The High Commissioner-Designate to Canada, Professor Dora Francisca Edu-Buandoh, has paid a courtesy visit to the Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Professor Dennis Worlanyo Aheto.
Held on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, the visit served both as an expression of Prof. Edu-Buandoh’s gratitude to the University for the guidance and opportunities that shaped her rise to Ghana’s High Commissioner-Designate to Canada and as a platform to explore potential collaborations between UCC and institutions in Canada.
Speaking at a brief ceremony attended by the Registrar, Director of Finance, Provosts of the various colleges, Deans, and other key university officials, Prof. Edu-Buandoh described the visit as a symbolic homecoming.
“Traditionally, when you receive good news, you go home to share it with your family. When I was nominated, I received many congratulatory messages from the UCC community, and I felt it was only proper to come back and say thank you,” she said.
Prof. Edu-Buandoh, who served the University of Cape Coast for over two decades and rose through the ranks to become Pro-Vice-Chancellor, expressed deep affection for the institution, noting that about 95% of her professional life had been spent at UCC.
She credited the University for grooming her academically and professionally, which, she believes, contributed to her recognition and appointment to the diplomatic position.
“The University of Cape Coast is where I spent about 95% of my working life. So, I hold UCC very dear in my heart. If there is one place I should go before I go to take my position, it should be UCC. And also to thank the university for training me, because I’m very, very sure that it’s out of the training I got that people noticed me and noticed the work that I am doing and decided that we should give you additional work to do”
Speaking on her new role and the expectations attached to it, Prof. Edu-Buandoh revealed that her Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) as High Commissioner include strengthening academic and institutional partnerships between Ghana and Canada.
“The President gave us a very clear KPI, and one of the major expectations is to help tertiary institutions establish strong collaborations with Canadian universities. The President expects that we will strengthen what we already have and open new doors. So, I am charged to do that as part of my KPI, and I intend to leverage my long-standing relationship with UCC to make that happen,” she explained.
She emphasized that her new position does not mean detachment from UCC but rather an opportunity to serve as a bridge for academic and research collaborations.
“I cannot say that I have left UCC behind. I intend to rely on this relationship so that together we can promote our University and contribute to national development,” she added.
Prof. Edu-Buandoh further urged the University to include students in international academic engagements to ensure that UCC’s global partnerships remain student-centered.
“When teams travel abroad, I would love to see students among them. Institutions outside are very interested in student mobility, and including students gives meaning to such visits. I encourage management to operationalize existing MoUs with Canadian universities so that we can create tangible opportunities for our students.”
On his part, Prof. Dennis Worlanyo Aheto, the Acting Vice-Chancellor and Pro-Vice-Chancellor of UCC, congratulated Prof. Edu-Buandoh on her appointment, describing the occasion as a “historic moment” for the University.
“We are proud of Prof. Edu-Buandoh’s achievements and her contributions to the University, both personally and professionally. Management has agreed that we will organize a befitting farewell in her honour before her departure to Canada,” he disclosed.
Prof. Aheto also appealed to the incoming High Commissioner to help the University attract investors to support its hostel development initiative, a project aimed at improving student accommodation through public-private partnerships.
“If in your line of duty you can help identify philanthropists or organizations willing to invest in UCC, it would go a long way to support our hostel drive. We want to rededicate ourselves to our students because the University is ultimately about them,” he said.
The visit was marked by warm exchanges and mutual expressions of appreciation, underscoring the enduring bond between Prof. Edu-Buandoh and the University of Cape Coast, a relationship she has vowed to strengthen further in her new diplomatic role.
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Source: Deborah Bubune Ashiagbor & Eric Sekyi/ATLFMNEWS
