Dwindling financial support from government over the years, to cover some major expenses of the University of Ghana, has compelled the institution to strategise towards raising additional funds, hence dedicating the School’s 70th Anniversary celebration as a fund-raising effort.
Speaking at the launch of the anniversary, Prof. Ebenezer Oduro Owusu, Vice- Chancellor of the University indicated that the move has become necessary to reduce the burden of students, and to effectively manage the school.
“The university intends to dedicate the 70th anniversary celebration as a fund-raising effort towards our endowment fund to support research and graduate studies in line with our strategic objective of becoming a research-intensive university.
Over the past ten years, subvention has been in arrears. The government of Ghana remains major funder but its support has dwindled from more than 80 percent of our budget to just over 43 percent, covering only emolument subvention.
The university has strategized to generate income to cover teaching, research, infrastructure, maintenance, and development, as well as service and administration. The challenge is how to diversify the sources of internally generated funds and reduce the burden of students even as they make fair contribution,” Prof. Owusu said.
He emphasised the institution’s contribution to industry over the years, by aligning academic curricular to the needs of industry, while providing leadership of trends and alternatives in industry advancement and technology.
He further reiterated the University’s vision of transforming into a world-class research-intensive university that serves the growing needs of Ghana and Africa at large, urging all to support in their own ways towards the achievement of same.
In his address at the launch, Education Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku-Prempeh congratulated the University for how far it has come since its inception, urging managers of the institution to continue working hard to improve on achievements made so far.
He also pledged government’s commitment to partnering the University to find solutions to the challenges it is faced with.
He said: We are committed to ensuring that all higher education institutions in the country get their fair share of development projects to enable them all meet their obligations more effectively.”
The year- long anniversary celebration, themed: ‘Celebrating Excellence: Shaping Futures’, is designed to feature a number of activities including lectures, launch of the UG Endowment Fund, alumni home-coming, some sports activities, outreach programmes, a Glitz Ball, among others, which will be climaxed with a carols service in December.
