France, UG relations receive boost

The French Ambassador to Ghana, Frederic Clavier, has called on the Vice Chancellor (VC) of the University of Ghana (UG), Prof. Ernest Aryeetey, for talks on bilateral co-operation between UG and France.

The two discussed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the French Embassy and the University of Ghana as well as the possibilities of partnership which could lead to development in the future.

In the MoU signed by both parties in 2008, France is to provide teaching staff to the university, in accordance with job descriptions agreed by both parties.

France is also supposed to provide academic resources for student exchange programs between the two countries.

UG, according to the MoU, is to provide office infrastructure for the French teaching staff.

The university among other things is also to safeguard “to the best of its ability, the rights, interest, safety and security of the France teaching personnel.”

Mr. Clavier said France had decided to speed up the ties between them.

He also insisted on enhancing capacity and mobility of both France and UG students.

“I want to see a future where there are more students from France in the University of Ghana and more University of Ghana students in universities in France,” he said.

The Ambassador entreated the VC to promote French in the university to an extent that other courses would, in the future, be run in French.

This, he said, would attract more French students into the university.

He congratulated Prof. Aryeetey for the “quality of directive” in the various departments and thanked him and his team for hosting them.

The Legon VC thanked the Ambassador and his team for the honour done them and expressed the University’s desire to lift the French Department to the status of the school.

Ghana will learn from the French culture that made it possible for the transformation of France, he said.

Among the dignitaries present were the Pro Vice Chancellor Academics, Prof. Kwaku Osam; the Registrar, Mercy Haizel-Ashia; a team of deans from UG and an entourage from the French Embassy in Ghana.