University of Ghana

University of Ghana
Arms of the University of Ghana
Motto Integri Procedamus[1]
Type Public
Established 1948
Chairman Yaw Twumasi
Chancellor Mary Chinery-Hesse
Vice-Chancellor Ebenezer Oduro Owusu[2]
Students 39,249 as at July 2016
Undergraduates 33,703
Postgraduates 5,546
652
Address University of Ghana
P.O. Box LG 25
Legon, Ghana, Accra, Greater Accra Region, Ghana
05°39′03″N 00°11′13″W / 5.65083°N 0.18694°W / 5.65083; -0.18694
Campus Suburban area
Colours Midnight Blue, Lemon Yellow and Vegas Gold
            
Nickname Legon
Affiliations See below
Website www.ug.edu.gh

The University of Ghana is the oldest and largest of the thirteen Ghanaian public universities. It was founded in 1948,[3] in the British colony of the Gold Coast, as the University College of the Gold Coast, and was originally an affiliate college of the University of London,[4] which supervised its academic programmes and awarded degrees. It gained full university status in 1961,[4] and now has nearly 40,000 students. The original emphasis was on the liberal arts, social sciences, law, basic science, agriculture and medicine. However, as part of a national educational reform program, the university's curriculum was expanded to provide more technology-based and vocational courses as well as postgraduate training.

The university is mainly based at Legon, about 12 kilometres northeast of the centre of Accra. Its medical school is in Korle Bu, with a teaching hospital and secondary campus in the city of Accra. It also has a graduate school of nuclear and Allied Sciences at the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, making it one of the few universities on the Africa continent offering programs in nuclear physics and nuclear engineering.

History

The formation of the West African Commission of the Asquith Commission on Higher Education in the Colonies[5] under the chairmanship of Rt. Hon. Walter Elliot was the birth of this notable institution in 1948. The commission recommended the setting up of university colleges in association with the University of London, thus the University College of the Gold Coast was founded by Ordinance on 11 August 1948 for the purpose of providing for and promoting university education, learning and research. This was made possible by the rejection of the first recommendation which stated that only one university college was feasible for the whole of British West Africa, which would be located in Nigeria by the people of Gold Coast led principally by Dr. J.B. Danquah.[5]

Academics

The Balme Library

Main entrance to the Balme Library

The library is located on the main campus of the University.

College of Health Sciences

There are four faculties, one school and one research institute under this college.[6]

  • School of Medicine and Dentistry
  • School of Biomedical and Allied Health Sciences
  • School of Nursing Located on the Legon campus though its students receive practical training at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.
  • School of Pharmacy

Collegiate system

Starting from the 2014/2015 academic year, the University of Ghana adopted the collegiate system[7] and thus categorised all schools and departments under four colleges, which are:

  • College of Basic and Applied Sciences
  • College of Humanities
  • College of Education
  • College of Health Sciences

Other faculties

There are six faculties outside the above colleges.

  • Faculty of Arts British
  • Faculty of Social Studies
Department of Economics of University of Ghana
  • Faculty of Science
  • Faculty of Law The Faculty of Law was first established as a department of the Faculty of Social Studies in the 1958/59 academic year and became a full-fledged faculty in the 1960/61 academic year. From the 2012/2013 academic year, the university will admit fresh SHS students into the LLB first-degree programme but will retain the post-first degree programme. Thus the university will have two entry means to the Faculty of Law.
  • Faculty of Engineering Sciences

Workers' colleges

The university has these facilities in the various regions where it runs a variety of programmes, including degree courses.[8] Awudome College has residential facilities that enable short courses over weekends and other durations to be run there.

  • Accra Workers' College, (now Accra City campus) Accra
  • Awudome Residential Workers' College, Tsito
  • Bolgatanga Workers' College, Bolgatanga
  • Cape Coast Workers' College, Cape Coast
  • Ho Workers' College, Ho
  • Koforidua Workers' College, Koforidua
  • Kumasi Workers' College, Kumasi
  • Takoradi Workers' College, Sekondi-Takoradi
  • Tamale Workers' College, Tamale
  • Tema Workers' College, Tema
  • Sunyani Workers' College, Sunyani
  • Wa Workers' College, Wa

Reputation

University rankings
Global
Times World[9] 801-1000
QS World[10] 801-1000
Regional
Times Africa[11] 11
Special
THE Emerging Economies[12] 182

The Times Higher Education World University Rankings of 2018 ranks the University of Ghana at the 800-1000th place globally and 11th in Africa (rank shared with other universities).

