College to introduce BSc in Natural Resource Management

The College of Agriculture Education, University of Education, Winneba, Asante-Mampong campus, is to introduce Bachelor of Science (BSc) programme in Natural Resource Management, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Akwasi Asabere Ameyaw, has announced.

The goal, he said, was to assist and adequately equip students with the requisite skills and competencies to protect and manage the country’s natural resources.

He was addressing the 17th congregation of the College held at Asante-Mampong.

In all, 986 students graduated, eight of them with Master of Philosophy degrees in Agriculture, 474 with BSc degrees in Agriculture and Integrated Science Education, and the remaining 504, received diplomas.

Prof Asabere Ameyaw said the university was committed to provide innovative approaches to the teaching of agriculture to make its products functional and relevant in the “21st Century world of work”. He said it was committed towards playing a leading role in the nation’s drive to produce scholars whose knowledge would be fully responsive to the realities and needs of society.

This motivated the recent introduction of a new elective course, “Diary Science and Technology” into the BSc Agriculture Education programme. He however complained that the College was under resourced in terms of physical infrastructure.

He said although the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) and other development partners including the Education Ministry had provided some assistance to improve and expand facilities, the level of such support had reduced in recent years.

Prof Asabere Ameyaw drew attention to its mandate to train teachers of agriculture to make agriculture a vocation of choice adding that to achieve this, the College required massive investments in the provision of basic educational infrastructure like lecture rooms, laboratories, workshops, farm houses, offices and residential accommodation for students and staff.

Added to these, he said, were farm machinery, laboratory and office equipment.