The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research – College of Science and Technology (CCST) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with University of Cape Coast to seal the relationship between the two institutions.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Joseph Ghartey Ampiah described the relationship between UCC and CCST as mutually beneficial. He said that the signing ceremony would officially give recognition to the relationship which had been in existence for the past five years. “Though we have been working for the past years, it is extremely important to sign the MoU to cement our relationship and make progress” he expressed.
Recounting his stewardship as the Chairman of the National Accreditation Board, the Vice Chancellor indicated that it was during the period that the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) obtained approval for the establishment of the CSIR College of Science and Technology and so he was extremely delighted to also sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Affiliation Agreement to cement the relationship between the two institutions.
Prof. Ampiah indicated that UCC continued to earn a positive reputation in institutional mentorship as a result of the quality of services the University had been offering to its affiliate institutions. “Some Universities will never visit the institutions they are mentoring but we have decided to send our lecturers to assist our affiliate institutions to adopt quality assessment” he explained.
The Vice-Chancellor indicated that the collaboration was on a win-win basis; hence it was important for both institutions to share expertise and resources. Therefore, Prof. Ampiah was hopeful that CCST would also share some of their state-of-the-art research laboratories to enable lecturers and students to carry out research. He noted that UCC would also continue to fulfill its responsibilities by offering the best of services to CCST.
On his part, the College President of CCST, Prof. Mark Appiah, said his institution had benefitted enormously from its collaboration from UCC. Prof. Appiah noted that though he assumed duty in March this year, he had witnessed the significant impact UCC had made on CCST. Prof. Appiah used the opportunity to ask UCC to assist CCST to become an autonomous institution because it had diligently complied with the mentorship procedures as well as the National Accreditation Board (NAB) standards. “UCC has to help us towards the path of autonomy considering the vast expertise and resources we have at CCST,” he added.
The College Vice-President of CCST, Rev. Prof. Hans Adu-Dapaah, on his part, expressed appreciation to Vice-Chancellor for the crucial role he played in the establishment of the College and therefore, Management would be extremely grateful to have him grace and also confer the award of degrees to the pioneer students during the first congregation ceremony, which has been scheduled to take place in July this year.
He stressed “The journey to establish CCST has been a tortuous one but under your chairmanship at National Accreditation Board (NAB), we got our accreditation and also as Vice-Chancellor of our mentor institution, we are graduating our pioneer students”. He further indicated that “It will be recorded that he was among a group of Ghanaians who were forward-looking and spearheaded the establishment of CCST”. He said CSIR research laboratories at the various stations in the country were open to UCC lecturers and students.
Present at the signing ceremony, were the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Dora Edu-Buandoh; Registrar, Mr. John Kofi Nyan; Director of Academic Affairs, Mr. Jeff T. Onyame; Acting Director of Public Affairs, Major Kofi Baah-Bentum. Others were the Senior Assistant Registrar, Office of the Vice-Chancellor, Dr. (Mrs.) Georgina Asi Owusu, Assistant Registrar, Institutional Affiliation Office, Mr. Justice K. G. Boateng and Assistant Registrar of CCST, Mr. Daishonin Baah-Koranteng.