Ghana VCs meet Ghanaians in Australia

The heads of Ghana?s six public universities say they have initiated a novel way of reaping some benefits from the country?s huge brain drain problem. Addressing a seminar of Ghanaian professionals and the general Ghanaian community in Sydney, Australia, on Easter Saturday the vice chancellors said one of the major problems facing Ghana?s institutions of higher learning was a dearth of qualified academics to teach some subjects in their institutions. They laid the blame on the brain drain epidemic that had hit developing countries around the world.

?We realised some time ago that we needed to find practical solutions to some of these problems?, said Professor Kwesi Andam of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi.

He told the large gathering that his university had opened the door for Ghanaian academics in the diaspora to offer their services to the university by teaching at the university for some weeks.

Prof Andam, who is also chairman of the committee of vice chancellors, said in the month of March 2006 alone, nine such academics from colleges and universities in the United States visited and taught at KNUST for periods ranging from a few weeks to a few months.

?Our students received these patriotic Ghanaians with a warm embrace, and we will welcome similar gestures from all of you. And this is not peculiar to KNUST alone. All of Ghana?s universities are happy to welcome you all, and you don?t have to be an alumni of any of these institutions to offer your service?, he added.

Prof Andam said the universities were even prepared to foot the travelling bills of the visiting academics, provide accommodation and some living allowances. The vice chancellors were in Australia to attend a conference of heads of Commonwealth universities in Adelaide.

Prof Anamuah-Mensah of the University of Education, Winneba, expressed similar sentiment. He used a football analogy to explain why ?the brain gain? should become a very successful experiment. He said world football?s governing body, FIFA, has rules that allow Ghanaian footballers playing professionally in foreign lands to heed the country?s call for assignments for the national team, the Black Stars.

?We see no reason why a similar arrangement cannot be made get Ghanaian experts and professionals working overseas to come home for short assignments when Ghana needs their service?, Prof Anamuah-Mensah added.

The other VCs present at the function were Prof Clifford Tagoe (acting, University of Ghana), Rev Prof EA Addow-Obeng (University of Cape Coast), Prof J. Kaburise (University of Development Studies, Tamale), and Prof Daniel Mireku-Gyimah, University of Mines and Technology, Tarkwa).

They VCs and the registrars of the universities flew to Sydney to launch the alumni of KNUST, but with all the other six VC present, both the University of Ghana and University of Cape Coast took the opportunity to formally organise their alumni in Australasia.

Mr Ohene Karikari-Yeboah, Director of Maiden Geotechnics, based on Australia?s Gold Coast, was elected president of the KNUST alumni. Other members of the executive committee were Mr Edmund Aikins, a telecommunications engineer with Optus Communications (vice president), Dr Eric Owusu-Sekyere, senior research officer at the University of New South Wales (2nd vice president), Mr Daniel Ankrah, IT Quality Assurance Officer with GIO Insurance (secretary), Mr Ben Sabaa, a materials engineer (Treasurer), and Mrs Mercy Owusu-Sekyere, a pharmacist (PRO).

Mr Martin Kwakwa, a journalist with Australian Associated Press, was tasked to organise the University of Ghana alumni, while Mr Tamakloe was named the organiser of UCC alumni.

Earlier, Ghana?s High Commissioner to Australia, Mr Kofi Sekyiamah, said his office will soon put together a register of all Ghanaian professionals and experts in various fields living in Australia and New Zealand.

He said the high commission would make the register available to various organisations in Ghana so they could tap into the database for their use, but with the consent of the individual.

Mr Sekyiamah painted a rosy picture of Ghana, adding that the country has made tremendous progress in the past decade, and urged Ghanaians based outside the country to return home, or at least invest in the country?s economic development.

?We may have our shortcomings, but Ghana is doing quite well. The latest report from economic ratings agency Standard and Poor?s named Ghana the tenth happiest place on earth?, he concluded.