University of Ghana first-ever alumni homecoming launched

The University of Ghana (UG) has launched its first-ever alumni homecoming to raise funds to support the UG@70 endowment fund.

The endowment fund was set up as one of the major activities highlighting the university’s 70th anniversary to provide non-restricted funding to enable the university to deliver on its mandate and provide additional facilities and resources to enhance teaching and learning.

The homecoming, which is slated for August 9 to 11, is also to commemorate the university’s 70th anniversary and create an avenue for the alumni to network.

Activities characterising the event include Akwaaba night musical concert, UG campus tour, aerobics, inter-halls sports competition, bonfire night among others.

Commendation

The Vice Chancellor (VC) of the university, Professor Ebenezer Oduro Owusu, in his remarks commended the alumni for being vibrant in events concerning the progress of the school, adding that “the benefit of the school having such vibrant alumni cannot be overemphasised”.

Research-intensive school

The VC added that in order to escalate the transformational agenda of the university of becoming a research-intensive university, it had set up an Institutional Advancement Office to engage, cultivate and develop a stronger relationship with its stakeholders and other philanthropic partners.

That, he said, was to help provide financial and other support to advance the university’s academic and student experience.

Prof. Owusu added that through the effort of the office, the university had been able to establish two global chapters besides Ghana, stating that they were UG Alumni Association North America (UGAANA) and UG Alumni Association UK.

 “We are hoping to reach out to all our alumni all over the globe and it is obvious that can be attained from nurturing a well-established relationship with all alumni,” he added.

He said in that regard, the school had established an Alumni Relations Office as part of its Institutional Advancement Office to build a mutually beneficial relationship with the alumni.

Endowment fund

Touching on the endowment fund, the VC stated that it was one of the university’s strategies to deal with challenges of diversifying sources of internally generated funds to reduce the burden on students.
 
He said the target was to raise $100 million over the next five years, and it had so far been able to raise about GH¢5,600,000.

 He, therefore, entreated all alumni and other corporate entities to support the school to achieve its set target.