The Chairman of the Sunyani Technical University (STU) Governing Council, Prof. Samuel Awuah-Nyamekye, says his main focus is to make STU one of the best centres of academic excellence and Ghana and beyond. To this end, the reconstituted Governing Council is taking steps to recruit and retain quality academic and administrative staff.
Outlining his vision as the new Chairman of the STU Governing Council at a meeting with Convocation at the K. Nsiah-Gyabaah Auditorium today, Prof. Awuah-Nyamekye said one of his focus areas would be to build the capacity of academic staff to develop, apply and win research grant owing to the immense benefits therein.
For instance, he said, grantsmanship is an all-inclusive venture as it leads to self-development of the academic staff, administrative staff, accountants, research assistants and students as well as the possibility of infrastructural development, among others.
He also announced plans to organize in-service training to encourage and expose the academic to vigorous research and getting findings published in reputable journals.
“The cumulative effect of all these will be to get more Professors, Associate Professors and Senior Lecturers. Currently, STU only has 12 Associate Professors. My target is that by the end of my tenure of office, STU will have at least ten full professors ten more Associate Professors”, the Council Chairman said.
He further touched on the need to equip the University’s Library with modern books; supplemented with collaborations with well-resourced libraries across the world to borrow books and journals that STU does not have.
The Council Chairman also hinted that plans are underway for the University to run Doctor of Technology (D-Tech), in each of the faculties. D-Tech is equivalent to PhD.
“Above all, unity of purpose is key else we fail. There is the need for us to stay united, focused and contribute our quota toward the development of the university.
Responding to a question during the open forum session of the programme, the Vice-Chancellor, Ing. Prof. gave the assurance that efforts have been made to address the acute shortage of office accommodation for academic staff.
Regarding the need for additional lecture halls, the Vice-Chancellor expressed the hope that the Science Park project, when completed, will create more space for lectures.
The Pro-Vice Chancellor, Professor Justice Solomon Korantwi-Barimah, who is Ghana’s Ambassador-designate to Egypt; the Registrar, Mr. Samuel Ankama Obour and the Director of Finance, Mr. Thomas Kwarfo were also present at the meeting.
