UCC selected for space science education

Cape Coast, Nov. 10, GNA - The Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Professor Emmanuel Adow Obeng, on Friday announced that its Faculty of Science has been selected for the study of space science in Africa.

He said in pursuance of this, a Memorandum of Understanding would be signed next month to facilitate the implementation process. Prof Obeng announced this at the first session of the 37th congregation of the UCC at Cape Coast, during which 3,028 students, including 1,082 females, were presented with degrees, diplomas and certificates.

Some 112 graduands received first class honours, 1,218, second class upper division, and 1,207, got second class lower division, with some of them graduating in maiden courses in Micro-Finance, Bachelor of Science, Marketing and Optometry.

Some 22 students also received special honours.

Prof. Obeng said the high number of female graduands underscored the fact that girl child education was yielding results. He said next academic year, the Graduate School of the University would introduce new degree courses, such as MPhil Fisheries and Aquatic Science, and MSc in Non-governmental organization, adding that its sandwich and distance education programmes continued to receive high patronage because they are 93work friendly".

He appealed to the government to give the UCC the approval to establish a School of Medical Science, and noted that this would be one of the legacies the government could leave behind.

Prof Obeng said there was peace and stability at the UCC campus and that security had improved considerably, even though there had recently been 93a couple of brushes=94 with some youth in the surrounding communities.

He said with financial support from Ms Christine Churcher, MP for Cape Coast, the University had begun the construction of a permanent police post on campus, while provision has also been made for buses to shuttle students. Some residential halls are also being rehabilitated, he added.

Prof Obeng advised the graduands not to accept mediocrity because =93it tends to compromise their innate potential to reach the top=94 and asked them to always work towards the unity of the country.

=93Do not allow conflict of cultures or backgrounds of education to be a barrier to your contribution to national development. Always strive to achieve the best for the country and yourselves,=94 he admonished. Dr Charles Mensah, Chairman of the University Council, noted that for the first time, the UCC was graduating students in the same year they completed their studies, and said this would give them the opportunity to use their certificates and transcripts early enough to look for employment and also explore other opportunities for advancement during the period of their national service.

He said it was the hope of the UCC to maintain and improve upon this mode, so that congregations could be held even earlier than November, despite the large number of students.

Dr Mensah commended the staff for their commitment to duty despite the numerous problems they faced, expressing concern about their low remuneration, which he said made it difficult to retain staff and appealed to the government to carefully look at the situation. He called on the graduands to bring their expertise to bear on the communities they would find themselves in. 10 Nov. 06