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Motto | Latin: Integri Procedamus [1] |
---|---|
Motto in English | Proceed with Integrity |
Type | Public |
Established | 1948; 76 years ago |
Academic affiliation | |
Chairperson | Sophia Akuffo |
Chancellor | Mary Chinery-Hesse |
Vice-Chancellor | Nana Aba Appiah Amfo [2] |
Students | 60,875 as of July 2021 |
Undergraduates | 53,043 |
Postgraduates | 6,612 |
1,220 | |
Address | University of Ghana , , , P.O. Box LG 25 Legon, Ghana 05°39′03″N00°11′13″W / 5.65083°N 0.18694°W |
Campus | Suburban area |
Colours | Midnight Blue, Lemon Yellow and Vegas Gold |
Nickname | Legon |
Website | www.ug.edu.gh |
The University of Ghana is a public university located in Accra, [3] Ghana. It is the oldest public university in Ghana.
The university was founded in 1948 [4] as the University College of the Gold Coast [5] [6] in the British colony of the Gold Coast. It was originally an affiliate college of the University of London, [7] which supervised its academic programs and awarded degrees. [8] After Ghana gained independence in 1957, the college was renamed the University College of Ghana. [9] It changed it name again to the University of Ghana in 1961, when it gained full university status. [10]
The University of Ghana is situated on the west side of the Accra Legon Hills and northeast of the center of Accra. It has over 60,000 registered students. [7]
The original emphasis on establishing the University of Ghana was on the liberal arts, social sciences, law, basic science, agriculture, and medicine. [11] However, as part of a national educational reform program, the university's curriculum was expanded to provide more technology-based and vocational courses as well as postgraduate training. [12]
The University of Ghana, which is mainly based in Legon, about 12 kilometers northeast of the center of Accra, has its medical school in the town of Korle-Bu, with a teaching hospital and a secondary/external campus in the city of Accra. [12] It also has a graduate school of nuclear and allied Sciences at the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, [13] making it one of the few universities in Africa offering programs in nuclear physics and nuclear engineering. [11]
The logo is made up of two colors: Indigo Dye and Camel. [14] The blue shield with three "AYA" standing upright in top half and "DWENINMENTOASO" in the middle of bottom half, all embossed in gold. [15] The logo was designed by A. M. Opoku. [16] "AYA" (Akan word for fern) is an Adinkra symbol. [17] The "AYA" grows straight and it is used here to represent truthfulness and an ability to stay upright.
Ram's Horns: 'Dweninmen' (Akan word for Ram's Horn) is an Adinkra symbol. [18] Here, two interlocking ram's horns (DWENINMENTOASO) have been used to symbolise strength and a call to pursue a path of integrity. [18] The University of Ghana was granted degree-awarding status in 1961.
The formation of the West African Commission of the Asquith Commission on Higher Education in the Colonies [19] under the chairmanship of Rt. Hon. Walter Elliot was the birth of this notable institution in 1948. [20] The commission recommended the setting up of university colleges in association with the University of London, thus the University College of the Gold Coast was founded by Ordinance on 11 August 1948 for the purpose of providing for and promoting university education, learning and research. [20] This was made possible by the rejection of the first recommendation which stated that only one university college was feasible for the whole of British West Africa, which would be located in Nigeria by the people of Gold Coast.
In the book commissioned by the University of Ghana, Professor Francis Agbodeka (1998) found that "Two members of the Legislative Council on their own volition worked on the question of securing funds for the project. More significant, F. M. Bourret (1949), in almost a contemporaneous account, reported that the strong and united opinion expressed by Dr. Nanka-Bruce in a Radio Station Zoy address to the People of the Gold Coast in October 1947, “was largely instrumental in influencing the Secretary of State for the colonies” to finally give his consent in 1947, “for the establishment of a Gold Coast university college.” [21]
Long before the advent of television, entire communities and groups would listen to news, sports, and entertainment, broadcast from Radio Station Zoy, the BBC, and other stations on the short wave radio band, to a single radio set.
Significantly, the establishment of the University of Ghana, based on the Elliot Commission's Majority Report (of which Sir Arku Korsah of the Gold Coast was a member), was the culmination of immense work of several organizations, committees, institutions, and prominent individuals, at home and abroad. Among some of the most prominent Ghanaians, members of organizations and civil society groups that campaigned for the establishment of the University of College of the Gold Coast/Ghana, included also Dr. Nanka-Bruce, Rev. Prof. C. G. Baeta, and Sir E. Asafu-Adjaye, Dr. J. B. Danquah, included. The Asantehene, Otomfuo Nana Agyemang Prempeh, II, agreed to the proposition after the Elliot Commission proposed establishment of a university in Kumasi, in the Ashanti Region. In sum, the Gold Coast citizenry, as a collective, successfully advocated for the establishment of the University College of the Gold Coast in association with the University of London, in 1948, after the Elliot Commission report, on which Sir Arku Korsah of the Gold Coast sat.
