Rawlings says university education must be relevant

Accra (Greater Accra) 11 June ?99

President Jerry John Rawlings said on Thursday that developing countries could lift themselves from the doldrums if the content of their university education is made relevant to their needs.

" University education must not alienate graduates from their people.

University graduates must be mission-minded and must be prepared to serve their people'', he said when he granted audience to Dr. K.Y. Amoako, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).

Dr. Amoako was the guest speaker at a conference of the International Association of University Presidents, which opened in Accra on Wednesday.

The theme of the conference is " African Universities, the private sector and civil society: Forging partnership for development".

President Rawlings said it was unfortunate that developing countries continue to lose their best brains from the universities to advanced countries.

" Immediately they collect their degrees, they line up at embassies for visas".

Therefore, university education should not limit itself to paper qualifications, students must be educated to realise the need to serve society and their qualification must be relevant to the needs of society, he stated.

Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas, Deputy Minister of Education, spoke about conflicts in some African countries and said universities in Africa must come out with programmes to address conflicts.

Dr. Amoako said the conference would review the problem of funding in universities in Africa as the world approaches the next millennium.

Prof. George Benneh, President of the Association of African Universities said the association had met several times and had done a lot of paper work.

''This is the time for action'', he said.