By J. K. Nabary
Winneba (C/R), Aug. 1, GNA- Professor Stephen Jobson Mitchual, Vice Chancellor, University of Education, Winneba (UEW) has commended persons working under the Inter-University Conference for Doctoral Studies (IUCDS) for ensuring structures and guidelines for promoting effective staff development through Interdisciplinary collective research.
Prof Mitchual made the commendation in an address delivered by Prof Andy Ofori-Birikorang, Pro Vice-Chancellor of UEW on his behalf at a seminar organised by the IUCDS in collaboration with the School of Graduate Studies and Center for International Programmes, UEW, at Winneba.
The seminar on the theme: “Enhancing Quality Teaching and Research in Education through Interdisciplinary Collaboration” was attended by 292 PhD students to develop their research skills.
They were taken through the research process by 15 Resource Persons and Experts.
The aim of the conference included creating a system to enable students of member institutions in Ghana and countries in the West African sub-region enrolled to pursue Doctoral degree programmes in the institutions concerned while adhering to the existing regulations in each of the Institutions.
The partner universities/institutions are the University of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, University of Cape Coast, University of Lagos, Akoka-Nigeria, Universite’ Charles Louis de Montesquieu, Abidjan-Cote d’Ivoire with UEW being the host of the permanent Executive Secretariat responsible for overall coordination of the conference.
Prof Mitchual, on behalf of UEW, also praised previous VCs, Presidents and Heads of the partner institutions for embracing the idea of setting up a permanent university framework as a platform for staff development and training of manpower, and for exchange of students through IUCDS.
He emphasised partnerships with sister universities in and outside Ghana, particularly in the West African sub-region with the objective of persevering academic interest of students in Doctoral programmes.
“This will go a long way at maintaining quality findings, teaching and research in our Institutions, facilitating the dissemination of research findings, promoting staff development and academic standards and approving equivalents in awarding of certificates, diplomas and degrees”, he stated.
According to him, the prevailing conditions in the universities with respect to funding, made it difficult to get sponsorship for students on PhD programmes and so for the purposes of harmonising both human and material resources, partner Institutions must be guided by the basic principles outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) reviewed every five years.
He expressed gratitude to his colleague Vice-Chancellors, Presidents, Deans, Heads of Partner Institutions, universities and their representatives for the collaboration and good intention in matters relating to enhancing quality teaching and research in Education.
GNA