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GVSU team with faculty members of the School of Nursing and Midwifery

School of Nursing and Midwifery Honours GVSU Faculty and Students

19 Mar, 2019 By louis Mensah

The School of Nursing and Midwifery has held a dinner in honour of three faculty and 24 students from Kirkhof College of Nursing, Grand Valley State University (GVSU) who were in Ghana for a two-week Community Service programme.

Since 2013, the UCC School of Nursing and Midwifery and the GVSU Public Health Nursing have been collaborating through the Community Service which is aimed at establishing and improving partnership with both local and international collaborators in the area of Public Health.

 

UCC-GVSU Collaboration Yielding Good Fruits

Speaking at a dinner to climax the activities of the GVSU team, the Dean of the School of Nursing, Dr Dorcas Obiri-Yeboah, said the collaboration between UCC and GVSU through the community service continue to yield fruitful results. She said for the past six years, UCC School of Nursing and Midwifery had collaborated with GVSU Nursing students to embark on outreach services to various communities which had impacted positively on their health.  

Dr Obiri-Yeboah gave the assurance that UCC would deepen the partnership with GVSU to sustain the programme in order to enhance the exchange of expertise and also learn best practice among faculty members and students. “I hope the GVSU students had a great time with our Nursing students and also learned something valuable at the various health facilities during the programme” she noted.  She advised the GVSU students to use the knowledge and experiences they had acquired from their two weeks of study in Ghana to the benefit of society.

 

GVSU Students Fascinated by Health Care System in Ghana

The leader of the GVSU delegation, Prof. Sylvia Mupepi, commended the Faculty and students of UCC for ensuring a successful organisation of the 2019 Community Service programme. She said the students had acquired “great depth of knowledge” adding that “they wondered why the public health system in a low resourced country was very effective”

She expressed the commitment of the GVSU team to partner UCC for the joint programme adding that “When there was outbreak of Ebola, all US programmes and projects in Ghana and other West African nations were suspended, however, the GVSU team led by Prof. Mupepi still came to Ghana to join their counterparts in UCC for the outreach because we were confident of the quality health system in Ghana.” She said Ghana’s ability to contain the spread of the Ebola pandemic into the country was due to the strict adherence to the World Health Organisation's protocol. “One thing that our students have learnt about Ghana’s Health Sector is the surveillance system and that makes Ghana so special from other countries in terms of health care delivery,” she established.

 

GVSU Students Benefited from the Community Service in Ghana

Prof. Mupepe was hopeful that the GVSU students who were mostly final year students had benefited immensely from the Community Service in Ghana. “Learn as much as you can because when you graduate next month, you are going to be on your own and making a great impact in healthcare. Remember that if we can do much in the United States we are doing the best for the rest of the country. Our world has shrunk into a global village and we are counting on you to make the difference” she urged the GVSU students.

 

GVSU Students Share Experience

Some of the GVSU students shared their experience in the two-week Community Service Programme in UCC and some health facilities in the Central Region.

Jennifer Schlatter said she had an exciting time interacting with UCC faculty and students as well as familiarizing herself with other students and facilities on campus. “I have also learnt at first hand the Health Systems in Ghana and there are valuable lessons I have personally taken along” she noted.

Douglas Chambers said he was fascinated by the intercultural and competent health professionals working in various health facilities in Ghana.

Quinn Hayden expressed his delight of the strong public health system in Ghana especially the role of the CHPS compound in the provision of quality health care to rural communities. He said most of the health workers were highly skilled and could improvise in the absence of essential tools and equipment to provide basic care to people.

As part of the two-weeks Community Service programme, the GVSU team were exposed to the Health System in Ghana and embarked on an observational visit to various health facilities like the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, UCC Hospital/Maternity Unit, Ankaful Psychiatric Hospital. They were placed on rotation at urban/peri-urban Health Centres in the Abura Asebu Kwamankese District. Another feature of the visit is Community Outreach with UCC Nursing Students Association at Padre Pio Centre at Ahotorkrom in the Komenda Edina Eguafo Municipal Assembly.

