Prof Allotey calls for science and technology faculty at CUCG




Fiapre (B/A), March 6, GNA – Professor Francis Kofi Ampene Allotey, a renowned Scientist, has urged the authorities of the Catholic University College of Ghana (CUCG) to establish a faculty of science and technology to meet the growing science and technological needs of society.

He said the Faculty of Public Health and Allied Sciences was another goldmine yet to be exploited, therefore, courses in medicine, pharmacy, nursing, biomedical sciences and engineering could be considered.

Prof. Allotey, the current President of Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, made the call when he addressed the Eighth Congregation and 16th Matriculation of the CUCG at Fiapre in the Sunyani-West District of Brong-Ahafo Region.

The 10th anniversary celebration of the university college established by the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference in January 2003 was also launched.

The celebration is on the theme: ‘Ten Years of Holistic Catholic University Education – The Experience of the Catholic University College of Ghana’.

The internationally acclaimed Nuclear Scientist, Physicist and Mathematician, asked the authorities to strive to be the best quality institution that could attract quality students and lecturers.

He, therefore, stressed the need to strengthen the School of Research and Graduate Studies as well as the various faculties to be able to offer programmes in future up to Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) level and to undertake quality research.

Prof. Allotey explained that, that was the only way the University could withstand the test of time and compete nationally and globally.

He noted that the directive by the National Accreditation Board (NAB) that all academic staff of tertiary institutions should have the terminal degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) was ideal to help improve the quality of teaching and research.

Prof. Allotey, therefore, appealed to the NAB and National Council on Tertiary Education (NCTE) to assist private universities in the country to improve on their performance.

He noted that due to the financial constraints facing private universities in the country during their establishment, the NAB and NCTE could collaborate with the GETFund (Ghana Education Trust Fund) and the Scholarship Secretariat to offer scholarships and bursaries to the academic staff to pursue PhD programmes locally and abroad.

Prof. James Hawkins Ephraim, Vice Chancellor of the University, said infrastructural development had resumed due to the timely assistance of the Ghana Commercial Bank through ‘a Term Facility’.

He said two clusters comprising four-storey buildings each were expected to be completed during the 2013/2014 academic year, in addition to the construction of an administration block from its internally-generated fund.

Prof. Ephraim announced that since 2006 to 2012, it had 1,624 graduates while the student population of 50 in 2003 had increased to 4,454.

Most Revered Philip Naameh, Catholic Archbishop of Tamale and Chairperson of the Governing Council of the University, advised the graduates to utilize effectively the knowledge and training they had acquired in any field of human endeavour.

A total of 679 students graduated after successfully completing degree courses in various academic disciplines while 414 students were matriculated to pursue courses of their choices at the under-graduate level.

The graduates were awarded degrees in Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Economics and Business Administration, BSc in Information and Communication Science and Technology (ICST), BSc in Computer Science, Bachelor of Religious Studies, BSc in Public Health and Bachelor of Education.

GNA