Research and learning centres

  • Centre of Excellence for Global Environmental Change Research.
  • Centre for Social Policy Analysis
  • Centre for Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System
  • Legon Centre for International Affairs and Diplomacy
  • Centre for Migration
  • International Centre for African Music and Dance
  • Centre for Tropical Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics
  • Centre for Biotechnology Research
  • Centre for African Wetlands
  • Language Centre
  • West African Centre for Crop Improvement
  • West African Centre for Cell Biology and Infectious Pathogens
  • The United Nations University for Natural Resources in Africa
  • Centre for Gender Studies and Advocacy(CEGENSA)
  • Regional Training Centre for Archivists
  • Ecological laboratory
  • Legon Botanical Gardens
  • The Ghana Herbarium
  • Centre for African Foods
  • Centre for West African foods
  • Centre for International foods
  • Centre for Ghana foods
  • African Regional Centre for training in postgraduate insect science
  • Institute of African Studies

Kade Agricultural Research Station

Kade Agricultural Research Centre

Kade Agricultural Research Station, or Kade Agricultural Research Centre, is an agricultural research centre located at Kade, in the Eastern Region of Ghana is part of the University of Ghana Centres of Research and Learning.[13] It is one of the three agricultural research centres of Ghana's university. The centre at Kade was established in 1957. It covers an area of 99.3 hectares and is mainly concerned with research into production of forest zone crops such as citrus, plantain, cocoyam, oil palm and rubber, with a special interest in agronomy of perennial crop plants.

Facilities

Halls of residence

  • Commonwealth Hall (the university's only male hall of residence)
  • Legon Hall
  • Mensah Sarbah Hall
  • Volta Hall (the university's only female hall of residence)
  • Akuafo Hall
  • Jubilee Hall

The university has eight newly created halls of residence that were commissioned in 2011. They are:

  • Alexander Kwapong Hall, named after Professor Alexander Kwapong a former Vice-Chancellor and Chairman of Council of State.[14]
  • Jean Nelson Hall, named after an alumnus, Jean Nelson Aka. It was inaugurated in July. Its emblem shows a candle, a book and a pen to symbolize perseverance. It was designed by a final year Physics-Computer Science major student Raymond Sung-Seh Harrison. The motto of the hall, "Lux In Tenebris", which is Latin for "Light In Darkness", was suggested by Raymond's mate at the time, a lady by the name Muna Twerefour". The emblem was officially adopted on Tuesday, 2 April 2013.
  • Hilla Limann Hall, the first of the University of Ghana Enterprise Limited (UGEL) hostels to be completed. It was inaugurated in July 2010.[15] during which the Vice-Chancellor announced the decision to name it after Hilla Limann, a former President of the Republic of Ghana. Senior members of the University may be assigned as Fellows of the Hall by the Vice Chancellor. Students assigned/affiliated to the Hall form the Junior members. The Head of Hall, Senior Tutor and fellow tutors as a body helps with the governing of the Hall.
  • Elizabeth Sey Hall, the second of the newer halls built by University of Ghana Enterprise Limited (UGEL) Hostels to be completed. It was inaugurated in July 2010 and was named after the first female graduate of the university, Elizabeth Frances Baaba Sey.
  • Africa Union Hall, formerly called Pentagon, built by Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT)
  • James Topp Nelson Yankah Hall, formerly known as Teachers Fund (TF) Hostel.[16]
  • Bani Hall, initially a private hostel and later turned into a hall after the tenancy agreement with the University had elapsed.
  • Evandy Hall, formerly Evandy Hostel and this was turned into a hall after the tenancy agreement with the University elapsed and ownership transferred to University authorities,
Entrance to Mensah Sarbah Hall, University of Ghana