Certificates were presented to the students for participating in the programme. The GVSU team also presented books and other educational materials to the School of Nursing and Midwifery.

Present at the dinner were lecturers, Faculty Officer, Accountant, staff and some students of the School of Nursing and Midwifery.

 

 

GVSU team with faculty members of the School of Nursing and Midwifery

School of Nursing and Midwifery Honours GVSU Faculty and Students

19 Mar, 2019 By louis Mensah

The School of Nursing and Midwifery has held a dinner in honour of three faculty and 24 students from Kirkhof College of Nursing, Grand Valley State University (GVSU) who were in Ghana for a two-week Community Service programme.

Since 2013, the UCC School of Nursing and Midwifery and the GVSU Public Health Nursing have been collaborating through the Community Service which is aimed at establishing and improving partnership with both local and international collaborators in the area of Public Health.

 

UCC-GVSU Collaboration Yielding Good Fruits

Speaking at a dinner to climax the activities of the GVSU team, the Dean of the School of Nursing, Dr Dorcas Obiri-Yeboah, said the collaboration between UCC and GVSU through the Community Service continue to yield fruitful results. She said for the past six years, UCC School of Nursing and Midwifery had collaborated with GVSU Nursing students to embark on outreach services to various communities which had impacted positively on their health.  

Dr Obiri-Yeboah gave the assurance that UCC would deepen the partnership with GVSU to sustain the programme in order to enhance the exchange of expertise and also promote best practice among faculty members and students. “I hope the GVSU students had a great time with our Nursing students and also learned something valuable at the various health facilities during the programme” she noted.  She advised the GVSU students to use the knowledge and experiences they had acquired from their two weeks of study in Ghana to the benefit of society.

 

GVSU Students Fascinated by Health Care System in Ghana

The leader of the GVSU delegation, Prof. Sylvia Maupepi, commended the Faculty and students of UCC for ensuring a successful organisation of the 2019 Community Service programme. She said the students had acquired “great depth of knowledge” adding that “they wondered why the public health system in a low resourced country was very effective”

She expressed the commitment of the GVSU team to partner UCC for the joint programme adding that “When there was outbreak of Ebola, all US programmes and projects in Ghana and other West African nations were suspended, however, the GVSU team led by Prof. Mupepi still came to Ghana to join our counterparts in UCC for the outreach because we were confident of the quality health system in Ghana.” She said Ghana’s ability to contain the spread of the Ebola pandemic into the country was due to the strict adherence to World Health Organisations protocol. “One thing that our students have learnt about Ghana’s Health Sector is the surveillance system and that makes Ghana so special from other countries in terms of health care delivery,” she established.

 

GVSU Students Benefited from the Community Service in Ghana

Prof. Mupepe was hopeful that the GVSU students who were mostly final year students had benefited immensely from the Community Service in Ghana. “Learn as much as you can because when you graduate next month, you are going to be on your own and making a great impact in healthcare. Remember that if we can do much in the United States, we are doing the best for the rest of the country. Our world has shrunk into a global village and we are counting on you to make the difference” she urged the GVSU students.

 

GVSU Students Share Experience

Some of the GVSU students shared their experience in the two-week Community Service Programme in UCC and some health facilities in the Central Region.

Jennifer Schlatter said she had an exciting time interacting with UCC faculty and students as well as familiarising herself with other students and facilities on campus. “I have also learnt at first hand the Health Systems in Ghana and there are valuable lessons I have personally taken along” she noted.

Douglas Chambers said he was fascinated by the intercultural and competent health professionals working in various health facilities in Ghana.

Quinn Hayden expressed his delight of the strong public health system in Ghana, especially the role of the CHPS compound in the provision of quality health care to rural communities. He said most of the health workers were highly skilled and could improvise in the absence of essential tools and equipment to provide basic care to people.

As part of the two-weeks Community Service programme, the GVSU team were exposed to the Health System in Ghana and embarked on an observational visit to various health facilities like the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, UCC Hospital/Maternity Unit, Ankaful Psychiatric Hospital. They were placed on rotation at urban/peri-urban Health Centres in the Abura Asebu Kwamankese District. Another feature of the programme was the Community Outreach with UCC Nursing Students Association at Padre Pio Centre at Ahotorkrom in the Komenda Edina Eguafo Municipal Assembly.

