The Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, Dr. (Sir) Sam Esson Jonah has appealed to the entire staff of the University of Cape Coast not to relent in their effort to maintain the university in its current position in the 2022 universities ranking.
He says the 2022 universities ranking which places UCC as the number one university in Ghana and West Africa, among the best four in Africa and the best worldwide in terms of research influence is something which has been fought for and therefore need to be safeguarded.
Dr. (Sir) Sam Esson Jonah made these passionate remarks during an interaction session with the Staff of UCC here in the university which formed part of the many activities instituted to mark the university’s 60th Anniversary Celebration.
According to the Chancellor, the staff of the university must prioritize how to protect the name UCC has acquired for itself and focus on how to further project the university positively to the international community.
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He said, “Sixty years on this is a much-cherished place, this is a place which is competitively sort after. It is not an accident that sixty years on the crowning glory has been that we have been chosen as the best university in various categories in Africa, Ghana and of course the world.”
“All of you have every reason to be proud when your history gets to be written. It is more important how you end it than how you started it. So, the challenge even as we celebrate 60 years is how we maintain this level of competitiveness. The only way to be sustainable and to be relevant is to continue to excel,” he added.
He further admonished the university’s staff to be creative and to treat well individuals whose contribution has lifted the university to its current status because he believes it is one of the ways to help maintain UCC as the best university.
“The only way this university will continue to make progress in the midst of this huge and almost overwhelming challenges is for us to be creative and innovative and entrepreneurial. Think out of the box. University reputations are made by faculty and individuals or led researchers. So you have to protect what you have. If you know that your niche you got there because of geography, make sure the geography people you treat them with respect, dignity and everything else so that they don’t fall out. So please recognize that and reward them and celebrate them,” he intimated.
Meanwhile, touching on agricultural development in the country, Sir Sam Jonah urged the university, especially the school of agriculture to take the lead in technological agricultural advancement through interdisciplinary collaboration.
“This university must be creating niches for itself. The university has the capacity to do that. Whatever you have here, studies ought to go into creating the best productivity so that lessons learnt can be transferred at the national level because if your department of agriculture is not making a meaningful contribution to making Ghana self-sufficient and fully productive then we are failing and this university will not fail.”
Interaction with Council
Earlier at a meeting with management of the University, the Chancellor admonished management and staff to ensure that the standards that have been set are maintained.
He therefore charged management to be actively committed to making the University of Cape Coast a premium university.
He said, “any leader who is a successful leader would confirm that he is where he is or the institution is where it is because of the collective effort of all. You don’t fail the university. You have all accepted the responsibility to be here. Give this university your best and that is how you will be remembered”.
Dr. (Sir) Sam Jonah also pledged his commitment to continue serving the University by giving off his very best in respect of time, resources.
Tour of facilities and projects
The Chancellor together with management also visited facilities and projects which are yet to be completed to facilitate academic work. The selected areas included facilities at the School of Medical Sciences – Administration block and Labs, the Institute of Education hotel, The New Lecture Theatre, the Sandwich Lecture Theatre and the School of Graduate Studies building.
SOURCE: ERIC SEKYI/ABIGAIL ADU AMOAKOWAAH/EDITH ODOOM/ ATL FM NEWS
