UEW–University of Massachusetts Partnership Advances Global Knowledge Exchange and Sustainable Development

The University of Education, Winneba (UEW) has reaffirmed its commitment to global academic collaboration after holding a strategic engagement with a delegation from the University of Massachusetts, United States of America, aimed at strengthening cooperation between the two institutions.

The meeting, held at UEW, forms part of an existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed three years ago, which focuses on staff and student exchange, joint research, collaborative teaching, and capacity building. Advocates describe the engagement as a critical step toward building equitable global partnerships that respond to shared development challenges.

Welcoming the delegation, Prof. Frimpong Kaakyire Duku, Principal of the College for Distance and e-Learning (CODeL), emphasised that sustained international partnerships are essential in today’s interconnected academic environment. He noted that such collaborations strengthen teaching and research while expanding access to global knowledge systems, particularly for institutions in the Global South.

He reaffirmed UEW’s readiness to deepen the partnership and ensure that joint programmes deliver tangible outcomes for students, faculty and communities in both countries.

Providing an overview of the collaboration, Prof. Charles Assuah, Dean of the Centre for International Programmes (CIP), highlighted key achievements under the partnership, including the successful rollout of the Sustainable Energy in Africa certificate programme. He disclosed that the first cohort has completed the programme, with a second cohort currently undergoing training, underscoring the partnership’s focus on reciprocity, relevance and shared academic goals.

Receiving the delegation on behalf of UEW Management, the Registrar, Mrs. Ekua Abedi-Boafo, stressed the importance of international cooperation in addressing complex global challenges. She encouraged both institutions to expand collaboration in joint research, grant mobilisation, and student exchange, noting that universities have a responsibility to generate solutions that transcend borders.

Leading the visiting delegation, Prof. Jennifer Whitten Woodring, Dean of the Honors College at the University of Massachusetts, expressed appreciation for UEW’s hospitality and described the partnership as a meaningful platform for academic, cultural and experiential learning. She highlighted the importance of exposing students to diverse perspectives and real-world development challenges through global engagement.

Also contributing, Prof. Robert H. Giles emphasised that cross-border academic collaboration plays a vital role in addressing pressing issues such as sustainable energy, food security and public health. He noted that partnerships like this promote innovation, mutual understanding and long-term institutional resilience.

Education advocates say the UEW–University of Massachusetts engagement reflects a growing shift toward knowledge-sharing partnerships based on equity rather than aid, positioning universities as active contributors to global development.

The meeting reinforces UEW’s broader agenda of internationalisation, while advancing teaching, research and innovation in ways that respond to local and global needs.