In 1961 the Government of Ghana under Kwame Nkrumah passed the University of Ghana Act, 1961 (Act 79) to replace the then University College of Ghana. Through that act, the university attained sovereign university status and mandate to award its own degrees. [22]
Mary Chinery-Hesse is the current Chancellor of the university. [23] She was elected as Chancellor and subsequently inducted into office on Wednesday, August 1, 2018, at a Special Congregation of the university held in the Great Hall. [24] After serving her first 5-year tenure, she was reappointed on 6 July 2023, to serve a second spell as the Chancellor of the University. [25]
Until the year 1998, the Head of State acted as Chancellor of the University of Ghana. [26] Thus, from 1961 when the University of Ghana was established by an Act of Parliament, the first Head of State of independent Ghana, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah became the first Chancellor of the University of Ghana. [27]
The following have held the position of Chancellor of the university:
Nana Aba Appiah Amfo is the current Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana. [28] In July 2021, she was appointed as the Acting Vice Chancellor. Later in October 2021, she appointed as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana. Her appointment took effect from 26 October 2021. She become the first woman to occupy the position of Vice-Chancellor in the University. [29] [30]
The following have held the position of vice-chancellors and principals of the university:
University College of the Gold Coast
University College of Ghana
University of Ghana
The Balme Library was established in 1948 as the Achimota College Library. [32] It is the main library of the university's library network. [33] The Balme library is located on the main campus of the university. [33]
There are six Schools and one Research Institute under this college. [34] [35] They include:
College of Basic and Applied Sciences
There are five Schools, six Centres (3 research based) and two Institutes under this college. They include:
Starting from the 2014/2015 academic year, the University of Ghana adopted the collegiate system [36] and thus categorized all schools and departments under four colleges, which are:
There are five faculties outside the above Colleges and they include:
The International Programmes Office of University of Ghana (Office of International Programmes, IPO) was established in 1997 to harmonize the university's international efforts. It promotes all international activities, including admission of international students, Memorandums of Understanding between the University and International educational institutions, visiting scholars, study abroad programmes, staff and student exchange programmes and research collaboration. The Office is mandated to represent the university on the international front. Due to the efforts of the Office, the university has over 200 agreements with educational institutions all over the world, and works with organizations such as Council on International Educational Exchange CIEE, California State University CSU, University of California Education Abroad Programme Home | UCEAP, and International Society of Education Planners International Student Exchange Programs to facilitate student exchange programmes. The Office is headed by Prof. Eric Osei-Assibey, who serves as Dean.
The Legon Campus lies about 13 kilometers north-east of Accra, the capital of Ghana. This is where most of the university's teaching and research are carried out. The Legon Campus also houses the central administration of the university. there are a number of student residences located on the Legon Campus. [18]
The Korle-Bu Campus, headed by a Provost, houses the administration of the College of Health Sciences. Some of the constituent schools are also located on the Korle-Bu Campus; the School of Medicine and Dentistry and the School of Allied Health Sciences.
This campus is strategically located in the heart of the city and precisely at Adabraka and opposite the Ministry of Information.
This campus is mainly for Bachelor of Science(Bsc) in Business Administration related courses and Bachelor of Arts (BA) courses .
The university has Distance Education campuses in the various regions where it runs a variety of programs, including degree courses. [39] Awudome College has residential facilities that enable running of short courses, over weekends and other durations.
University rankings | |
---|---|
Global – Overall | |
ARWU World [42] | 901–1000 (2023) |
QS World [43] | 951–1000 (2024) |
THE World [44] | 1001–1200 (2024) |
USNWR Global [45] | 907 (2022–2023) |
Regional – Overall | |
THE Africa [46] | =25 (2024) |
National – Overall | |
ARWU National [42] | 1 (2023) |
QS National [47] | 1 (2024) |
THE National [48] | =2 (2024) |
USNWR National [49] | 2 (2022–2023) |
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings of 2018 ranks the University of Ghana at the 800-1000th place globally and 17th in Africa (rank shared with other universities). [50]
The Graduate School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences is a post-graduate school established by Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) in collaboration with the University of Ghana, with support from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to enhance human resources development for the peaceful use of nuclear and related technologies in Ghana and Africa. SNAS is part of the Faculty of Science, University of Ghana and locate at Kwabenya.[ citation needed ]
The halls of residence of the University of Ghana has been described as "home away from home." Halls of residence are provided for graduate and undergraduate students. There are also flats and guest rooms for senior members and guests. There are main halls of residence by the Government of Ghana and private halls of residence built on campus by individuals and corporate bodies. [51] [52] Below are descriptions of the halls of residence; Commonwealth Hall, Legon Hall, Mensah Sarbah Hall, Volta Hall, Akuafo Hall and Jubilee Hall at the University of Ghana, Legon.