Certificates were presented to the students for participating in the programme. The GVSU team also presented books and other educational materials to the School of Nursing and Midwifery to support the training of nurses.

Present at the dinner were lecturers, Faculty Officer, Faculty Accounts Officer, staff and some students of the School of Nursing and Midwifery.

 

 

Prof. Britwum with participants of the Conference

Department of French Holds Conference in Honour of Prof. Atta Gyamfi Britwum

19 Mar, 2019 By louis Mensah

The Department of French has held a conference to celebrate and recognise Prof. Atta Gyamfi Britwum’s contributions to the Department, UCC and Ghana.

The three-day conference which was in honour of the astute Professor was on the theme “Literature and the Humanities in the 21st Century: Interdisciplinary Perspectives - (La Littérature et les Science Humaines au xxie siècle: Perspective Interdisciplinaires)”.  It brought together participants from Universities in Burkina Faso, Nigeria, La Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana.

                                                       

Prof. Britwum’s Life Worth Celebrating

Recognising the significance of the Conference, the Provost of the College of Humanities and Legal Studies (CHLS), Prof. Francis Eric Amuquandoh, indicated that Prof. Britwum’s, contributions and hard work had not been in vain. “To me, this occasion is a very rare event in our part of the world to celebrate an individual who is living,” he noted. He, therefore, commended the originators of the initiative and idea to organise the conference to celebrate a senior academic.

Prof. Amuquandoh congratulated Prof. Britwum on his long dedicated years of service to help transform the University to its current state through his discipline, hard work and achievements. “You did not only serve UCC but your country, Ghana by being part and a member of governmental and Institutional Boards, Committees and Councils,” he assented.

To the current faculty members in active service, Prof. Amuquandoh said “the life of Prof. Britwum should motivate us to be disciplined, hardworking, and selfless in the dispensation of our responsibilities. In fact, I am very fortunate to be part of this occasion to celebrate a living academic hero - Prof. Atta Gyamfi Britwum”.

 

Recognising and Celebrating Living Memories of Senior Colleagues

In his welcome address, the Head, Department of French, Dr. Mawuloe Koffi Kodah, noted that the conference was held with the intent to recognise and celebrate the living memories of men and women of substance and stature who over the years have laboured to establish, nurture and grow the Department of French to its current development and height. “Being mindful of the desire to edify our very senior colleagues who have helped to smoothen our rough edges and turn us out as refined men and women at the service of Humanity in various capacities and positions in Ghana and beyond, we have resolved to immortalise the memories of our academic forebears in the Department through the institutionalisation of this kind of Conference in their honour in their lifetime,” he stated.

According to Dr. Kodah it was more rewarding to eulogise the living legends than to hypocritically praise the dead persons believed to have really contributed immensely to the society. He further stated that the conference was geared to the noble objective to acknowledge and revere the priceless contributions of persons whose names were engraved in the golden annals of their august departments. This, he believed, would serve as a strong platform to discuss and deliberate on contemporary issues relating to Language, Literature and the Society in a fast-growing ICT advancement across the world.” He said the maiden edition of the French Conference was celebrating Prof. Atta Gyamfi Britwum, referred as “L’Oracle” (The Oracle), whose life had impacted the growth of destiny of the Department of French, his achievements and contributions to UCC, Ghana and beyond. “This because he is retired but not tired,” he said.

 

The Conference Defines Professional and Human Aspect

Speaking at the opening of maiden conference, the Guest Speaker, the Vice-Chancellor Prof Joseph Ghartey Ampiah whose speech was read by the Dean, Faculty of Arts, Prof. J. B. A. Afful, expressed his joy which stemmed from the fact that the occasion defined faculty and staff as a University – the professional aspect and the human aspects. “This conference, as an academic exercise, is a platform to showcase our professional output in the form of research papers to be presented to participants with the view to expand the frontiers of knowledge and scholarship, on one hand; and to acknowledge the greatest sense of respect and gratitude, the priceless contributions of Prof. Britwum” he noted. Prof. Ampiah established that Prof. Britwum’s existence on this earth has been in the service of humanity, tilling his farm in the Department of French.

