By Eunice Hilda A. Mensah/Dorcas Stephens
Accra, Jan.17, GNA – Bishop John Kwamena Essel, the Pro-Chancellor of the Knutsford University, a newly chartered private University, has called on Ghanaians to have confidence in private universities as they contribute substantially to the human capital and capacity of the country.
He said aside lack of governmental support, public had no confidence in them as compared to public universities.
Bishop Essel made the remark in a media engagement after the University received a Charter for elevation into a fully-fledged private University on December 19, 2024 after 17 years of undergoing mentorship from the University of Ghana, Legon and the University for Development Studies.
“I appeal to the public, to build confidence in private universities all over the world. The best schools, you know, normally are made up of the private schools first. And so there is much confidence when we develop our private schools.
“We will call on government to help build this confidence. For the first time in our history, 14 private universities have been chartered, adding to the existing ones. That is huge. That is supposed to relieve our traditional schools from the huge numbers which is overburdening them,” he said.
The Pro-Chancellor said public universities were doing well, however, quality was compromised if the numbers overwhelmed them and their facilities, adding “and so the emergence of these private universities are to help support and complement what has been done already.”
Bishop Essel appealed to the government to support private universities and the development of their students.
“ If you are putting up, let’s say, a laboratory. Yes, a common lab. Look at East Lagoon, this enclave. It’s full of schools. So if we have very huge IT labs, other form of what we call innovative labs, which can be accessed by a number of schools, that’s going to be part of the needed support.
“Our research work, if they can help us to deepen our research abilities as private facilities, the benefits are for the whole nation,” he noted.
The Pro-Chancellor said the world was presently being driven by technology, but it was prudent to combine it with the Arts.
“And so at Knutsford University, we are focusing on STEAM, combining science, technology, engineering, arts and then mathematics which becomes a bedrock for most of the things we do. So going on with our charter, we are hoping to bring in programmes that will address these issues and also concentrate much more on practical approach, industry approach,” he stated.
“Being independent now, allows us to do what we want to do. Of course, in the light of what is permissible by GTEC. But it allows for innovation and future thinking, forward thinking, and an approach that really addresses some of the practical things that we have in the country. And that is what we are happy and poised to do from now onwards,” Bishop Essel said.

For the part of Professor Anthony K. Ahiawodzi, Vice-Chancellor of the University, the elevation meant their good ways, quality teaching and learning, were of standard and had been nationally recognized.
“We have to maintain the good work that we were doing that brought us to this stage and ensure that we move forward. Getting a charter comes also with its challenges. For now, we are not under mentorship. We are on our own; we have to take decisions on our own and implement them,” he explained.
The Vice-Chancellor said innovative decisions would quickly be taken and implemented and new programmes would be developed.
The University, he said would also collaborate with other institutions, within and outside Ghana, including their mentoring institutions.
“We will still relate to them in an enhanced form, whereby we enter into areas of awarding joint degrees, dual degrees, and enter into collaborative research for the mutual benefit of us all.
“We will increase student numbers, and then spread our tentacles everywhere and ensure that we still promote quality teaching and learning. And then research, quality research, will be enhanced,” he added.
The Knutsford University, located in East Legon, Accra, and Kumasi, currently offers Bachelors and Masters programmes in Nursing, Business Administration (Finance, Accounting, Marketing, and Human Resource Management), Communication and Media Studies, Economics, Computer Science, and Information Technology among others.
GNA