The university has eight newly created halls of residence that were commissioned in 2011. They are:
There are ten university hostels: the International Students Hostels (I and II), the Valco Trust Hostel, the Commonwealth Hall, the Akuafo Hall, the Mensah Sarbah Hall, the Legon Hall, the Limann Hall, the Kwapong Hall, the Elizabeth Sey Hall and the Jean Akah Nelson Hall. There are also private hostels, SSNIT Hostels (Ghana Hostels also known as Pentagon). [60]
Ghana Commercial Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, Barclays Bank, Cal Bank, HFC Bank, Access Bank, Stanbic Bank, Fidelity Bank, Ecobank Ghana and Prudential Bank have branches on the Legon campus. There is a branch of the national postal service (Ghana Post) on campus. Other banks have ATMs on campus.
From 1 February 2014, all vehicles entering the University of Ghana's main campus, and also those using the road passing through the Staff Village of the university were required to pay charges. This was heavily criticized by public and students and was therefore suspended. [61] Currently, various entry points into the campus require vehicle owners (typically staff and students) to obtain electronically scannable cards issued and authorized by the transport unit of the university.
The university has appeared in several films and television advertisements. The television series Sun City has a lot of scenes of the university. The name of the university has also been referenced in the lyrics of artists in Ghana, including Sarkodie's "Legon Girls", Buk Bak's "Klu blɔfo", Kwadei's "Wutatami" and Okordii's "Four years in Legon". [67] In June 2020 the University of Ghana was resolute to continue with its planned online teaching and learning for the second semester of the 2019/2020 academic year despite the government's plan to reopen schools for final year students. [68]
The management of the university was labeled as 'insensitive' to the hardship caused by the COVID-19 pandemic after the school increased its facility user fees for 2020/21 academic year. It led to a protest on social media and the decision was later reversed. [69] In recent years there has been reports of sexual misconduct levelled against several lectures at the university which the university denied. An investigative documentary was produced by former victims of the sexual harassment which was uploaded to YouTube. [70] [71] [72]
The University of Ghana Sports Stadium is located in Accra. The venue, which has a capacity of 10,000, [73] opened in 2024. The stadium is used mostly for association football and rugby union. It also has an athletics track.
Mfantsipim is an all-boys boarding secondary school in Cape Coast, Ghana, established by the Methodist Church in 1876 to foster intellectual, moral, and spiritual growth on the then Gold Coast. Its founding name was Wesleyan High School and the first headmaster was James Picot, a French scholar, who was only 18 years old on his appointment.
The University of Cape Coast (UCC) is a public collegiate university located in the historic town of Cape Coast in the central region of Ghana. The campus has a rare seafront and sits on a hill overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. It operates on two campuses: the Southern Campus and the Northern Campus. Two of the most important historical sites in Ghana, Elmina and Cape Coast Castle, are a few kilometers away from its campus.
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), commonly known as UST, Tech or Kwame Tech, is a public university located in Kumasi, Ashanti region, Ghana. The university focuses on science and technology. It is the second public university established in the country, as well as the largest university in the Ashanti Region of Ghana.
Achimota School, formerly Prince of Wales College and School at Achimota, later Achimota College, now nicknamed Motown, is a co-educational public boarding high school located at Achimota in Accra, Greater Accra, Ghana. The school was founded in 1924 by Sir Frederick Gordon Guggisberg, Dr. James Emman Kwegyir Aggrey and the Rev. Alec Garden Fraser. It was formally opened in 1927 by Sir Frederick Guggisberg, then Governor of the British Gold Coast colony. Achimota, modelled on the British public school system, was the first mixed-gender school to be established on the Gold Coast.
John Mensah Sarbah was a prominent lawyer and political leader in the Gold Coast. He is also known as a founder of Mfantsipim School.
Wesley Girls' High School (WGHS) is an educational institution for girls in Cape Coast in the Central region of Ghana. It was founded in 1836 by Harriet Wrigley, the wife of a Methodist minister. The school is named after the founder of Methodism, John Wesley.
Prempeh College is a public secondary boarding school for boys located in Kumasi, the capital city of the Ashanti Region, Ghana. The school was founded in 1949 by the Asanteman traditional authority, the British Colonial Government, the Methodist Church Ghana and the Presbyterian Church of Ghana. The school is named after the King of Ashanti (Asantehene), Sir Osei Tutu Agyeman Prempeh II, who donated the land on which the school was built, and was modeled on Eton College in England.
St. Augustine’s College is an all-male boarding academic institution in Cape Coast, Ghana. The school started at Amissano, a village near Elmina, in 1930. The Roman Catholic institution was established to serve as a training college and seminary. The school was named after St. Augustine of Hippo. The motto of the college is Omnia Vincit Labor, meaning "Perseverance conquers All". The school has a total of 11 houses.
