The Department of Environment, Governance, and Sustainable Development of the School of Development Studies at the University of Cape Coast engaged significant players to acquire their inputs on how to improve two new programs proposed by the department.
The programs, Governance and Sustainable Development as well as Environment and Development Studies which will both run MPhil and Ph.D. is a review of three current programs offered by the department which include MA Environmental Policy, MA Governance, and Sustainable development, and MA Democracy, Law and Governance.
Speaking to ATLFMNEWS on the sidelines of the engagement in a consultative workshop, the Head of the department, Dr. Daniel Essel, hinted that the new set of programs were introduced as a result of high demand and interest to upgrade the already existing programs to the MPhil and Ph.D. level.
The school has been running MA in environmental policy and MA governance and sustainable development as well as MA Democracy, Law, and governance but Dr. Essel said in the interest of others and with the demand being high, the existing programs were reviewed to incorporate the new ones.
According to him, there is also the need to link academia with the working world and thus the need for the workshop.
“We have done our part based on the experience that we have, so we have developed the programme but since we work with the industry players we want the practical aspect of it to reflect in the way we do the program and that is why we invited them to share their perspectives on how we can address this programme.”
Read also: Ghana joins the world to commemorate World AIDS day
The Head of Local Government Service, Dr. (Ing) Nana Ato Arthur hailed the department for holding such a workshop highlighting how beneficial it will be when some staff of the Local Government Service is sponsored to pursue any of the new programs.
He noted that “most of our development has an impact on the environment and bringing the industry players to the academia is in the right direction”.
He, therefore, said staff need to be motivated to gain admission to undertake the program.
The two new programs are expected to be rolled out in 2022.
Source: Rosemond Asmah &Richard Osei Korankye/ATLFMNEWS
