"University education must be relevant" - JJ

Accra (Greater Accra) 11 June 99

President Rawlings has said that developing countries could lift themselves from the doldrums if the content of their university education is made relevant to their needs. " University educati on must not alienate graduates from their people. University graduates must be mission-minded and must be prepared t o 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 Associatio n of University Presidents which opened in Accra on Wednesday.

The theme of the conference is " African Universities, the private sector and ci vil 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 universiti es in Africa as the world approaches the next millennium.

Prof. George Benneh, President of the Association of African Universities said t he association had met several times and had done a lot of paper work. ''This is the time for action'', he said .