Message from the Professor Alfred Edwin Yawson
The University of Ghana’s College of Health Sciences does not only take pride in its enviable reputation as the Premier College of the Premier University in Ghana, but also because it is made up of most of the elite schools, research institute and centres; namely, the University of Ghana Medical School, the University of Ghana Dental School and the School of Biomedical & Allied Health Sciences on the Korle Bu Campus, as well as the School of Public Health, the School of Nursing and Midwifery, the School of Pharmacy, the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, the West African Genetic Medicine Centre and the West Africa Centre for GeoHealth on the Legon Campus.
As a composition of the most prestigious healthcare training academic units in the country, we accept the responsibility that upon our shoulders rest the nation’s hopes and expectations for the training of the next generation of healthcare professionals, who will lead in the design and implementation of programmes aimed at bringing good health, comfort and happiness to our people. We do not take this duty lightly in any way, and have focused training approaches that emphasize creativity in our students.
Since its establishment in 1999, the College of Health Sciences has put in place measures to maintain its prestigious status as the institution of choice for training and research in the health sciences by taking advantage of its unique geographical location on two campuses. As a world-class research-intensive College, we strive to maintain high standards, including a rigorous admissions process, comprising entrance examinations and/or admissions interviews, to ensure that the College of Health Sciences attracts the smartest, the brightest, most talented, and most dedicated students across the country to its programmes. This means our students also have the highest expectations of us. We are, therefore, committed to offer our students new and exciting opportunities to meet these expectations as we aim for greater heights in Africa and across the globe.
We are an institution that values our students, and we strive to exceed their expectations by continuously assessing our programme offerings, teaching and learning facilities such as lecture rooms, laboratories and libraries, and upgrading them to meet the changing needs of the nation and the world at large. In line with our quest to improve students’ learning experience, we have renovated and modernized our Emmanuel Quaye Archampong Library to an ultra-modern complex which now boasts of several state-of-the-art holding spaces such as the “Students’ Commons”, “Faculty Commons”, “Research Area”, “Quiet Room” among others. We are also on the move to expand the geographic space of the College by seeking to create new additional satellite training sites through technology. To this end, we are currently in discussions with the International Maritime Hospital (IMaH), The Bank Hospital and our own University of Ghana Medical Centre to develop memoranda of understanding that allow these facilities to be used as satellite campuses for the Medical and Dental Schools. If successful, we aim to at least double our student intake in the next five (5) years.
As the sixth Provost of the College, I commit to diversify our sources of revenue and income to address the biggest challenge we face as an institution, i.e. lack of financial resources. While government funding has increasingly dwindled over the years, I believe the surest way to sustain infrastructural development for the improvement of student learning experiences and learning outcomes is to continue to innovate by considering non-traditional revenue sources that increase the financial capacity of the College. During my tenure, I intend to create an environment that encourages faculty to increase their research output by applying for external grants, engaging in collaborative research, and the development of innovative teaching methods. Additionally, I intend to establish new partnerships and collaborations that would lead to additional student exchange programmes and scholarships/fellowships for research and research training.
This is not a goal the College can or intends to achieve alone. It will require the collective effort of all stakeholders, including faculty, staff, students, corporate institutions as well as the general public. As we aim to improve our global academic ranking and competitiveness, this is the time to move into a new era - i.e., an era of strategic partnerships and collaborations that progressively guarantee total financial self-reliance.
In this regard, I take the opportunity to appeal to corporate institutions and individuals to donate generously to our Postgraduate Endowment Fund. Together, we can achieve the vision of making the University of Ghana a world-class research-intensive university, and the College of Health Sciences the preferred institution for training and research in health sciences and healthcare.
Professor Alfred Edwin Yawson
Email:aeyawson@ug.edu.gh
