Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Prof. Ebenezer Oduro Owusu, has said the endowment fund of the nation’s premier university is to enable the institution deliver on its mandate of becoming a world class research institution by 2020.
According to the Vice Chancellor, the university has made major contributions over the years to knowledge creation, technology and national policies.
He said, “Government funding of the University currently covers monuments subvention, utilities and some infrastructural development. Our internally generated funds rely extensively on fees and some donor support for research.”
Prof. Oduro added that it is a challenge for the management of the University of Ghana (UG) “to diversify the sources of our internally generated funds whilst at the same time reducing the burden on our students.”
The university he said, is, therefore, strategizing to generate additional income towards research, infrastructural maintenance and development such as upgrading quality of internet connectivity in all the campuses of the university.
The endowment fund which is in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the UG is expected to assist the provision of extra facilities and resources to enhance research and teaching including equipment, teaching aids and space.
It is also envisaged that the funds generated will be used for graduate training and thesis research as well as for the upgrade (quality and coverage) of internet connectivity on all UG campuses and finally for the expansion of access to library facilities.
The UG is poised to distinguish itself in the area of research to make impact, both at the national and international levels.
Four thematic areas have been prioritized by the university to focus on faculty research efforts. They include: Malaria research, Trans-disciplinary research into climate change and adaptation, enhancing food production and processing and development policy and poverty monitoring and evaluation.