3 Ghanaian universities place 3rd in global ranking

Three universities in the country have been ranked in joint third positions in the sub-Saharan region, the 2019 Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings has released.

The three are the University for Professional Studies (UPS), University of Ghana, Legon and the Ashesi University, all located in the Greater Accra Region.

The three tertiary institutions also completed in the 301+ placement.

The ranking was in a pioneering new global ranking that assessed the social and economic impact of universities based on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The ranking of the three universities has also improved in several other metrics that rank universities locally and globally.

High rating

A statement by the UPSA said since 2017 when the Vice Chancellor, Professor Abednego F. Okoe-Amartey, took over, “the university had signed faculty partnerships with two universities in the UK and Canada.

“There is a partnership with the University of New Brunswick (Canada) for Faculty members to pursue research in entrepreneurship. There is also a partnership in place with Birkbeck University of London for Faculty to pursue a PhD programme and one with ALTIS Università Cattolica, Italy, for the E4Impact MBA programme,” the statement said.

Technology

The statement said Prof. Okoe-Amartey tenure had seen the introduction of free campus WiFi, a media and website unit tasked to manage the online image of the university and engage its publics.

“His introduction of the Master Class which connects students with industry players and, more importantly, the Free Tuition of Professional Programmes for all UPSA students,” the statement further said.

It is a rule that a UPSA business student must graduate by chartering in any of the professional courses in addition to the regular degree.

Touching on the corporate social responsibility of the university, the statement said during the past two years, the VC had overseen the creation and introduction of the Business Incubator, Free Senior High School Vacation Classes for students in the university’s immediate environs.

Infrastructure

On infrastructure, the statement said: “Professor Okoe-Amartey continues the rapid expansion of UPSA’s infrastructure by completing the state of the art 550-capacity auditorium with underground parking and the Student Centre.”

It said construction of new facilities had also commenced including an Astro turf football pitch, twin 10-storey multi-purpose buildings and two new hostel blocks.

Security

The statement said in the past, students often experienced frequent attacks within and between the university campus and nearby hostels.

“These incidents have been reduced with the recruitment of more competent private security personnel and the provision of solar streetlights all the way from the campus to the hostel facility and even beyond,” the statement said, adding that had reduced attacks and crimes around the university.