By Nana
Osei Kyeretwie/Christopher Tetteh, GNA
Sunyani, Aug. 13, GNA – The University of
Energy and Natural Resources (UENR) on Saturday held its third congregation for
855 graduands who received Bachelor’s degrees after four years of pursuing
various academic programmes.
The number comprised 733 males, representing
83.7 per cent and 143 females that signified 15.3 per cent but 21 others for
the first time in the history of the University also graduated from the School
of Graduate Studies.
The post-graduates obtained Master of
Philosophy (MPhil), Social Forestry and Environmental Governance, Master of
Science (MSc) Environmental Engineering Management and MSc, Sustainable Energy
Management degrees.
The institution currently operates five
Schools-Natural Resources, Engineering, Science, Agriculture and Technology and
Graduate Studies and runs 24 under-graduate programmes across all the Schools.
But again for the first time UENR graduated
students in Petroleum Engineering, Fire and Disaster Management, Chemistry as
well as Hospitality Management.
The UENR established by an Act of Parliament
(Act 830) in 2011 and inaugurated on Saturday, November 17, 2012 with 154
pioneer students admitted in the 2012/2013 academic year to pursue programmes
in two Schools-School of Engineering and School of Natural Resources now has a
total student population of 5,057.
Professor Harrison Kwame Dapaah, the
Vice-Chancellor (VC) announced in his report covering the activities of the
institution during the 2017/2018 academic year at the ceremony attended by
people of diverse backgrounds in Sunyani.
They included Mr. Yaw Osafo-Maafo, the Senior
Minister, Dr Kofi Kodua Sarpong, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana
National Petroleum Corporation, parents and guardians, traditional rulers,
educationists, scientists, technocrats and the media.
Prof. Dapaah reiterated that the University
“aims at providing hands-on skill acquisition in science and technology driven
disciplines to its students”.
In that regard, he indicated all level 300
students were mandated to undertake industrial attachment for a semester as
part of their programme requirement, emphasising that the University had been
receiving good reports from industry about the performance of students on the
industrial attachment programmes.
The University therefore hoped to become an
internationally competitive institution that would provide distinctive
contributions to the society, specifically in the areas of energy and natural
resources, the VC assured.
Prof. Dapaah mentioned a number of linkages
and collaboration during the period under review, citing that UENR entered into
a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Global Change Research Institute
of Czech Academy of Science, Czech Republic, to establish an International
Greenhouse Gas and Global Climate Research Station.
That would enable the University to become a
leading research institution in carbon fluxes and thereby contribute to the
understanding of climate change on the ecosystem in Ghana and West-Africa in
general, he added.
The VC disclosed the collaboration with the
Czech Academy would bring to nine a total of such research centres in the
world, with UENR’s one located at Mim in the Asunafo North Municipality of
Brong-Ahafo Region, being the only one in Africa.
Earlier in an address, Prof. Ambrose Kwame
Tuah, the Chair of the University Governing Council, suggested the need for
government to ensure the availability of funds to adequately resource the
various institutions like the Colleges of Education to be converted to
University Colleges.
He said that was necessary to facilitate the
provision of the required physical infrastructure, equipment and logistics
because every institution of higher learning could operate efficiently for the
expected results if those essentials were available.
GNA