The University of Ghana has formalised a strategic partnership with the University of Ottawa through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) aimed at promoting student mobility, joint research, faculty exchanges and collaborative academic programmes.
The partnership aligns with Strategic Priorities 1 to 4 of the University of Ghana Strategic Plan, namely: transformative student experience, impactful research, commitment to faculty and staff, and engagement and partnerships.
Professor Gordon Awandare, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Academic and Student Affairs, University of Ghana
Welcoming the delegation, Professor Gordon Awandare, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs, underscored the importance of international partnerships in enriching both teaching and research. He noted that meaningful collaborations are often driven from the ground up. “The real action happens at the unit level,” he said, advocating a bottom-up approach to ensure the agreement translates into measurable impact.
Professor Awandare further proposed split-site training arrangements as a strategy for sustainable capacity building in Ghana, while addressing concerns about brain drain. He also called for equitable student exchange arrangements in view of differences in tuition structures between the two institutions.
“At the University of Ghana, we favour a system where students are trained in both places and preferably anchored here, so that they are more likely to remain in the University of Ghana and ensure sustainable capacity building,” he stated, adding that tuition waivers should reflect institutional disparities to promote fairness in exchanges.
Professor Samuel Nii Ardey Codjoe, Provost, College of Education, University of Ghana
Professor Samuel Nii Ardey Codjoe, Provost of the College of Education, welcomed the collaboration and highlighted the role of the Legon Centre for Education Research and Policy (LECERP) in promoting international partnerships. He noted that the journey towards the agreement had involved careful planning and iteration.
Dr. Fatin Yaro, Manager for Partnership Development (Africa), University of Ottawa
In his remarks, Dr. Fatin Yaro, Manager for Partnership Development (Africa), University of Ottawa, expressed appreciation for the warm reception and underscored the need to translate the MOU into concrete projects. “We hope that beyond the signature of this MOU, we develop concrete projects that we will co-create and co-deliver,” he said.
Dr. Yaya Koné, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Education, University of Ottawa
Dr. Yaya Koné, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Education at the University of Ottawa, indicated interest in broadening the collaboration beyond the College of Education to include other Colleges in the university. He noted that a consortium had been formed to address shared challenges facing both Canada and Ghana.
Mr. Joseph Oduro Nkansah, College Registrar, College of Education, University of Ghana
Contributing to the discussion, Mr. Joseph Oduro Nkansah, College Registrar, reiterated the University of Ghana’s preference for substantive engagements such as seminars and conferences, rather than partnerships that exist only on paper. He described the agreement as opening new avenues for meaningful collaboration.
Dr. Clement Adamba, Director, LECERP
In his closing remarks, Dr. Clement Adamba, Director of LECERP, assured participants that implementation would commence promptly. He revealed that discussions were already underway to organise seminars and other joint activities, demonstrating both institutions’ shared commitment to ensuring that the agreement delivers measurable and lasting impact.
The discussion concluded with the official signing of the MoU between both institutions, which was facilitated by the Legal Counsel Directorate.