Government will ensure efficient educational system - Amissah-Arthur

Berekuso (E/R), Oct. 4, GNA - Vice President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur has stated that the government is committed to ensuring an efficient and sustainable educational system that would make the country competitive in today's globalized world.

He also commended Patrick Awuah Jnr, the Founder and President of Ashesi University College for his vision and unwavering determination which has led to the success of the university.

Vice President Amissah-Arthur made the statement at the commissioning of the Ashesi University College Engineering Department at Berekuso in the Eastern Region at the weekend.

The new engineering programme being run by the school includes mechanical, electrical and electronic and computer engineering degrees.

Forty per cent of the pioneer engineering students are female.

The new initiative is to help educate a new generation of engineers who would help build the infrastructure and affordable products the continent needs.

Vice President Amissah-Arthur said the building that was inaugurated was constructed with the aim of producing engineers who were capable of identifying society's problems and finding solutions to them locally.

He said there was widespread criticism that engineers in the country were not hands-on but preferred to sit in their offices and let technicians do the work.

He therefore expressed the hope that the introduction of the modern engineering programme by Ashesi University would put an end to those criticisms.

Vice President Amissah-Arthur also stated that the university continued to distinguish itself as a liberal arts institution that, through excellent teaching, was able to transform the world view of its products.

He said Ashesi contributed to the diversity of tertiary institutions in Ghana by emphasizing excellence in undergraduate learning and teaching, and also filling a critical vacuum in the country's high education space.

'We are all witnesses to the significant contribution Ashesi is making to the development of the nation' he added.

Vice President Amissah-Arthur further stated that Ashesi University represented a strong model of private university success in Ghana and Africa.

He said the government was proud to observe the international recognition that the university had earned over the past decade.

He also promised to ensure that the Kitase-Berekuso road which is under construction is completed on time to make travelling on that stretch comfortable.

Mr Patrick Awuah Jnr said Ashesi University's engineering curricula was designed with the purpose of educating innovators and thinkers who would help build the infrastructure and provide the development the continent needed.

He said before rolling out the programme the University's authorities visited some of the best engineering schools to find out at first-hand what their best practices were.

He said the university also invited industries, employers and other stakeholders to sample their views about how they believed engineering education in Ghana could be improved.

Mr Awuah indicated that the university intended to provide the best tools and resources to create the right opportunities for young people to gain the hands-on experience.

He said just like the other graduates of the University, the Ashesi engineering graduates would be empowered to draw on multiple skills.

GNA