Admission to private universities on the increase

Koforidua, April 20, GNA - Available statistics indicate that admission of students to private universities in the country increased from 2,588 during 2003/2004 academic year to about 19,000 during the 2006/2007 academic year.

Professor Kwasi Kwafo Adarkwa, Vice-Chancellor of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), who announced this commended authorities of private universities for their foresight that had assisted more students to access tertiary education. He was addressing the convocation of All Nations University College (ANU), an affiliate of KNUST based at Koforidua in the Eastern Region. About 222 students who completed their studies at ANU between 2006 and 2007 were presented with certificates. Thirteen of them had first class.

It is among 14 tertiary institutions affiliated to KNUST in science and technological training in West Africa.

Professor Adarkwa pledged the commitment of authorities of KNUST to assist affiliated institutions into full-fledged universities in future. He said KNUST admitted 6,000 students out of the 18,000 who applied therefore, the role of affiliated institutions was crucial. Dr Samuel Donkor, President of ANU, gave the assurance that it would continue to offer the students technical skills to cope with the demands of modernity.

He said computer science students were being equipped in the art of wireless networking, digital sound processing and bio-medical engineering to help Ghana compete in advancement in Information Communication Technology (ICT).