African medical experts strategize to teach neuroscience

Elmina, Sept. 13, GNA - About 40 medical experts from all over Africa have converged at Elmina to brainstorm on the best methodology for effective teaching of neuroscience at universities across the world.

The three-day workshop, which is the fourth, has been designed to sharpen the skills of participants.

Among the participants are 28 young university lecturers who have been selected as students to help them evolve teaching modules to serve as a framework that would also enhance research.

Neuroscience is the study of the nervous system by the use of computer and other tools like dye to examine molecules, nerve cells, networks and brain systems to unravel human thoughts, emotions and behavior and also to determine neurological disorders.

The University of Cape Coast School of Medical Sciences (UCCSMS) is hosting the workshop with joint sponsorship from the Society for Neurosciences, International Brain Research Organization (IBRO) and the National Academy of Sciences, all in the US.

The participants are from Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Ghana, Morocco, Tanzania and Uganda with 10 science professors some of whom are from the US as lecturers.

The Pro-Vice Chancellor of UCC, Professor Dominic Kuupole, said in speech read on his behalf that the workshop would empower the participants to delve deep in researching into 93one of science's last and most daunting frontiers- the brain".

Prof Harold Amonoo-Kuofi, Dean of the UCCSMS, described the brain as the world's utmost super computer and tasked the participants to brainstorm on how best problem base teaching would be introduced into the teaching of neuroscience.

Prof Sharon Juliano, an official of the IBRO, said it was the desire of her organization to reach out to as many African neuroscience lecturers as possible for them to gain more experience in that field of teaching.