Vice Chancellor (VC) of the University of Environment and Sustainable Development (UESD), Prof. Eric Nyarko-Sampson, has led a four-man delegation to call on the Management of the New Times Corporation (NTC), publishers of the Ghanaian Times and The Spectator.
In their interactions in Accra yesterday, the VC said the new university would commit part of its internally-generated funds to research activities annually.
According to him, the decision is to ensure that the university takes the lead in exploring potential in the agro-business, sciences and the built environment value chain, in line with its mandate, to advance Ghana’s socio-economic growth.
“We also want to ensure that the graduates we produce inspire hope in society by exuding honesty, realising existing opportunities, be perseverant in the face of challenges and be enterprising,” he said.
Prof. Nyarko-Sampson said the visit was to afford both institutions the opportunity to build mutual relationship for each one’s benefit.
Drawing a strong linkage between research and national development, he appealed to the government and corporate entities to assist the university in that direction for the societal good.
He said the UESD, despite being relatively new, was poised to position itself as a world-class educational institution that prided itself on producing students that met the demand of the industry.
“Our programmes are different from what other universities offer as they are tailored to ensure that students become entrepreneurial and have a practical feel of what they are learning.
“We already have vast human resource in the community where we operate, including farmers and other stakeholders, so we are engaging them to allow students to relate with what they are studying,” he said.
Prof. Nyarko-Sampson indicated that the school had begun admitting its first batch of students to various disciplines and that is expected to close by February 12.
He said the university was in the process of rolling out three more faculties, including the School of Built Environment, School of Agriculture and Agro Entrepreneurship Development and the Graduate School, to add to five already established faculties.
The VC appealed to the general public to have a change in attitude in “how we relate with the environment so that posterity will be kind to us.”
The Managing Director of the NTC, Martin Adu-Owusu, pledged the corporation’s commitment to advancing the cause of the university to deliver on its mandate.
“We owe it a duty to serve the interest of the public and once yours is a specialised area, we are ready to partner with you in many ventures to ensure UESD grows from strength to strength,” he said.
The MD seized the opportunity to explain various offers available at the corporation which the university could leverage on to build its image, assuring the delegation that “the NTC would be on hand always to support you.”
BY ABIGAIL ANNOH
