The College of Health Sciences (CHS) at the University of Ghana has taken a significant step toward strengthening international collaboration following a high-level engagement with a delegation from Mykolas Romeris University (MRU) in Lithuania. The meeting, held on 1st April, 2026 at the College, brought together key academic leaders to explore opportunities for partnership in training, research and academic exchange.
Welcoming the delegation, the Provost of CHS, Prof. Alfred Edwin Yawson, expressed appreciation for the visit and provided an overview of the University’s collegiate structure and strategic direction, highlighting UG’s strengths in teaching, research, innovation, community engagement and sustainability. He emphasised the College’s commitment to delivering transformative student experiences, advancing impactful research and strengthening faculty development through global partnerships. He also outlined the College’s strong research ecosystem, including collaborations in genomics, infectious diseases and public health. Prof. Yawson noted the presence of the College at the Legon and Korle Bu campuses, with the latter located at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, one of the largest teaching hospitals in West Africa.
Leading the MRU delegation, Prof. Natalja Istomina highlighted her institution’s interest in building long-term collaboration with CHS in areas such as nursing, public health administration and other health sciences courses. She noted MRU’s focus on integrated medical education, research and innovation, and expressed keen interest in student and faculty exchange programmes, joint grant applications, co-supervision of postgraduate students and dual-degree programmes. She further indicated that MRU is seeking to expand its collaboration footprint in Africa, with the University of Ghana as a key partner.
Discussions between both institutions revealed strong alignment in priority areas, particularly in nursing and public health training, where opportunities exist for exchange programmes, collaborative research, and joint supervision of PhD candidates. Additional areas of collaboration identified include physiology, genetics and genomics, infectious disease research and other health sciences courses. MRU also expressed interest in linking CHS to its international research networks across Europe and Asia, as well as facilitating partnerships with other institutions.
The Provost underscored CHS’s readiness to engage in meaningful collaboration, particularly in advancing postgraduate training in specialised nursing fields such as critical care, emergency, orthopedic, and neurosurgical nursing. He noted that while the College produces a high number of undergraduate nurses, there is a strategic focus on enhancing advanced training to meet global healthcare demands. He also highlighted emerging programmes in health professional education as an area ripe for collaboration.
The engagement further explored opportunities for joint research initiatives, grant applications, faculty exchanges and the development of dual or double-degree programmes. MRU also shared insights into its academic structure, including integrated medical and pharmacy programmes, advanced nursing practice, and emerging curricula in physiotherapy and allied health fields. Notably, MRU’s interest in bioethics and infectious disease research aligns with CHS’s established strengths in these areas.
Speaking on behalf of the International Programmes Office (IPO), CHS, Prof. Nicholas T.K.D. Dayie expressed optimism that the engagement would culminate in formal agreements and impactful collaborations. He reiterated the College’s commitment to fostering global partnerships that enhance research, training and innovation.
The meeting concluded with a mutual commitment to consolidate the areas of interest discussed and to initiate steps toward signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between MRU and the University of Ghana. Both parties expressed enthusiasm about the potential of the partnership to advance academic excellence, research innovation and global health outcomes.
The visit marks a promising beginning of a strategic collaboration that is expected to create new opportunities for students, faculty and researchers across both institutions.