The Vice-Chancellor stated that “Prof. Britwum has planted seeds of enlightenment through the teaching of Francophone African Literature, Civilisation and Translation Studies.” He explained that out of Prof. Britwum’s laborious hands, have emerged the many men and women of quality and substance who today have provided service to humanity both at home and abroad. “In both cases, Prof. Britwum has made a lasting impact on students, staff, colleagues, and the entire University Community over the years.”

 

Honouring A Retired a Retired Lecturer is Very Commendable  

Acknowledging the relevance of the Conference, the Keynote Speaker, Prof. Kwame Opoku Agyemang, thanked the Department of French for the honour bestowed on his colleague, Prof. Britwum. “This is because the issue we have had in Ghana has always been that, once you retire, you have to stay out of active service. Therefore, honouring an ordinary retired lecturer or professor is very commendable initiative and idea,” he consented.

 

Review the Curriculum of Literature to Make it More Attractive

Speaking on the main theme for the conference, he indicated that the topics about Literature-Politics, Literature-Sociology, and Literature-Government have been overly given concern, but hardly would one notice that attention was being paid to the relationship between Literature-Science and Technology. He said, “Literature-Science and Technology which has now given rise to Literature and Cinema is producing the result because it is the medium which uses audio and visual elements to deliver a story. You will only need the story and the technical producers will provide the film”.

Prof. Britwum said “Cinema is very important today because it helps us to see and hear directly the sounds and pictures integrated into stories and events. He added that Cinema through animation has been a film and storytelling platform for children, because inanimate objects fly, move and talk to their amusement. “Time is moving and we have to catch up with time,” he charged the participants.

Prof. Agyemang commended African Writers for their good works and cautioned them not to produce unworthy literal pieces at the expense of poverty, because worthy works would pay and last. He noted that “Quality literal materials and products are very relevant, and they need to be preserved with all seriousness. We must be careful in our choice of books, and not to trade poverty to compromise on quality. We need to train ourselves at all levels of creativity to meet the modern trend in Literature,” he warned.      

Solidarity messages were delivered by colleagues from the foreign sister University representatives from Burkina Faso, Nigeria and La Côte d’Ivoire, as well as Ghanaian sister universities and the sponsors of the programmes.

 

19 Mar, 2019

List of aspirants who passed the vetting process. The campaign period starts from Monday, 11th March, 2019 to Tuesday, 26th March, 2019

The exchange pupils and headteachers of the University Basic Schools with the Central Regional Minister, Mr. Kwamina Duncan

UCC BASIC SCHOOL HOSTS PUPILS FROM COURS LUMIERE AND CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF LOME

18 Mar, 2019 By louis Mensah

The University of Cape Coast Basic School has hosted 26 pupils and 4 staff of Cours Lumière and Canadian International School of Lomé from Saturday, 16th February 2019 to Saturday, 2nd March 2019. The visit of students of the two schools forms part of the exchange programme for Bilingual immersion (English and French) the three institutions have started since November 2017. The two-week immersion program was preceded by a visit to Lomé by 30 pupils of the University of Cape Coast Basic School from Saturday, 2nd February 2019 to Saturday, 16th February 2019.

The exchange programme between the three institutions is characterized by a two-way immersion type: a home immersion where pupils of the visiting school are hosted by families of the host school for an intensive impersonal and informal immersion in the foreign language; and a school immersion where visiting pupils are integrated into classrooms of their counterparts so as to receive formal instruction in the foreign language, irrespective of the subject area. Thus, pupils who took part in the trips both in Togo and Ghana benefitted immensely from a complete French language immersion (for Ghanaian students) and English language immersion (for Togolese students) for a full month. This exposure has had a tremendous impact on their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills of both languages.


