Two universities sign MoU on exchange programmes
The University of Ghana (UG) and the Bordeaux University in France have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to facilitate exchange of academic programmes and staff between the two institutions.
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The agreement is expected to provide authorities of the academic institutions the opportunity to concretise their efforts in establishing lasting relations that would see the two institutions carry out joint research and quicken exchange programmes among students.
The Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) aided the agreement process following President John Dramani Mahama’s visit to France last year, which smoothened the way for the two institutions to formalise the deal.
Relevance of training
Speaking to the Daily Graphic after the MoU in Accra, the France Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Francois Pujolas, underscored the need to train people that would fit into the job market.
According to him, this would help raise the needed workforce to support economic growth in the country.
“This cooperation agreement in political studies is a step towards developing joint research and programmes among students,” he said.
He noted that making the academic world move with reality was crucial in enhancing development and addressing a myriad of social and economic challenges confronting nations, including Ghana, and expressed the hope that the deal would bridge the gap between industry and academics.
He also said the pact was expected to ease the learning of French among Ghanaian students and boost their competencies to take advantage of global job opportunities.
Academic programmes
The International Relations Officer of the University of Ghana (UG), Professor Naa Ayikailey Ademafio, made a presentation about academic programmes, colleges and satellite campuses of the university.
According to her, UG had a student population of about 40,000 from 50 countries with 800 being international students, though academic staff was pegged at 1,200, a number she noted was insufficient.
“The female population of the university is 45 per cent as against males,” she announced, adding that “this female student enrolment is not good for our liking, we hope to achieve 50 per cent parity”.
The Vice-President of the Bordeaux University, Professor Maria Binet, for her part, said the statistics were in sharp contrast to Bordeaux whose student population stood at 1,600, with 200 being foreign students.
Teaching languages
“The university teaches 23 languages, this is quite a lot as compared to other universities in the world,” she said.
The Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Professor Kwame Offei, also expressed delight that formal relations between the two institutions had finally been concretised after years of talks.