By Morkporkpor ANKU
Accra, Nov. 18, GNA- Mr Ace Anan Ankomah, Senior Partner, Bentsi-Enchill, Letsa and Ankomah, says policies and academic degrees must be strategically aligned and tailored to fit Ghana’s needs and economy.
He said, “l expect that for each course of study, a University will be in constant contact with industry, so that the University would produce graduates with a natural fit, specifically trained to meet the needs of Ghana, the respective industries and the economy.”
Mr Ankomah was speaking at the 22nd Congregation Ceremony of the Methodist University Ghana in Accra.
A total of 265 master’s degrees, 480 bachelor’s degrees, 23 Diploma and 41 Certificates graduating students were awarded.
For bachelor’s graduates, 29 have earned first class honours, 178 have earned second class upper honours, 220 have earned second class lower honours, 43 earned third class honours, and 10 have earned pass degrees.
He said maybe academia and industry should be talking more to each other than they do right now and “We must re-position students to the centre of Ghana’s educational mission.”
Mr Ankomah said for a start, industry had to stop looking at academia as a bunch of out-of-touch theoreticians, whose concepts are old, arcane and impracticable.
“On its part, academia must shed its ‘ivory tower’ attitude and get its coat sleeves dirtied a bit by the reality of industry, so that the graduates produced are relevant to what is required,” he added.
He said there was the need to consider, where possible, moving from direct teaching methods with the lecturer at the centre, presenting facts and concepts about subjects to a classroom or students.
“We need to move to Problem-Based Learning, a student-centered approach that involves groups of students working together to solve real-world problems,” Mr Ankomah said.
He said the government must step in as the facilitator of incubator hubs (particularly in science, technology and engineering) on every university campus, bringing together the researching students, industry, the university and the government itself to explore how this research may be actualised to resolve some of our problems.
He said the government should ensure the proper patenting of inventions and protection of other intellectual property rights.
He called on the students to lead with purpose, live with integrity and for each of them, there was a charge to keep, a calling that was higher than just their own personal advancement.
“Graduates of 2024, Ghana awaits your contribution, and you are probably who Ghana has been waiting for, please do not just be a part of it be the change Ghana desperately needs,” he added.
He said true empowerment was not only about what they have; it was about what they give back.
Professor Daniel Yao Bruce, the Acting Vice-Chancellor, MUG said these numbers reflected their commitment to contributing to the nation’s human resource needs and meeting the growing demand for higher education.
He said despite the many challenges faced by Private Universities, they demonstrated the strength and resilience of MUG in fulfilling its mission of academic excellence and character building.
He said this academic year, the University had received accreditation to commence new postgraduate programmes.
These are Masters in Procurement and Supply Chain Management and 1-year Top-up from MA Guidance and Counselling to MPhil Guidance and Counselling.
He said the University was currently awaiting approval from the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) for additional programmes.
These are Doctor of Counselling Psychology, B.Sc. in Midwifery, Law, Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PEDE), BSc Computer Science and other offerings.
“We anticipate receiving accreditation soon and look forward to launching these programmes in September 2025,” he added.
He said like many private Universities, Methodist University Ghana had faced a decline in enrolment over the past decade.
The Vice-Chancellor said this was a pressing concern, and it had a significant impact on their operations, and they were introducing innovative and modern programmes to attract more students and ensure the sustainability of our University.
He commended the Methodist Church Ghana for its continuous support and their steadfast commitment to MUG, from its inception to their present autonomous state, had been invaluable.
Prof Bruce encouraged the students to remember the power of education not just as a tool for personal advancement, but as a force for social good.
He said in an increasingly interconnected world, the value of education lay not only in acquiring knowledge but in cultivating critical thinking, logical reasoning, problem solving, empathy, and creativity.
“You now possess the tools to make a difference, and I urge you to embrace that responsibility with courage and compassion,” he said.
GNA