The 9th Congregation of the Bolgatanga Technical University (BTU) in the Upper East Region was held on Wednesday with a total of 324 students presented with Bachelor of Technology (BTech) degrees and Higher National Diploma.
The ceremony which was held virtually through Zoom had 185 males and 139 females with a total of 44 obtaining First Class.
The Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Samuel E. Alnaa, who disclosed this stated that since the conversion of the Polytechnic into University in April 2020, the University had started five new market-driven programmes.
Professor Alnaa mentioned the new programmes as HND Banking and Finance, HND Automobile Engineering, HND Electronics Engineering, HND Medical Laboratory Technology and HND Mechanical Engineering.
“The new programmes are expected to broaden the academic sphere and to enhance the current status and relevance in corporate academia,” he stressed.
He explained further that with the introduction of the new programmes coupled with the 2020 WASSCE candidates who are yet to receive their results and to apply, the University was expecting the rise in students’ enrolment and was ready to admit them and with the best hands-on instruction and training.
The Vice Chancellor who added that the University had introduced four-year degree and top up programmes in Bachelor in Technology, also announced that plans were far advanced to introduce a Master’s Degree programme in Technology to help consolidate the ambition of the school to become the preferred institution and a technology village in the country and beyond.
On staff development, Professor Alnaa indicated that while 25 of the staff were currently studying their PHD programmes, 17 of the academic staff had completed and returned to post.
While commending the government, the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission, the Ghana Education Trust Fund, the Commission on Technical, Vocational Education and Training for assisting the University to retool its workshop and laboratories including the clearance to employ new staff, the Vice Chancellor appealed to the government to provide the institution with a lecture theatre complex to help address the classroom infrastructure challenge.
The Chairman of the Governing Council of the University, Professor Francis Abantanga, told the staff of the University that with the conversion of the institution to a University, it was incumbent upon them to work hard.
He congratulated the graduands and entreated them to work hard wherever they find themselves to make the University proud.
FROM SAMUEL AKAPULE, SUMBRUNGU
