KNUST Summer School proffers solutions to develop tertiary education

Ghana’s former Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Prof. Kwesi Botchwey, wants public universities empowered to enter into partnerships for commercial activities that generate funding for their operations.

The changing times, he noted, demand that the country’s universities are provided with the right policy framework and assured of the predictability in the use of their resources.

“There is no reason why KNUST cannot partner with some private sector enterprises to develop commercial activities to which they can lend the science and research capabilities and share in the gains and profits that these enterprises make and the right policy environment be assured that they can retain the resources that they make from such investments,” said Prof. Botchwey.

He was speaking at the 5th Summer School of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), organized by the Quality Assurance and Planning Unit.

The four-day event is on the theme: “Sustainable Development of Tertiary Institutions in Ghana Amidst Economic and Security Challenges”.

Ongoing reforms in the country’s public sector have an impact in the educational sector – including financial constraints, delay in release of subventions, embargo on employment, issues of utilities, lack of research funding, increasing student-to-staff ratio and staff capacity development.

In the midst of the changing environment, Vice Chancellor of KNUST, Prof. William Otoo Ellis, says the new order requires that institutions are developed in tandem with strategic mandate without compromising on quality.

Participants at the Summer School are expected to explore, learn and share good experiences amidst economic and security challenges facing tertiary education.

“Obviously we cannot continue to do things the same way as we use to; as stakeholders we should find ways of turning these constraints or seeming challenges into opportunities,” stated Prof. Ellis.

The event is to equip staff of the university with practical insights to sustainably develop the various institutions.

According to Prof. Kwesi Botchwey, there is a correlation between tertiary education and national development, emphasizing that funding remains the single most critical condition for Ghana to establish a viable and sustainable tertiary educational system that responds to the needs of development.

“If the tertiary education system is to be sustainable, it must be differentiated, it must have high quality,” he noted.

Fundamental principles to achieve this include public funding that facilitates tertiary educational system which promotes the overall national interest whilst the funding approach is aligned to the goals of the tertiary education systems.

Prof. Botchwey believes a policy and incentive framework that is clear, transparent and consistent will enable universities generate funds internally and assured of autonomy in use of the funds.

He says universities should develop new programmes that leverage the particular expertise and area of focus of the university itself.

“The solution to sustainability in the end lies with the innovative and creative ways that the universities themselves can device to raise resources,” he observed.