The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission has drawn down
the curtain on the second edition of a 2-day Summer School (2025) organized for
stakeholders within the tertiary education sector.
The programme which was held at the Great Hall of the
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) on July 7-8, 2025,
was under the theme “Building Sustainable National Development Through Research
Strengthening Capacity Across Ghana’s Tertiary Education Institutions”.
The Director-General of GTEC, Prof. Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai
in his opening remarks said the theme for this year’s Summer School reflects
not only on national aspirations, but also the urgent need to reposition
research as a driver of sustainable development, innovation and inquiry in
education. He also said this year’s Summer School was to deepen the collective
understanding of the strategic role research must play in Ghana’s journey of
development, and to strengthen capacity for impactful, relevant and sustainable
research across all tertiary institutions. He further stated that this year’s
edition of the Summer School is designed to give participants the opportunity
to know how to conduct basic and impactful research, where to publish, and how
to secure research funds or grants.
The Keynote Speaker for this year was Professor Eric
Yirenkyi Danquah, who is the chairman for the National Research Fund and
Founding Director of West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI). Prof.
Yirenkyi Danquah in his keynote address stated that the Ghana National Research
Fund Act has captured seed grant of 50 million Ghana cedi and 0.5% of the
national budget has been allocated to the fund. This, he said, has never
happened in the history of the country.
Other speakers were Prof. Mohammed Salifu, former
Director General of GTEC, Prof. Christine Adu Yeboah, Dean of the School of
Educational Studies, University of Cape Coast, Ing. Prof. Felix K. Abagale,
Director for West African Centre for Water, Irrigation and Sustainable
Agriculture (WACWISA), University for Development Studies, Patrick Gyimah Awuah
Jr., Founder and President for Ashesi University, Dr. George Kwadwo Anane,
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Architecture and Planning, University of the
Witwatersrand, Margaret Mary Alacoque, President of Conference of Heads of
Health Training Institutions (COHHETI)and Dr. Appah Bonney Ebenezer, Principal
of Peki College of Education.
In attendance were the Deputy Director General of GTEC,
Prof. Augustine Ocloo, the Vice Chancellor of KNUST, Prof. Rita Akosua Dickson,
representatives from the ministry of education and staff members of GTEC. The
conference created a platform for over 300 participants to network and explore
partnership and collaborative opportunities.