Presbyterian Boys' Secondary School (PRESEC) is a secondary boarding school for boys. It is located in Legon, Accra, Ghana. It was founded in 1938, under the auspices of the Presbyterian Church of the Gold Coast. The Basel missionary-theologian, Nicholas Timothy Clerk (1862–1961), who served as the first Synod Clerk of the Presbyterian Church of the Gold Coast from 1918 to 1932, used his tenure to advocate for the establishment of the secondary school. The school has ties with its sister schools, Aburi Girls' Senior High School and Krobo Girls Senior High School.
The Pentecost University is a private university located at Sowutuom in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. It was founded by The Church of Pentecost (COP) and evolved from The Pentecost Bible College which initially trained only Lay Leaders and full-time Ministers for the COP. On May 22, 2003, J. A. Kufuor, the former President of Ghana, inaugurated PUC at the Sowutuom campus. The first PUC Council was inducted on May 6, 2004. Pentvars was accredited by the National Accreditation Board (NAB), Ghana in November 2004 and awarded its Presidential Charter on May 28, 2020, by Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the President of the Republic of Ghana. Prior to receiving a Presidential Charter, the university was affiliated to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, University of Cape Coast, and University of Ghana. On June 1, 2020, the university announced the appointment of Rev. Prof. Kwabena Agyapong-Kodua, who replaces Apostle Daniel Okyere Walker, as the first Vice-Chancellor since the university became fully-fledged.
The University of Ghana Primary School, now called the University Basic School, is a primary school located on the campus of the University of Ghana in Legon, Greater Accra Region, Ghana. It was established at a temporary location in Achimota in 1955 to educate the children of university faculty and staff.
Accra Academy is a boys' high school located at Bubuashie near Kaneshie in the Greater Accra Region, Ghana. It admits both boarding and day students. Founded as a private school in 1931, it gained the status of a Government-Assisted School in 1950. It is the oldest existing high school to have been privately founded in the Gold Coast.
Akuafo Hall otherwise referred to as the Hall of Excellence is the second Hall of residence to be established in the University College of the Gold Coast now University of Ghana. The Hall has its own statutes governing the administration of its affairs while the affairs of students are organized and supervised by Executives of the Junior Common Room.
Koforidua Senior High Technical School, is one of the best secondary technical schools in Ghana. The school is located at Koforidua, the capital of Eastern Region in southern Ghana. Koforidua Secondary technical also called Sec-Tech, is a Senior High School located in Koforidua in the Eastern Region of Ghana. As of December 2011, the school has over 2,200 students.
Vincent Cyril Richard Arthur Charles (V.C.R.A.C.) Crabbe was a Ghanaian jurist and public servant. He was a judge of the Supreme Court of Ghana from 1970 to 1972 and from 1980 to 1982. Before his appointment on the court, he formed and headed a permanent electoral commission to conduct the 1969 Ghanaian Election. He chaired the Constituent Assembly of 1979 that deliberated over and presented a constitution for Ghana's Third Republic before his reappointment to the supreme court.
St. Thomas Aquinas Senior High School is a Ghanaian public day senior high school for boys in the Osu district of Accra in the Greater Accra Region. It was established in 1952. The school is currently located in Cantonments, a suburb of Accra. It was established to provide education for boys of the Accra Archdiocese of the Catholic church whose parents could not afford the cost of sending their male children to expensive boarding schools.
Ebenezer Laing, was a Ghanaian botanist and geneticist who served as the Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Legon. He was a professor at the University of Ghana, Legon, and later an emeritus professor. Laing, together with his university and faculty colleague, George C. Clerk (1931–2019), was one of the first Ghanaian academics to specialise in botany as a scientific discipline and contributed significantly to the growth of the field in Ghana. He was also a Fellow of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, inducted in 1965. In 1985, he was elected an inaugural Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences.
The Presbyterian College of Education, Akropong, is a co-educational teacher-training college in Akropong in the Akwapim North district of the Eastern Region of Ghana. It has gone through a series of previous names, including the Presbyterian Training College, the Scottish Mission Teacher Training College, and the Basel Mission Seminary. The college is accredited by the National Accreditation Board of the Ministry of Education, Ghana as a Degree Research Institution affiliated to the University of Education, Winneba.
Samuel Awuku is a Ghanaian politician who was Deputy Communications Director, National Youth Organiser and currently the National Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP). He is also the board chairman of the National Youth Employment Agency (YEA). In 2021, he was appointed as the Director General of the National Lottery Authority.
Nii Ashie Kotey is a Ghanaian judge and academic. He served as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Ghana from 3 October 2018 until his retirement on 28 July 2023.
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