University of Ghana launches 50years anniversary

Prof. Aryeetey was speaking at the launch of 50 years of the university’s existence in Accra.

With a current student population of 39,376, the University of Ghana is not only the oldest but the largest of the eight public universities in the country.

The move to condense the various schools is part of larger efforts to bring Legon towards a world class university status.

“The reorganisation is intended to achieve improved effectiveness, efficiency and greater responsiveness,” he said.

Prof. Aryeetey said the university was to further invest $2.5 million worth of assorted equipment for all departments in the Faculty of Science and College of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences to boost the current level of research.

In the coming years, it seeks to construct a private hospital and medical diagnostic centre that would attract the best of medical experts from around the world, according to the vice chancellor.

He said there would also be the development of a public transport system to facilitate movement for staff and students on the school’s premises.

The project, he said, would come with the management of toll-roads to ensure effective maintenance.

Prof. Aryeetey said the administration was working with the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) to put up new structures for studies and accommodation purposes.

Other projects had also been penciled down to be implemented under a Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) mode of implementation.

The University of Ghana was founded in 1948 as the University College of the Gold Coast. In the 1960-61 academic years, the College’s Council made a request to the then government for legislation to constitute the University College into a university with the power to award its own degrees.

The Chairperson of the anniversary planning committee, Prof. Yaa Ntiamoah-Baidu, told the news conference that activities lined up for the celebrations included faculty colloquia, education/job  fairs, alumni homecoming among others.