A group photo after the meeting
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo has received a delegation from Indiana University, USA, led by Dr. Hilary Kahn, Associate Vice-President for International Affairs, to discuss shared interests and look into future possibilities to strengthen existing ties.
In welcoming the team, Prof. Amfo referenced the long standing relationship between UG and Indiana University and averred that other areas of partnership comprising teaching, research, and exchange programmes for administrators among others, should be explored for the benefit of the two institutions of higher learning.
Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo noted that the University of Ghana has built capacity in areas related to Health Sciences, such as infectious and non-communicable diseases. She cited the two out of the three World Bank African Centres of Excellence; the West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP) and West African Genetic Medicine Centre (WAGMC), as institutions of the University of Ghana which have excelled in areas related to the Health Sciences over the years.
Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo
“I am also happy to hear about the Health Sciences. The University is in the process of redefining its research strategy as well as its strategic plan for the next 5 years. So far, there are seven broad areas of research that we have identified and health is one of them”, she stated.
She added, ‘‘the School of Public Health is also quite strong and has been doing research in these areas for quite some time now. We do have our famous Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research; so clearly it’s an area that we have strength and we want to leverage on that and move into collaborations in that area” she highlighted.
She further listed other areas that both universities could form a possible alliance, which include climate change adaptation, development policy, poverty monitoring and evaluation, mobility and development, politics, creative arts, education and fourth industrial revolution tools.
Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo hinted that, apart from the areas of research, teaching, as well as student and staff exchanges, the University's leadership was open to collaborating on administrative capacity building.
Dr. Hilary Kahn, Indiana University's Associate Vice-President for International Affairs, thanked the Vice-Chancellor for the warm reception. She indicated that her office represents the entire enterprise of Indiana University, which includes the Bloomington and Indianapolis campuses.
Dr. Hilary Kahn, Indiana University's Associate Vice-President for International Affairs
“There has been some back and forth with the faculty exchange, primarily in and around African Studies. We are here really to not only expand beyond Bloomington but to think about connections more broadly with Indiana University, which includes the health sciences on the Indianapolis campus and also beyond the African studies channel that we have”, she stated.
“We have many alignments and points of intersection. I think there are great opportunities for exchange but I also think there are greater opportunities for inter-disciplinary global research”, she added.
The Dean of International Programmes, Prof. Eric Osei-Assibey, stated that the visit from Indiana University was a very welcoming one, as his office has recently outdoored its Internationalisation Strategy, which seeks to foster relationships between the University of Ghana and partners from the Global North and South.
Dean of International Programmes, Prof. Eric Osei-Assibey
He noted that, with disruptions to academic calendars and travels due to COVID-19, options such as virtual mobility, collaborative online learning as well as the co-creation, co-teaching and digitalisation of interesting programmes that students could easily and affordably enroll on, can be harnessed for the benefits of students.
He also disclosed that both parties will agree on a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the coming days to reignite and bolster the collaboration.
The Registrar of the University of Ghana, Mrs. Emelia Agyei- Mensah remarked that the University of Ghana has numerous agreements with other universities in the world and must find ways to make those agreements become practically active and efficient.
She made the point that when these agreements are put into effect, previous activities can be revived while including new ways for both parties to work together in a way that is mutually beneficial.
She advocated for the use of technology in partnerships that are feasible with both universities' systems in order to minimise costs which will in turn benefit both students and staff.
Also present at the meeting were Alexander Batten, Executive Director, Global Gateway Network, Indiana University and Ms. Pascaline Songsore, Senior Assistant Registrar, Public Affairs Directorate, UG.
