The Vice-Chancellor of the Ghana Communication Technology University (GCTU), Prof. Emmanuel Ohene Afoakwa has stated that the University is now a public university after the successful passage of the GCTU Act, 2020 (Act 1022) converting the institution into a full-fledged public university by Parliament and was assented by the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on the 13th of August, 2020.
The move has thus challenged GCTU to embark on a massive rebranding exercise to position the university as a premiere information communication technology university in the country as well as in the sub-region in West Africa.
According to the Vice Chancellor, the rebranding will include the painting of the Tesano and Abeka campuses, resurfacing of roads within the respective campuses, renovation of the main administrative block and the completion of the graduate school block.
Prof. Emmanuel Ohene Afoakwa was speaking at the 26th congregation of GCTU under the theme, “Transition to Public University Status, Understanding the Policy and Practical Implications” in Accra.
The university is graduating a total of 184 Masters Students and 14 PhD students from affiliated institutions such as CASS European Institute of Management Studies, France, Coventry University, United Kingdom and Anhalt University of Applied Sciences in Germany.
“GCTU will continue to brand the torch as a center for academic excellence and will provide an enabling environment for quality teaching, learning, research, intellectual creativity, innovation and service to the community.”
“As a result of this laudable milestone, the university in the 2021 academic year will promoted a transformative student experience, problem based learning approach, through the application of cutting edge information communication technology”, he said.
GCTU he said will continue to bear the touch as one of the most successful Transnational Education (TNE) institution of higher learning and engaged and maintained cordial relationship with its universities abroad such as Ramaiah University in India, Alborg University, Denmark, among others.
Throwing more light on the COVID-19 pandemic on teaching and learning, Prof. Ohene Afoakwa said the management of the university have moved all programmes and activities to the graduate school online and commended the unflinching support of pandemic management teams for their commitments on campuses to sensitize management, staff, and students to adhere to the COVID-19 protocols.
“The outbreak of the pandemic challenged GCTU to adopt the blended learning model through zoom lectures and online learning with few programmes on face to face lectures”, he said but was quick to state that it was held under strict adherence to the hand washing under running water, sanitizing of hands and wearing of nose masks.
He advised all alumni to uphold and contribute in kind and in cash to support infrastructural development for the growth of the university.
The Director-General of Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), Prof. Mohammed Salifu said the university have become a mainstream teaching and learning institution and commended government for making the passage a reality.
He therefore called on the university authorities to exhibit a sense of professionalism on every working endeavour in lifting the image of GCTU to a world class institution of higher learning.
Report by Ben LARYEA