ACTIVITIES OF THE 2019 EDITION

Special classes for language proficiency in French and English were organized for visiting pupils in Lomé and Cape Coast. The French classes in Lomé were handled by Institut Français of Lomé while the English classes were taught by Alliance Française of Cape Coast who respectively dispatched their personnel to the schools for the lessons. Beside the special classes, pupils were integrated into various classes to study various subjects in the foreign language. Pupils took part in subjects such as French, English, Mathematics, Science, Creative Arts, Home economics, ICT, Chinese and Physical Education. They also participated in Club activities such as Singing and Dancing, Reading, Drama, Orregami and Swimming.

During the period, teachers who accompanied the pupils had the opportunity to observe lessons as well as teach some of the lessons in English language, French, and Mathematics at different levels. Through the experiences, teachers acquired new pedagogical strategies used in teaching and learning and this impacted them positively.
Other extra-curricular activities of the 2019 edition of the exchange programme include: visits to museums and historical monuments such as the Slave House of Agbodrafor and the Cape Coast Castle, swimming and funfair at O’Lodge and Elmina Beach Resort, and visits to places such as the zoo of Lomé, the University Water Bottling Company, the University Printing Press and the University Farms. A courtesy call was paid to the Ghana Ambassador to Togo by pupils of UCC Basic School whilst their counterparts from Togo made a similar visit to the Central Regional Minister on their arrival to Cape Coast.


BACKGROUND TO THE EXCHANGE PROGRAMME

This novelty of exchanging pupils to learn French and English by our pupils all started with an initiative by the Departments of English and French of the University of Cape Coast.
In June 2017, the founders of Cours Lumière visited Ghana. During their visit, the idea of establishing an exchange programme for the basic schools (UCC Basic Schools and Cours Lumière) were discussed. The visit was followed by the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) by University of Cape Coast and Cours Lumière.
In November 2017, the first batch of 8 pupils from Cours Lumière visited Ghana for one week. During their visit, they were hosted by Ghanaian parents who took them into their home and treated them like their biological children. After the successful pilot hosting of the first batch of pupils, both schools agreed to allow the first batch of 30 pupils from Ghana to travel to Togo in March 2018 and vice versa.
Around the same period, Canadian International School of Lomé had sent a two-person delegation to UCC to establish a partnership. The meeting of the delegation with stakeholders of the exchange programme and personnel of the Centre for International Education (CIE) resulted in the signing of a second MoU with the University. This gave Canadian International School of Lomé the chance to participate in this current 2019 Exchange Programme.

CLOSING CEREMONY AND APPRECIATION

The 2019 edition of the exchange programme was climaxed by colorful and grand closing ceremonies, which provided pupils of partner institutions the opportunity to exhibit their skills in both languages through a variety of performances such as drama, choreography, music and traditional dance, among others. The ceremonies were also used to bring together host families and other stakeholders who played very important roles in the organization of this year’s exchange programme.


We would like to extend our profound gratitude to all stakeholders, especially the Host families in Togo and Ghana who sacrificed a lot for the safe upkeep of the visiting pupils; the Management of Cours Lumière and Canadian International School of Lomé; the Directorate of Academic Affairs of the University of Cape Coast for their sponsorship; the Division of Legal Consular and General Services, the Centre for International Education, the Department of English, the Department of French, the Campus Broadcasting Services (ATL FM), the Transport Section, the UCC Printing Press, UCC Mineral Water (U-SPLASH), the Parents and Teachers’ Associations, School Management Committee and finally Staff and Teachers of UCC Basic School.

Administration
Some lecturers and students at the seminar

Officials from US Embassy Interact with UCC Students

18 Mar, 2019 By louis Mensah

Officials from the US Embassy in Ghana have held a seminar on the impact of Ghana and US relations on the University of Cape Coast.

The Cultural Affairs Officer at the Embassy, Elizabeth Ategou, explained that the Embassy in collaboration with the University was working to help further consolidate the democratic gains in Ghana. She added that investing in people through health and education were part of their aim noting that “Health and Education are our ultimate priority”

Elizabeth Ategou said the US Government through initiatives like the Peace Corps Volunteers and Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) were geared towards empowering young people through academic coursework, leadership training, networking, education and cultural exchange programmes.