Hostels

There are ten university hostels: the International Students' Hostels (I and II), the Valco Trust Hostel, The Commonwealth Hall, The Akuafo Hall, The Mensah Sarbah Hall, The Legon Hall, The Limann Hall, The Kwapong Hall, The Elizabeth Sey Hall and the Jean Aka Nelson hall. There are also private hostels, SSNIT Hostels (Ghana Hostels also known as Pentagon).[17]

Bank, postal and other services

Ghana Commercial Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, Barclays Bank, Cal Bank, HFC Bank, Access Bank, Stanbic Bank, and Ecobank Ghana have branches on the Legon campus. There is a branch of the national postal service (Ghana Post) on campus. Other banks have ATMs on campus.

Roads usage and user charges

From 1 February 2014, all vehicles entering the University of Ghana's main campus, and also those using the road passing through the Staff Village of the University were required to pay charges. This was heavily criticized by public and students and has been suspended. Currently, various entry points into the campus require vehicle owners (typically staff and students) to obtain electronically scannable cards issued and authorised by the transport unit of the university.

Notable alumni

The university has appeared in several films and television advertisements. The television series Sun City has a lot of scenes of the university. The name of the university has also been referenced in the lyrics of artists in Ghana, including Sarkodie's "Legon Girls", Buk Bak's "Klu blofo", Kwadei's "Wutatami" and Okordii's "Four years in Legon".[20]

References

  1. ↑ "Visitors>Overview". Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
  2. ↑ "University of Ghana gets new Vice Chancellor; Prof. Ebenezer Owusu", Joy Online, 8 January 2016.
  3. ↑ Kwabena Dei Ofori-Attah. "Expansion of Higher Education in Ghana: Moving Beyond Tradition". Comparative & International Education Newsletter: Number 142. CIES, Florida International University. Archived from the original on 4 October 2006. Retrieved 9 March 2007.
  4. 1 2 G. F. Daniel (17 April 1998). "THE UNIVERSITIES IN GHANA". Development of University Education in Ghana. University of Ghana. Archived from the original on 19 March 2007. Retrieved 10 March 2007.
  5. 1 2 "Establishment of The University", University of Ghana.
  6. ↑ "Official Site of the College of Health Sciences". University of Ghana. Archived from the original on 8 December 2006. Retrieved 12 March 2007.
  7. ↑ "University Of Ghana Adopts Collegiate System From 2014/2015 Academic Year", University of Ghana, 16 May 2014.
  8. ↑ "About Us: Profile of the University". University of Ghana. Archived from the original on 10 February 2007. Retrieved 10 March 2007.
  9. ↑ https://www.timeshighereducation.com/student/best-universities/best-universities-africa
  10. ↑ https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/university-ghana
  11. ↑ https://www.timeshighereducation.com/student/best-universities/best-universities-africa
  12. ↑ https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/2018/emerging-economies-university-rankings#survey-answer
  13. ↑ "Research Centers". University of Ghana. Archived from the original on 28 August 2016. Retrieved 14 January 2013.
  14. ↑ "Legon Damns Coup Makers". Chronicle. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
  15. ↑ University of Ghana, Upcoming Events. "Inauguration Ceremony: Students Residential Facilities". University of Ghana. Archived from the original on 8 April 2014. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
  16. ↑ "Teachers Fund Hostel Outdoored with new name", Vibe Ghana, 14 February 2013.
  17. ↑ "Halls of Residence/Hostels". University of Ghana. Archived from the original on 8 August 2013. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  18. ↑ "Legon Inaugurates New Hall Of Residence". Accra, Ghana: Modern Ghana. 22 January 2012. Archived from the original on 5 May 2018. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
  19. ↑ "Notable Alumni". University of Ghana Alumni Association. Archived from the original on 24 January 2015. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
  20. ↑ "University of Ghana". General-books.net. Archived from the original on 22 January 2015. Retrieved 22 January 2015.

Coordinates: 05°39′03″N 00°11′13″W / 5.65083°N 0.18694°W / 5.65083; -0.18694

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.