University of Ghana to become fully-fledged research institute

University of Ghana Legon

The University of Ghana (UG) is being re-structured into a full-fledged research university with the primary aim of examining problems confronting the nation and finding solutions to them.

As part of the restructuring process, the University has been divided into four main colleges to make it easier and efficient to manage.

They are the College of Health Sciences, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, College of Humanities and College of Education.

Professor Ernest Aryeetey, Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana announced this at a press conference at Legon on Friday to throw more light on various development projects and programmes initiated by the University to improve the well-being of students.

He said as part of the research agenda of the University it would focus on four distinct areas such as Centre for Malaria Research, Centre for Food Production and Processing, Centre for Climatic Change and Adaptation, and Centre of Excellence for Policy Evaluation.

He also announced that the UG was re-structuring its PHD into a four year programme to make it comparable to other PHD programmes from universities across the world.

He stressed that the various initiatives being implemented were intended to make teaching and learning effective and engaging for students.

Prof. Aryeetey also stated that the University had improved the infrastructure on campus by building four new halls in addition to the existing ones as well as asphalting the roads.

He announced the University would levy GH¢100 on both continuing students and new students to raise money to undertake development projects on campus at the beginning of the academic year.

He said over the years the University had relied on the state to fund its projects through the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) and donor organisations, adding that it was looking at alternative source of funding now.

Prof. Aryeetey further said the University would only provide admission to students they could absorb without burdening the existing infrastructure.

He said since the re-structuring started the University had succeeded in eliminating the usual overcrowding at lecture halls.

He appealed to the government to give financial assistance to the private universities to enable them to also absorb students who could not get admission into the public universities.

Prof. Emmanuel Kweku Osam, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs, stated that in the last academic year the University admitted 16,000 students but only 8,000 enrolled.