Ghana's best university: UCC attributes successes to research

Dean of the University of Cape Coast Business School, Prof. John Gatsi has attributed successes chalked up in the field of Research by the UCC to the investments and reforms put in place by the institution.

The Times Higher Education recently released its ranking of Universities where UCC was ranked number 1 globally in terms of numerous research publications by the University.

Professor John Gatsi told GBC News that in UCC the willingness of teaching and non- teaching staff to adhere to the reforms resulted in its success with the rankings.

”The result of the 4 to 5 years right investment that was made by the University management and also the right reforms that were undertaken regarding research, innovation and consultancy and also the right reforms that were undertaken regarding visibility and extension thus services within the University community and above all the willingness and commitment of the University community by adhering to the tenets of the reforms that we have all adopted.

Professor shed more light on the reforms and the commitment.

”Reforms because in the past 4 to 5 years, we were very mindful up to the outlet of the publications, the rules regarding publications even in the internal within the University, our directorate of the research and innovation and consultancy was able to put up different policies regarding general management system, regarding publications outlet even regarding what will go into promotion regarding what to go into visibility of the University by the investment, that the University was easily the needed funding to support its activity going into training program for all of the University community to understand these changes to understand the policies and imbibe them in our individual and Departmental List,” Professor Gati explained.

For his part, the Directorate of Research Innovation and Consultancy at UCC, Professor Ato Armah said the University will leverage the benefits given to them due to the ranking to help sustain its current position.

According to Prof. Armah, the University is partnering Research Groups, Civil society organizations and private and public sectors, and other stakeholders to make the school’s Research and Innovation ecosystem robust.

He said the achievement will inform the choices for students and parents.

”As we ensure that we leverage on what we have done and then look at our existing partnerships and then expand the nature, We believe those that coordinate our research and those partnering us as a University are interested in it more, now it gives indication that what we are doing is credible. It gives indication that when the benchmark is against other Universities when the benchmark of our performance is against what other nations are doing and what other research is doing.

"They know that what we are doing is significant. This means that our finders will be able to give us resources to expand the kind of research we are doing and will ensure the benefits not only to the University of Cape Coast, but other sectors of the economy.

"We have contributed to high-end research in terms of climate change and other research health sciences issues about fruit fraud and food security. We are leaders in that domain and I believe that we can leverage the benefits put to us from this ranking and forge new partnerships in this domain. Students will be interested to come to the University of Cape Coast because they know that this is the University track record of academic work over the past 60 years.

"I believe that it is not only the students that will be interested. Parents will be also making decisions and they would look at all metrics or indicators when they begin to choose the University that their wards will need to attend. We have an innovative and researched ecosystem that means that we are partnering with other academic institutions.

"We are partnering with NGOs and civil society groups. We are partnering with the public sector, private sector. All of these players together with policies constitute the research and innovation ecosystem of the University of Cape Coast,” according to Professor Armah.