Cape Coast, Aug. 30, GNA- The Central Regional Minister, Mrs. Ama Benyiwa-Doe on Monday said the nation is on a brink of "manpower crisis" because university teaching was no longer a cherished job.

"Most of the lecturers and professors are almost close to their retiring age" and therefore the authorities needed to adopt strategies to attract young lecturers to replace the "experienced staff who would be leaving the profession soon".

She made the call at the opening of a two-day conference being held by the Commonwealth Universities Study Abroad Consortium (CUSAC) in collaboration with the University of Cape Coast (UCC) under the theme: "Student mobility in international education", in Cape Coast.

About 50 participants including; Vice Chancellors, Presidents, Deans, representatives, lecturers and students, from various universities from Commonwealth countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, United Kingdom, Zimbabwe, Malaysia and Kenya among others, are attending.

The Regional Minister was optimistic that the conference will fashion out excellent and innovative ideas that will be of immense value to all stakeholders adding, the global world is vibrant in the trading of ideas designed to improve all aspects of human endeavours.

She entreated participants to include in their deliberations, issues on staff replacement and compliment government's efforts to find solutions to staff recruitments at the universities.

Mrs. Benyiwa-Doe assured that the government was committed to supporting tertiary education so that universities and colleges in the country would produce the requisite manpower needed for the nation's development.

The Executive Secretary of CUSAC, Ms. Dorothy Bennett, who opened the conference, said CUSAC is a group of universities, with 20-member institutions, from around the Commonwealth who are committed to the enhancement of international programmes at their respective institutions.

She said it additionally functions as a network to facilitate the formation of partnerships to provide student exchange and study abroad opportunities and also as a forum for members to share good policies with the view of strengthening cooperation among member institutions.

Ms. Bennett disclosed that this year, CUSAC will award eight bursaries to four universities and re-echoed calls on other universities to join it.

The Pro-Vice Chancellor of UCC, Professor Dominic Kuupole, said the University has always been in support of CUSAC, not only because students and staff are beneficiaries but also because of the objective of promoting capacity development through networking.

The immediate past Vice Chancellor of the UCC, Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Adow Obeng, who presided, observed that international education had become an integral part of higher education as it enhances individual and collective studies.

He urged participants to discuss the challenges of the country's universities to help maintain academic quality.