‘Pool resources for funding tertiary education’
A past rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Professor Stephen Adei, has called on the alumni of various tertiary institutions to re-organize themselves to pool resources within their ranks to support tertiary education in the country.
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He said the growing burden on the state made them the preferred substitute in the mobilisation of resources to support the institutions.
According to him, the proliferation of more state universities and the conversion of polytechnics to technical universities in addition to conversion of nursing and teacher training colleges to tertiary status, is a clear evidence that the government cannot fund public universities in the foreseeable future because of increased commitment.
He also said the use of internally generated funds of universities and allied institutions must be encouraged instead of the government controlling the disbursement of such funds.
Thematic address
Professor Adei was delivering the thematic address on “Re-engineering funding of tertiary education in Ghana; the role of alumni” at the opening of the ninth biennial delegates conference of the alumni of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Ho last weekend.
He said the alumni must grow and cultivate a relationship and should also feel nostalgic about their alma mater, by supporting and serving, and being involved in the cost design of all projects, adding that, by so doing all these things will trigger a spontaneous love to make them contribute to the society.
The Volta Regional Minister, Dr Archibald Yao Letsa, in his address, said the mission of an effective alumni was to promote a spirit of fellowship to advance the interests of the institution, and that in the face of global decline in funding and logistical support for higher education, it was pertinent for an alumni intervention nurtured on loyalty, pride and tradition.
He said the role of alumni could help whereby brilliant students managed to enter universities but dropped out in the process, because of financial constraints, as well as others who could not build on their education because they were coming from poor homes.
Strategic plan
Presenting an address on the state of the university, the Pro-vice Chancellor of KNUST, Professor Reverend Charles Ansah, said a strategic plan had been adopted for 2016-2025 and that it was designed to build on past achievements for it to be among the best 10 universities in Africa.
He said seven thematic areas had been identified and that priority areas would be demand-driven.
Prof. Ansah disclosed that female population had increased from 31 to 36 per cent but said only 29 per cent of the total population of the university lived on campus and, therefore, called on private investors to venture into building hostels for students.
The Global President of the association, Mrs Eunice Akosua Ofosua Amoako, said a unified globalised alumni association had been formed and was expected that all past students of the then Kumasi College of Technology, which later became the University of Science and Technology (UST) and now the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), and all affiliate institutions will join the global family.
In a welcome address, the President of the Volta Regional chapter of KNUST alumni, Mr William Baah, said it was expected that delegates would resolve to develop a strategy to contribute to their alma mater with effect from this year.
For his part, the Pro-vice Chancellor of the Ho Technical University, Dr Ben Hoenyenuga, said accessing higher education in the 21st century was a laborious and expensive venture which the government alone could not shoulder.
The Chairman of the function was the Paramount Chief of Vakpo Traditional Area, Togbe Gbogbolulu V, who contended that without adequate funding, ideas cannot be developed and will remain latent.