SDG Graduates must focus on Academic Sustainability - Prof. Edu-Buandoh

Professor Dora Francisca Edu-Buandoh, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) has charged partners of SDG Graduate- Performing Sustainability initiative, to work towards achieving academics sustainability especially in the areas of research and capacity building.

The SDG Graduate School is an interdisciplinary collaborative training network for graduate students by the University of Hildesheim (Germany), the University of Maiduguri (Nigeria), and the University of Cape Coast (Ghana).

Funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the SDG Graduate School focuses on the overlapping areas of culture, arts, conflict, and sustainable development.

Prof Edu-Buandoh was speaking at a virtual ceremony to usher in the second cohort of the SDG Graduate School at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) on Thursday.

“Continue to maintain sustainability as you maintain the goals of the SDGs”, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor appealed to the SDG School and pledged the unflinching support of UCC to the project.

She said focusing on academic sustainability would help produce competent academic staff for universities to create sustainability in their countries and the continent. She lauded the SDG School –Performing Sustainability initiative and said it offered an opportunity to share knowledge, experiences, and cultures while working towards achieving sustainable development on the continent.

Prof Edu-Buandoh encouraged the scholarship holders to make the best out of the situation to make the desired impact in their respective countries and the African continent as a whole. The SDG School since its inception in 2016 has offered scholarships to 24 Ph.D. and 18 Masters Students from Ghana and Nigeria.

Prof. Dr. Aliyu Shugaba, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Maiduguri said the SDG School –Performing Sustainability identifies problems, researches on them, and finds lasting solutions to them.

He said the first cohort of the SDG School –Performing Sustainability at the University of Maiduguri who were selected from multidisciplinary fields of study, worked towards addressing a wide range of issues relating to peace and conflicts, dance and music performances, gender studies among others.

He described the collaboration as mutually beneficial for the three universities and pledged his continuous support to ensure the sustainability of the project at his university.

Professor Dr. May-Britt Kallenrode, President of the University of Hildesheim expressed optimism that the long-term task given to the scholarship holders focusing on sustainable development would bring about the revival of communities.

Dr. Sabina Appiah-Boateng, the local Coordinator of the SDG Graduate School – Performing Sustainability in Ghana said currently, the graduate school has offered scholarship to a total of 18 students of which the University of Cape Coast has six Ph.D. students and the University of Maiduguri has six MA as well as six Ph.D. students.

The students research on different topics with cultural sustainability being the foremost.