 

She said the highlight of the US collaboration with UCC was the Fulbright programme which focused on academic and professional development of staff, junior faculty and administrators where Professors from UCC go to universities in US as visiting professors and vice versa. She expressed gratitude to the Vice-Chancellor and the entire academic and administrative body of the University for the opportunity to interact with students.

Speaking at the seminar, the Consular Officer at the US Embassy in Ghana, Doreen Moroney advised students to participate in exchange programmes to help promote linkages between the countries especially between Ghana and the USA.

Relatedly, the Dean for the Centre for International Education (CIE), Prof. Mrs. Rosemond Boohene called on students to visit the Centre to make enquiries concerning opportunities available through the Study Abroad Programme. 

Present at the event were the Dean, School of Physical Sciences Prof. David Kofi Essumang, Cultural Affairs Specialist of US Embassy, Maya Parker and Education USA Adviser, Bernice Affotey.

The US Embassy officials in a meeting with the Vice-Chancellor and other officials of the University

Officials from US Embassy Call on Vice-Chancellor

18 Mar, 2019 By louis Mensah

Four officials from the United States of America (US) Embassy in Ghana have paid a courtesy call on the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Joseph Ghartey Ampiah, as part of their working visit to the University.

The team from the Embassy was led by the Cultural Affairs Officer, Elizabeth Ategou and she was accompanied by the Consular officer, Doreen Moroney, Cultural Affairs Specialist, Maya Parker and Education USA Adviser, Bernice Affotey.

Explaining the purpose of the visit, Elizabeth Ategou said the team was in the University as part of its outreach programme.  She noted that the US Embassy had a strong relationship with the University and gave the assurance of the Embassy’s relentless support to the University in various projects and programmes.

Seminar on Study Opportunities in the USA

Elizabeth Ategou indicated that as part of the visit, the team would hold a seminar to expose UCC students to study opportunities in the US. She thanked the Vice-Chancellor and Management of the University for the cordial relationship between the Embassy and UCC.

UCC's Collaboration with the US Embassy in Ghana

On his part, the Vice-Chancellor thanked the US Embassy for the numerous assistance to the University in the form of research projects, staff and students exchanges among others. He informed the officials that the University was ready to deepen its existing collaboration with the US Embassy. Prof. Ampiah appealed to the team to get a Professor in Optometry to support UCC’s Department of Optometry and Vision Science in the areas mentorship, research and teaching.  

Present at the meeting were the Registrar, Mr. John Kofi Nyan; Dean, School of Physical Sciences, Prof. Kofi Essumang; Dean, Centre for International Education, Prof. Rosemond Boohene; Director of Counselling Services Centre, Prof. Godwin Awabil; Director of Academic Affairs, Mr. Jeff T. Onyame and Director of Human Resource, Rev. Isaac Baafi Sarbeng. Others included Dr. Stephen Ocansey and Dr. Enyam Komla Amewuho Morny of the Department of Optometry and Vision Science.

Donation of the books to School of Nursing and Midwifery

Auburn University Donates to School of Nursing and Midwifery

18 Mar, 2019 By louis Mensah

Auburn University (AU), in the United States of America (USA), has presented assorted books and other educational materials to assist teaching and learning in the School of Nursing and Midwifery.

The donation aimed at deepening the collaboration process between the University of Cape Coast and Auburn University, USA.

Presenting the items, the Director of Auburn University Outreach, Global, Dr. Elizabeth Essamuah-Quansah, urged both lecturers and students to put the books and other educational materials to good use to aid quality training of Nurses and Midwives for the country.

The Coordinator of Mental Health, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Dr. Nancy Ebu Enyan together with the Faculty Officer, Mr. John Linscell Yen, who received the items, expressed gratitude to AU for the donation. She gave the assurance that the School would use the books and other educational materials for their intended purposes to facilitate teaching, research, learning, and training of professional Nurses and Midwives for the country. 

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