UCC launches 50th anniversary celebrations

Accra, Feb. 6, GNA - Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, Vice Chancellor of University of Cape Coast (UCC) on Monday launched the University’s 50th anniversary celebrations in Accra.

Professor Opoku-Agyemang said the activities would begin with the Students Representative Council (SRC) Week celebrations, from February 19-26, to be followed by regional activities by the alumni, inaugural lectures and anniversary banquet.

The University established in 1962 with 155 students was called University College of Science Education but currently has 47,411 students, eight schools and faculties.

Professor Opoku-Agyemang, the first female Vice-Chancellor, said the institution was responsive to the country's desire for higher education and its financial difficulties adding “We are also sensitive to the need to raise the formal educational levels of our population for very obvious reasons".

She stated that it was the institution’s hope that quality education would be brought closer to the doorsteps of the public through the introduction of a sustainable effective distance education model that made no distinction, in terms of quality adding that, the University appreciated the need to strengthen and expand infrastructure to improve conditions for teaching, research and training.

The Vice-Chancellor said the university had continued to undertake some building projects designed to increase the stock of laboratories, lecture theatres, office units and accommodation facilities for staff and students.

She said the University had over the years become a pacesetter in many disciplines, programmes and policies, including the introduction of Bachelor of Commerce degree programme, Distance and Continuing Education in the Dual Mode, Laser and Fibre Optic Centre and Sandwich programmes.

The Vice Chancellor mentioned that the University was currently constructing a Medical School Diagnostic Centre, which would serve as a one- stop health care centre, an ultra modern ICT centre to serve as a key monument to commemorate the anniversary.

Others are the first Fisheries College at Anomabo to boost the fisheries industry, a Language Centre that would reach out to language instructors at all levels of education.

Professor Opoku-Agyemang said UCC had collaborated with some top foreign institutions including universities in America, Europe, Asia and Africa in research and capacity development in different disciplines.