President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo Tuesday presented presidential charters to three universities. They are the Methodist University College, Presbyterian University College, and Catholic University College, to operate as fully-fledged universities.
The three tertiary institutions were previously affiliated to the University of Ghana and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. The charter grants them the autonomy to award their own degrees and diplomas.
At a ceremony at the Jubilee House, Accra, President Akufo-Addo congratulated the three universities for satisfying the requirements to manage their own affairs as fully-fledged tertiary institutions.
He said the three institutions had established structures that would enable them to forge ahead with minimum supervision in managing their academic programmes and had also improved and developed their respective infrastructures that would allow for further expansion in the next five years.
“It has been a long arduous journey and on behalf of the Ghanaian people and government, I congratulate them profusely on this feat,” he said.
The three universities, who now join three other private tertiary institutions that were granted presidential charters in the last three years, underwent a rigorous review of their governance structure, quality of teaching research, teaching and learning infrastructure, academic staff qualifications, resources, and finances by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) before they were recommended for Charter.
The President commended the three universities for their achievements so far and urged them to continue to improve and introduce more Innovative programs and courses “that will equip their students with the requisite skills and competencies needed to develop our country and transform progressively the economy.”
“Continue to carve niche areas for yourselves so as to help you differentiate yourselves from other tertiary education institutions,” he said.
President Akufo-Addo however cautioned that the activities of the universities would be closely monitored by the GTEC to ensure that they do not compromise the internationally acknowledged integrity and quality of Ghana’s higher education system.
He emphasized that their charters could be revoked if they fell short of expectations,
The President was hopeful that other private universities would in the years ahead meet the requirements for autonomy to contribute to the growth and development of the country, adding that the Government would provide the needed support and guidance in that direction.
He lauded the contribution of faith-based organisations to education, health care, social welfare, and the financial development of Ghana, and reiterated the commitment of the government to partnering with them for the growth and development of the country.
Prof. Daniel Obeng Ofori, President of the Catholic University thanked the President for granting charters to the three universities, and pledged that they would work to justify their new status.
“We accept the greater responsibility imposed on us as autonomous institutions, and we would do everything possible to live up to the charters granted us,” he said.
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