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.