Vice-Chancellor therefore, asked the Director and his team to support him to achieve his vision of transforming UCC into an Entrepreneurial University.

The Vice-Chancellor indicated that past Vice-Chancellors, Pro Vice-Chancellors, and Registrars had done their part to the growth of the University and it was now their turn to build on what they started. “We also need to take this University to another level and create opportunities for the younger generation,” he added. 

Adding his voice to the Vice-Chancellor’s, Mr. Onyame indicated that they would operate an inclusive administration without discrimination. “We will give opportunity to everybody to contribute towards realising the goals and objectives of this University,” he stressed. 

Responding, Prof. Awabil commended the Vice-Chancellor for his vision and the innovative ideas he wanted to implement in the University adding “Your vision is full of innovative ideas that will transform the University if we fully implement it”. Prof. Awabil assured the Vice-Chancellor of his support. 

DRIC

The team moved to DRIC to interact with the Director, Prof. Frederick Ato-Armah. The Vice-Chancellor said the Directorate featured prominently in his vision and urged them to work as a team to reposition UCC through high impact research. He reechoed the need to understand each other, work as a team to achieve the vision. “We can achieve a lot when we are united. Let’s be focused and together we shall get there,” he noted.

In response, Prof. Ato-Armah pledged his total and unflinching support and indicated that some discussions were ongoing to reposition UCC as a flagship entrepreneur institution. He said there was no doubt that the new leadership was committed to develop UCC as a first class international university. “We are looking forward to a long lasting and fruitful working relationship with the Vice-Chancellor and Registrar,” he noted.

DUHS

From DRIC, the team met with the Director of University Health Services, Dr. Evans Ekanem and some of his Management team. The Vice-Chancellor thanked him and the Directorate for the services they were rendering to the University community even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. He urged them to continue with their meritorious services to the University community and the general public.

 Reacting, Dr. Ekanem said the Vice-Chancellor’s vision was timely and it was a step in the right direction. He wished the new Vice-Chancellor and Registrar God’s blessings and assured of his unwavering support. He used the opportunity to thank Management for the assistance they had provided to the directorate in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic.

CIE

The team later interacted with the Dean of the Centre for International Education (CIE), Prof. Kwaku Adutwum A. Boakye. The Vice-Chancellor said he had interacted on several occasions with the office whilst he was Provost. He said the internationalisation of the University was a prominent feature of his vision. “We intend to enhance the visibility of the University by promoting internationalization” he noted.

Prof. Boakye in his response said he was humbled by the visit and added that he was confident that the international agenda of the University would be moved to a higher level. “We have taken your assurance of support with pride and we would give our utmost support to achieve this noble objective,” he assured.

CES

The Vice-Chancellor and Registrar also interacted with the Provost of the College of Education, Prof. Ernest Kofi Davis and some Deans in the College. The Vice-Chancellor said it was important for staff of the University to work as a team with a common goal. He said under his leadership, everybody would be playing a role in the management of the University “We are presenting ourselves as servant leaders because we know that we cannot do it all so we need you to help us accomplish our vision for the University,” he explain.

Prof. Davis on his part was grateful to the Vice-Chancellor for the visit and remarked that there was unity in strength adding that “Aggregate strength is so powerful that it can surmount every challenge.” He declared that the College would contribute its quota towards achieving his vision for the University.

CHLS

The Vice-Chancellor and Registrar ended their tour at the College of Humanities and Legal Studies (CHLS) and interacted with the Provost, Prof. Eric Francis Amuquandoh and some Deans and Heads of Department. The Vice-Chancellor stressed that there was unity in diversity and, therefore, it was important that they worked as a team to develop the University to an international standard. “We have to be united and work together to reposition our university so that we can all feel proud of legacy we have left for the future generation,” he urged.

On his part, the Provost of CHLS, Prof. Amuquandoh noted that the College would rally behind them to ensure that the vision of the Vice-Chancellor was achieved. He said departments and faculties formed very important constituencies for the University and that he could count on them at all times. “Though we are in difficult times and things are not normal but if we remain together we’ll succeed as a University,” he concluded.

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