Catholic University begins four PhD programmes in August – Prof Obeng-Ofori  

The Catholic University of Ghana (CUG) has introduced four PhD programmes, beginning August 2024, Professor Daniels Obeng-Ofori, the Vice Chancellor of the University, has said.

The programmes include PhD in Educational Psychology and PhD in Administration and Strategic Leadership for the Faculty of Education, and PhD in Business Administration and PhD in Management Studies for the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration.

In an earlier interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at its main campus at Fiapre in the Sunyani West Municipality on the attainment of the Presidential Charter, Prof Obeng-Ofori said the university had developed several programmes since it attained the Charter in 2022.

“Even the PhD in Business Administration started in March this year with the first batch of 13 students”, he stated, and added “we were able to provide our own certificates for our graduates in October 2023, re-organise our curriculum and strive hard to meet the benchmark for quality assurance”.

The university received a Presidential Charter in March 2022, granting it autonomy as an institution that can award its diplomas and degrees.

This significant achievement allows CUG to operate independently, further solidifying its status as a reputable academic institution?.

“With the charter, now there is no affiliate institution, and we have appointed external examiners for each programme to monitor our affairs for us, instead of affiliates”, Prof Obeng-Ofori stated.

Prof Obeng-Ofori indicated that plans were far advanced for the establishment of a Law School at the University, explaining that it had developed and forwarded the curriculum to the Judicial Council for review, and appointed the Dean of the Faculty.

“These days before you can set up a law school, the Judicial Council has to approve before you can send the curriculum to the GTEC for accreditation”, the Vice Chancellor stated, and expressed the hope that the processes would be completed for the school to commence either January or August 2025.

“As for the law school they require their own buildings and so we have identified one. There is a very nice building at St Mary’s, which belongs to the Diocese. Originally, they were going to use the facility for Senior High School, but they abandoned it because of the Free SHS.

They have given it to us in the next four years and we are going to use their library, computer center, and the lecture and other facilities for the law school”, Prof Obeng-Ofori explained.

Prof Obeng-Ofori said the university had also introduced physiotherapy for the School of Public Health and Allied Sciences, saying the school was set to commence the BSc in Physiotherapy in August.

The Faculty of Education had also received accreditation to run MPhil in English and MPhil in Mathematics which would also begin in August this year, the Vice Chancellor stated

Established on May 3, 2003, and officially inaugurated by former President John Agyekum Kufuor in November, the university started to experience low student enrolment from 2014/2015/2016 academic years due to ferocious academic competition from both public and private universities. 

The CUG, however, came out with robust strategic plan, including a six-year (2019-2024) Corporate Strategic Plan meant to address strategic imperatives that the university needs to focus attention on to ensure not only, its survival, but its unique contribution and identity within the institutions of higher education in the country. 

Currently, the CUG has seven faculties and schools, including faculty of economics and business administration, faculty of computing, mathematical and engineering sciences, faculty of education, school of nursing and midwifery, school of public health and allied sciences, faculty of religions and social sciences and school of graduate studies. 

Source: GNA

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