GTUC, Coventry University partnership to deepen tech speciality

The Ghana Technology University College (GTUC) has assured the country and its stakeholders around the world that unlike other training institutions that have diluted their programmes of study with non-core courses, the university would stay within its core speciality of developing human resource and the competences of people in the information and technology (IT) and related areas.

However, it said it would continue to innovate its programmes and courses along new trends in the IT and digital space as part of a broader strategy to cement its status as the institution of choice for persons looking to develop their talents in those areas.

The acting President of GTUC, Prof. Emmanuel Ohene Afoakwa, said at a media briefing in Accra that commitment was also to ensure that the country had enough human resource in the IT and digital space to meet growing demands.

Prof. Afoakwa gave the assurance when he addressed the media on how GTUC intended to grow its partnership in transnational education (TNE) with the Coventry University of the United Kingdom (UK).

Success story

Started in 2010, the partnership between the two universities allows beneficiary students in GTUC to obtain international certificates from Coventry University without going to the UK.

It also makes it possible for students in the UK who wish to obtain GTUC certificates, to do so in Coventry University without having to school in Ghana.

Data from the GTUC showed that the partnership started with 28 students but had since benefited more than 4,000 students in Ghana.

Prof. Afoakwa said GTUC treasured the relationship with Coventry University and would, therefore, continue to fulfil its part of the bargain to help make it a continuous success.

IT business

He said both institutions had committed to continuous innovation and the introduction of relevant courses to help benefit more students in the country.

He mentioned oil and gas management and engineering as some of the emerging areas that the partnership would look to explore to help grow.

Responding to a concern that the university was broadening its area of speciality into business programmes, which could dilute its core mandate, the acting President said such a concern was misplaced.

He explained that although the GTUC had added business courses to its list of training areas, those courses were not raw in nature but embedded in technology to help give students a special skill.

“You do not just come to get trained in human resource management, finance or accounting but you are trained in the use of IT to be able to conduct yourself and do your work with excellence.

“So, we have not and we will not broaden our scope so much so that we become irrelevant for the purpose for which the institution was established,” he said.

Agenda 2021

The Vice-Chancellor of Coventry University, Prof. John Latham, said as an institution that prides itself as the foremost institution in TNE across the world, Coventry University was selective in who it partnered to help achieve its agenda.

He explained that in choosing who it partners, Coventry University was bias towards universities that ran professional base courses that allowed beneficiaries to go into industry immediately after completion.

“Currently, GTUC is the type of university that we collaborate with around the world; a university which is about giving qualification which leads to employment and then long-term careers,” he said.

Prof. Latham said GTUC was Coventry University’s largest partner across the world and his outfit expected to play a key role in actualising the university’s 2021 target.

He said Coventry University was aiming at expanding its global student population to 100,000 by 2021 from the current 30,000 students.