'Lack of adequate funding impeding research activities' – UCC Vice Chancellor Prof. Johnson Boampong

The University of Cape Coast (UCC) has made a fervent appeal to all stakeholders, including the alumni community for support to aid its research activities.

Professor Johnson Nyarko Boampong, the Vice Chancellor of the University, noted that the school lacked adequate funding to further its research works, a situation which fettered both academic and national progress.

Adjudged the topmost ranked university in Ghana and West Africa, the Vice Chancellor stressed that the lack of adequate research funds did not augur well for UCC, describing it as a “major challenge.”

The Vice Chancellor made the appeal at the 15th session of the university's 57th congregation devoted for graduands of the School of Graduate Studies.

During the colourful and blissful ceremony, UCC graduated 1,187 postgraduate students.

They included 46 Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), 102 Master of Philosophy (MPhil), 17 Master of Commerce, three Master of Nursing and 605 Master of Education students.

Master of Business Administration had 64 students, Master of Science, 184; Master of Arts, 124; and Postgraduate Diploma in Education, 42.

Beyond the challenge with research, the Vice Chancellor noted that the university still grappled with infrastructural deficit despite the progress made so far.

Prof Boampong thus expressed the university's resolve to intensify efforts to mobilise the necessary resources to support research activities, expand infrastructure, improve access to postgraduate education and enhance scholarship support for postgraduate students.

“We will continue to mobilise the needed resources to build the needed infrastructure that will create more successes and enhance access to postgraduate education,” he said.

“In line with our corporate strategy to improve academic studies, we will internationalise our research activities and continue to work with other stakeholders to increase enrolment of international students,” he stated.

The Vice Chancellor highlighted some achievements of the School of Graduate Studies in the past year, including the organisation of the fifth international conference which was greatly patronised.

To deal with the slow pace in the examination of students' theses, he announced an upward review of theses examination fee (stipends paid to lecturers) for the assessment of students' research, from GHC5:00 to GHC10:00 by the University's Governing Council.

To deal with the slow pace in the examination of students' theses, he announced an upward review of theses examination fees, by the University's Governing Council.

Prof Boampong underscored the importance UCC attached to graduate education and pledged management's commitment to implement initiatives that would equip graduates to respond to contemporary societal needs.

“Our focus remains on producing graduates who are not only hand-skilled but also deeply committed to the values of integrity, service and innovation,” he added.

GNA