CIHRM signs MoU with University of Ghana 

The Chartered Institute of Human Resource Management, Ghana (CIHRM) and the University of Ghana, Legon, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to promote human resource management and development in the country.

Under the agreement, the CIHRM would provide accreditation guidelines and industry standards for the University's human resource management (HRM) programmes from undergraduate to doctoral levels. 

It would also provide expertise and training to further the Department of Organisation and Human Resource Management’s (OHRM) goal of promoting industry-academia linkages and facilitating opportunities for students to engage with seasoned HR professionals in the country. The collaboration would also promote and recognise the department’s contributions to the institute’s visibility and growth and provide support to the department’s faculty members, staff and students to gain HR practitioner-based knowledge and experiences.

The MOU was, therefore, a pledge between the two major partners to pool resources and work together to advance the people management profession in Ghana.

Signing 

The agreement was signed at the ISSER Conference Centre at the University of Ghana, Legon in Accra, on Thursday, October 17, 2024, under the theme: “Promoting Human Resource Management Excellence through Collaboration.”

Present were the Provost of the UG College of Humanities, Professor Joseph Awetori Yaro; the Dean of the UG Business School, Prof. Justice N. Bawole and the Head of the OHRM Department, Prof. Obi Berko Damoah, among other faculty members.

Also in attendance were new and old CIHRM council members, including the Vice-President Elect of CIHRM, Dorothy Asare; Dora Siaw Lartey, Louis Agyeman-Barning, Dr Kwame Apedzi, Nana Yeboah, Abdul-Razak Umar and Ellen Hagan, among others. 

Bridging the gap 

The President-Elect of CIHRM Ghana, Florence Hutchful, described the agreement as a strategic collaboration and a model that would bridge the gap between industry and academia. 

She said that the partnership, initiated by the institute and formalised through the signing of the MOU, was both timely and essential for the success of students aspiring to build careers in the Human Resource profession. 

Mrs Hutchful also announced that the institute would provide scholarships on its Professional Certification Programmes to the top graduating students in HRM from the University of Ghana Business School (UGBS) every year, starting from the 2024-2025 academic year.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CIHRM, Dr Francis Eduku, added that to pursue their mission of advancing effective human resource management practices in Ghana, the institute would explore with the university the possibility of establishing a Human Resource Chair to conduct cutting-edge research in human resource management and related fields to inform policy decisions.

Dr Eduku emphasised the importance of a shared vision, adding that excellence in human resource management in Ghana could not be pursued through a silo mentality, but through concerted efforts from all stakeholders: government agencies, private organisations, non-governmental organisations and other strategic players in the country.

Strategic objectives 

The Provost of the university’s College of Basic and Applied Sciences, Professor Sandow Mark Yidana, in his keynote address, said the MoU between CIHRM and the University of Ghana marks a significant milestone in the journey towards achieving the strategic objectives of the university. 

He explained that the collaboration between the partners was not just a formal agreement but a shared commitment to advance knowledge, skills and practices that were vital in an ever-evolving landscape.