President Mahama Receives E/R University Report

Work on the preliminary stage towards establishing a public university for sustainable Environmental Studies and Research in the Eastern Region has been completed following the presentation of the final report to President John Dramani Mahama.

The next step is to present the report for Parliamentary approval to attach legitimacy to the establishment of the University. This came to light when the Planning Committee for the establishment of the University, on Monday, presented the final report to the President at the Flagstaff House for onward procedures.

The establishment of the University would be in fulfillment of President Mahama's 2012 campaign promise to establish a public university in the Eastern Region with the main Campus at Somanya, and a satellite campus in Donkorkrom.

The Committee, chaired by Professor Raymond, a former Vice Chancellor at the University for Development Studies, with Dr Christine Amoako-Nuamah, a former Minister of State, as the convener, was charged with the responsibility of developing, organizing and supervising the implementation of a programme for the university.

They were also tasked to identify appropriate Departments and Faculties, recommend relevant programmes and courses for each department, institute curricula and pedagogy relevant to the national needs on environmental science and securing high level faculty and staff.

Dr Amoako-Nuamah, who presented the report, said while the first part of the report concentrated on recommendations for the establishment, the second section concentrated on the requirements that would create a blue print for the institution. She said most of the recommendations were based on Food Security, Climate Change, Agricultural Impact on the Environment and the Engagement of Young Graduates in Job Creation.

Dr Amoako-Nuamah said the University would begin with four undergraduate schools, one graduate school and three centres of excellence in Agriculture, sustainable development among others.

President Mahama, in receiving the report, commended the committee for the elaborate work, adding that its passage and subsequent establishment would be the third University after the establishment of Ho University for Health and Allied Sciences and the University for Renewable Energy and Natural Resources, in Sunyani.

He said having established other universities that were training students in Business and the Humanities; it was, therefore, useful to move away from that trend, hence the change in curricula in the new public universities. President Mahama promised to raise the necessary funds to actualise the establishment of the University.