University of Ghana launches 2nd research report

The University of Ghana, Legon (UG) has launched the second edition of its research report detailing various research activities undertaken for the 2013/2014 academic year.

The 184-page document is expected to help disseminate the research activities of the university to a wider community of stakeholders outside of the country’s borders.

At the launch, the Chairman of the University Council, Justice Samuel K. Date-Baah, said efforts by the university to publish its research outputs and related activities beyond peer-review journals were a clear indication that it was on the way to becoming a research-intensive university.

He also explained that the university’s ability to shape and contribute to the developmental agenda of Ghana and the world at large lay in its research and innovative abilities, adding that beyond publishing in peer review academic journals, such publications fostered an enabling environment for engaging local and international stakeholders with creativity, discovery and new ways of doing things. 

“It is my understanding that the first report has had very positive feedback from both our internal and external stakeholders and I am very confident that this new report will be received very well,” he said. 

According to him, world-class academic institutions across the globe documented their research outputs both electronically and in print and it was through such reports that they demonstrated their achievements in the field of research. 

He added, “Through such reports, they are also able to guide the formulation of new research agenda and enhance research output by supporting faculty members and students to reach the highest potential in their research fields.”

Justice Date-Baah also explained that last year, the university council allocated GHC1 million to support faculty research and participation in conferences.

“This was to ensure many more faculty members had access to funds to enable them to work on their research and contribute to the university’s research outputs. This effort will be continued in a sustainable way to ensure an increase in the pool of funds for the university,” he said. 

Research funding

The Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Professor Ernest Aryeetey, said aside the GH¢1million support for faculty research and participation in conferences, the school had also  allocated GHC1milion as seed money for each of its four centres of excellence. 

These areas, he said, included malaria research, trans-disciplinary research into climate change adaption, enhanced food production and processing, and development policy and poverty monitoring and evaluation. 

“With the establishment of these research centres of excellence at UG, it is expected that our research capabilities and distinctive fields of expertise will be harnessed to address the key developmental issues of the country and the African continent while we expand the frontiers of knowledge,” he said.

He also explained that the launch of the second edition of the research report was a clear evidence that the university’s investment was paying off, adding that UG was poised more than ever to take research to the next frontier.

The report

The University of Ghana research report is an initiative of the Office of Research, Innovation and Development (ORID) which aims to highlight the research activities of the university. 

The mandate of ORID is to promote, co-ordinate and facilitate research at the university. 

The first edition was launched in February 2014 and it is expected that the report will enable  the general public and funders of the university’s research activities to appreciate their efforts in a relatively simple language.