The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) in collaboration with the Yonsei University in Korea have initiated moves that promise to reshape the landscape of tertiary education in Ghana.
As Ghana takes strides towards a new era in tertiary education, this collaboration stands as a testament to the power of international partnerships in shaping the future of academia as the journey is not only about constructing buildings but about constructing a collaborative and knowledge-driven foundation for the generations to come.
At a meeting between GTEC, representatives of the Education Ministry and a delegation from Korea Yonsei University, in Accra last Thursday, the partners discussed the significant support offered by the Korean Exim Bank for the reactivation of the University of Environment and Sustainable Development (UESD), Bunso site among others.
The purpose of the meeting was centred on collaborative efforts being made to reshape the landscape of tertiary education in Ghana.
The six-member Korean delegation was led by Professor Dogwon Ahm of Yonsei University, with the others being Prof. Mooha Lee, Prof. Pyeong Jun Yu, Prof. Chang Soo Kim, and Prof. J. S. Kim. Seul Bin Joung from YONSET and Prof. Younghwan Park from Hanyang University with their wealth of expertise.
Leading the Ghanaian delegation was Prof. Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, with the other members being Prof. Yayra Dzakadzui (DDG), Prof. Mohammed Salifu, Prof. Eric Nyarko-Sampson (VC of UESD, Somanya), Mr Anthony Debre, Mr Jerry Sarfo, and Mr Charles Mbeah as well as representatives from the Ministry of Education namely; Susan Kuffour (Development Consultant), Prof. Mark Adom Asamoah (STEM Policy Advisor), and Mr. Nii Quacoo Pome (Head FPMU-MOE).
Prof Jinapor in his opening remarks stated that international collaboration was critical when it comes to education development which held the key to national transformation.
He pledged to continue engaging the various stakeholders to help get the best for the development of the education in the country.
Again, Prof. Jinapor was upbeat that the collaboration with the Koreans would go a long way to transform the nation through education which trained and empowered the nation’s manpower needs.
Korean’s Assurance
Prof. Dogwon Ahm, expressed the commitment of the people of Korea towards the development of education in the country.
He announced that an ambitious plan was being put in place to finalize substantial works on the UESD project at Bunso by the end of the year, with the official handover anticipated in June 2025 and urged all stakeholders to play their roles effectively to complete the project on schedule.
Background
The Korean Exim Bank is providing funding for the construction and reactivation of the Bunso campus of the UESD with Yonsei University serving as the overall project consultant, expressed its commitment to the project’s success.
During the meeting, it also came to light that the contractor is gearing up to mobilize resources and will be on-site next week.
One key highlight of the collaboration is the proposal by Yonsei University to contribute to the development of the curriculum with 12 professors ready to assist, the aim is to enhance the industry-academia relationship and foster cooperation between the institutions. To facilitate this, it was agreed that GTEC would assemble a technical team to collaborate closely with their Korean counterparts.
END
