The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Joseph Ghartey Ampiah, has led an eight-member delegation from the University of Cape Coast (UCC) to the United States of America (USA) to strengthen the relationship between UCC and some selected Universities in USA.
The visit, which forms part of the University’s internationalisation strategy, especially North-South cooperation initiatives in higher education, was intended to explore fruitful partnership opportunities for strengthening capacity building, research, student mobility, resource sharing, faculty exchanges, among others.
To this end, the delegation met with senior leadership and colleagues in selected universities in the US which include the University of Rhode Island (URI), Universities of Eastern and Central Connecticut, University of Cincinnati and the University of Akron.
The Vice-Chancellor’s delegation included the Dean, School of Biological Sciences, Prof. Johnson Nyarko Boampong; Provost, College of Distance Education, Prof. Isaac Galyuon; Dean, School of Physical Sciences, Prof. David Kofi Essumang; Dean, School of Business, Prof. Edward Marfo-Yiadom; Dean, School of Graduate Studies, Prof. Ernest Okorley; Director, Centre for Coastal Management, Dr. Denis Worlanyo Aheto and Head, Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, Dr. Noble Asare.
Discussion with these partner institutions centered on strengthening and also seeking academic and research opportunities with focus on faculty exchanges including sabbatical and student exchanges and the activation of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) for mutual benefits.
As part of the itinerary, the delegation from UCC and their URI partner concluded discussions on harmonisation of academic programmes which would lead to the award of dual PhD degrees in Fisheries and Coastal Management and related areas. The two partners set out modalities for student mobility to promote faculty exchanges between the two Universities.
Another area the two partners identified, was the sharing of resources and opportunities for training of students and faculty exchanges involving disciplines like Business, Pharmacy, Engineering, Nursing and Applied Health Sciences. In addition, the team agreed on the need to share laboratory facilities and instructional materials as well as holding joint conferences and summer schools and joint curriculum development. The two partners further expressed interest in engaging in Applied Research including Pharmacy (natural products), Business and Engineering.