Catholic University of Ghana – an alternative to Canadian Education

Ghanaians in Canada have been urged to send their children to study at the Catholic University College of Ghana at Fiapre near Sunyani, the capital city of the Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana. This call was made by Dr. Kofi Bobi Barimah in an interview with the Ghanaian News in Toronto. Dr. Kofi Bobi Barimah, a long-time resident of Brampton near Toronto, Canada is currently the Acting Dean of the Faculty of Public Health and Allied Sciences at the Catholic University. Before joining the Catholic University which is affiliated with the University of Ghana, Legon in November 2003, Dr. Barimah was the Research and Profile Development Manager at the Ontario Association of Youth Employment Centres, Toronto and a Lecturer in Health Promotion and Community Development at Ryerson University, Toronto.

Briefing the Ghanaian News, Dr. Barimah indicated that he accepted the position of a Senior Lecturer at the Catholic University in fulfillment of his desire to help in the development and promotion of this new university in his native town, Sunyani. According to Dr. Barimah, “there was a burning desire within me to give back to Ghana some of the skills and experiences that I have acquired here in Canada toward the development of tertiary education in Ghana”. The Catholic University has five (5) main faculties namely; Public Health and Allied Sciences (with specializations in Health Education, Health Management, and Health Informatics); Economics and Business Administration (with specialization in Economics, Accounting, Management, Banking and Finance); Information and Community Sciences Technology (Computer Science); Religious Studies (with Masters program in Religious and Pastoral Studies); Education (with specialization in School Administration and Guidance & Counseling). The University also offers Diploma programs in Education for graduate teachers who want to have a professional qualification. There is also a Night School which provides the opportunity for adults, especially workers to study for part-time degrees.

The University envisages introducing new degree programs in Nursing, Actuarial Science, Mathematics with Finance, Mathematics, with Economics, Agricultural Science and Environmental Science.

A unique feature of the University which has grown from 50 students in 2003 to over 1,300 currently is its inbuilt enrichment and religious courses in the training programs. Through our interactive pedagogy our students are empowered with unparalleled excellent tuition, high moral values and profound understanding of the socio-cultural challenges of Ghana. This explains why “I am asking Ghanaian parents here, especially those who are having difficulty with the moral upbringing of their youth to consider sending their children to the Catholic University against the backdrop of recent low moral standards of the Ghanaian youth in Canada coupled with recent fatal shootings of two Ghanaian youth within a week of my arrival in Ghana”.

One of the advantages of educating the youth in Ghana instead of Canada is that it will cost an average of $1,800 per annum at Catholic University where tuition fees and other charges are relatively cheaper as compared to other private universities. On recognition of degrees from the Catholic University in Ghana, Dr. Barimah indicated that currently the former is affiliated with the University of Ghana that issues the certificates. Degrees from the University of Ghana are highly respected internationally, especially in Canada where the Comparative Education Section of the University of Toronto has continued to validate degrees from Ghana by issuing cover letters to indicate that “Degrees from the University of Ghana, Legon are comparable to similar degrees in any recognized and reputable university in Canada”.

Dr. Barimah is currently on a short working visit that will take him to Ottawa where he will attend a meeting of the Canadian Coalition for Global Health Research as well as make a presentation at the 15th Canadian Conference on International Health jointly organized by the Canadian Society for International Health and the Canadian Coalition for Global Health Research. For more information, go to our website at www.cug.edu.gh and you may leave a message for Dr. Barimah at kbbarimah@cug.edu.gh