Participants in a group photograph after the programme
The Department of Marine and Fisheries Sciences of the University of Ghana, Legon, in collaboration with the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences of the University of Michigan, USA, has held a summer school programme on Coastal Ocean Environment for 120 sponsored-individuals with backgrounds in oceanography.
The purpose of the summer school was to build the capacity of participants in marine sciences through a broad range of oceanographic topics that are of relevance to national, regional and international needs. A team of eight experts from oceanographic centers in the United States of America and faculty members from the Department of Marine and Fisheries Sciences at the University of Ghana delivered lectures and laboratory trainings to the participants. Some of the topics studied include; Oil and Gas Basin Development, Ocean Modelling, Biogeochemistry, and Satellite/Operational Oceanography.
In his address at the opening of the school, Professor Brian Arbic from the University of Michigan, touched on the need for African countries to train more marine scientists to safeguard the continent’s under-representation in worldwide oceanographic meetings.
Addressing the participants, the Dean of the School of Biological Sciences of the University of Ghana, Professor Matilda Steiner-Asiedu, encouraged them to use the summer school as an opportunity to build strong networks for future collaborations.
The Head of the Department of Marine and Fisheries Sciences of the University of Ghana, Professor Kwasi Appeaning Addo, indicated that the summer school has deepened existing relations between the two Universities and looked forward to diverse future collaborations that would facilitate training and capacity building in ocean sciences.
The Summer School was made possible through the funding support of the National Science Foundation Grant, the MCubed programme at the University of Michigan, the Ghana Ports and Habours Authority, the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Co. Ltd (BOST), as well as through the support of the Ministry of Petroleum, the Ghana Shippers Authority and the Global Cargo and Freight Forwarding Ltd.
