50 Students from Department of Computer Science Benefit from 1S1L Initiative

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, has presented 50 laptops to 50 Students in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Ghana, as part of her “1 Student 1 Laptop” (1S1L) initiative. 

The “1 Student 1 Laptop” initiative is part of the Vice-Chancellor’s three-pronged technology-driven initiatives to enhance the experience of students, faculty and staff. The other two are the Classroom Modernisation Project and the construction of Hot-Spot Comfort Zones. 

Professor Amfo, who made the presentation to the students, urged them to take good care of their laptops and to use them primarily for academic purposes. “I have a dream that every student of the University of Ghana will have a laptop because I’m not sure if we can function in this modern era without a laptop. As students, we need adequate computer skills to function in this world. Please students, take good care of the laptops, cherish them and put them to good use,” the VC said. 

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo presenting a laptop to a beneficiary

Dr. Ebenezer Owusu, Head of the Department of Computer Science, thanked the Vice-Chancellor and the ‘1S1L’ Committee for the honour and hoped for more computers for students in the Department. 

Dr. Ebenezer Owusu, Head of the Department of Computer Science

The Chairman of the "1 Student 1 Laptop" Committee, Professor Peter Quartey, described the initiative as an important one by the VC, as it has boosted digitalisation in the University. He reaffirmed the protocols by which students can benefit from the initiative. 

“This is a very important initiative by the Vice-Chancellor to enhance digitalisation in the University. With the initiative, students and faculty will have access to the laptops. For needy students, they have a special dispensation where they get laptops for free and then for others, there is an ongoing process to get laptops at very affordable prices. We have already distributed 120 laptops to needy students,” Prof. Quartey said.

A cross-section of beneficiaries

Professor Boateng Onwona-Agyeman, Provost of the College of Basic and Applied Sciences, thanked the Vice-Chancellor on behalf of the College and expressed his happiness that students of the Computer Science Department are beneficiaries of the initiative. 

Prof. Sandow Mark Yidana, Dean of the School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, acknowledged the efforts the Department is making in training future Computer Scientists. He also thanked the Vice-Chancellor and the ‘1S1L’ Committee for the gesture and expressed optimism that students in other Departments of the School will benefit from the initiative in the future. 

Another student receiving a laptop from the Vice-Chancellor

In August last year, 120 students received laptops under the initiative, which forms part of the Vice-Chancellor's Digitalisation drive. There was also a donation of 10 high-speed computers to the Departments of Statistics and Actuarial Science and Computer Science in April this year.

Also present at the brief presentation ceremony were the Ag. Legal Counsel, Dr. Abdul Baasit Aziz Bamba; the Chief Information Technology Officer, Mr. Francis Kwabena Boachie; Deputy Chief Information Technology Officer, Mr. Kweku Owusu Osei; Senior Assistant Registrar at the Public Affairs Directorate, Ms. Pascaline Songsore; Members of the ‘1 Student 1 Laptop’ Committee as well as some staff and students of the Computer Science Department.