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UEW launches research and scholarship funds

Two Policy Manuals has been launched at the University of Education, Winneba on 13th April, 2016. Over 200 stakeholders of education which included faculty, staff, students, corporate organisations and representatives from the National Council for Tertiary Education, were brought together to witness the event at the Jophus Anamuah-Mensah Conference Centre.

The Chairman for the occasion, Prof. Jophus Anamuah-Mensah said “education is the bedrock of every society and it is the most effective weapon to effect meaningful changes in society”. He noted that 4% to 4.5% of the entire population of Ghana have access to tertiary education, whiles; the remaining 86% do not have access.

He highlighted the need to expand access to tertiary education to cover the greater percentage that do not have access. He shed light on a UNESCO research carried out in 2015 which revealed that 0.3% of research is made in areas of Mathematics, English, Physics, Biology and others. He was of the view that there was the need for researchers to conduct research in areas that seeks to challenge the status quo and bring about improvement in society or the way things are done.

He commended UEW for its great stride taken in the area of educational research. The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Education, Winneba, Prof. Mawutor Avoke in a speech delivered at the Launch, said the principal purpose for which the Research, Innovation and Staff Development Fund is established is to provide a system for regulating the funding, administration, management, investment and disbursement of resources for research, innovation and staff development. He added that the UEW Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship Fund is part of the University’s effort to reduce the difficulties that some students face in meeting their financial obligations to the University. It is also aimed at helping selected students meet their basic needs such as food, transportation and books, he said.

The Central Regional Minister, Hon. Kweku Rickett-Hagan, noted that in the past, several research and project works undertaken in higher educational institutions were uncompleted due to lack of funding or inadequate funding support. Some students have also had to drop-out of their courses because of financial encumbrance. Those students who did not drop-out failed to excel in their exams due to poor concentration exhibited during their periods of study as a result of financial challenge. He said the Research fund is meant to stimulate the zeal to conduct innovate research in diverse topical areas in the University and the nation at large, whiles the UEW Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship Fund is to help improve upon the academic performances of students and ensure high retention rate for students from poorer backgrounds.

In a statement by the executive secretary of National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE) Prof. Mohammed Salifu, the initiative to set up the “Brilliant but Needy Scholarship Fund” was in the right direction and should contribute towards giving more substance to policy of inclusiveness in the University of Education, Winneba.

He commended the University on the bold initiative and called on all stakeholders of education, civil society organisations and industry partners to give it as much support as they can. He suggested that it would be important to think of research and innovation in relation to students on the campuses as well, so that students’ energies and talents would not be wasted on numerous extra curricula activities. Present at the Ceremony were Principal Officers, Principals of the Colleges of the University of Education, Winneba, Deans, Directors, HODs, Staff, Students and Guests.

© 2019 University of Education, Winneba