UG hosts African VCs

More than 200 vice chancellors and other members of the academia, including business executives across Africa and other parts of the world will meet in Accra for the 2nd African Universities Summit, according to Prof Ernest Aryeetey, Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana.

Speaking to DAILY GUIDE, the vice chancellor said the summit is collaboration with the USA-based Times Higher Education Group to bring heads of African higher education institutions closer to discuss critical issues on the development of education.

According to him, the event which will be held at the University of Ghana under the theme: ‘Globalisation & Policy Direction For African Higher Education’ opens from April 27-29, 2016 at the University of Ghana, Legon.

The event will explore, among other things, globalisation and policy directions in African higher education, looking critically at how to educate Africa’s increasing number of young people and examining south-south and north relationships.

The vice chancellor also indicated that the summit signifies the opening of a new dawn for Africans to tell their story that it has equally good universities capable of equipping students with relevant skills any university elsewhere in the world can do.

Though very hopeful that African universities have come of age and are poised to deliver quality education to students, limitations such as limited learner support resources and adequate classrooms, among others, seem apparently push them to the background, giving globalisation the upper hand over admissions of African students.

Prof Aryeetey continued…“Today the situation is, however, different with many universities across Africa, including the University of Ghana doing very well to catch up with known universities elsewhere.”

He added that six years ago, nobody took the trouble to rank African universities except University of Cape Town in South Africa.

Prof Aryeetey mentioned that a recent ranking of universities report released by Times Higher Education on 400 universities in emerging economies confirmed that the University of Ghana has come very far among the group to be a leading provider of tertiary education.