Lancaster University in the United Kingdom last Monday inaugurated its first branch campus at East Legon in Accra.
The inauguration, which was done in collaboration with Trans National Education (TNE) Ghana Limited, was intended to give an opportunity to Ghanaian and other West African students to acquire international degrees without travelling outside the continent.
With accreditation from the National Accreditation Board (NAB), the university would also allow students across Africa to access its academic excellence in teaching and research on the African continent.
Students would have the opportunity to choose from a wide range of courses, including Marketing, Finance, Business Studies, International Relations, Computer Science, Law and Psychology.
Addressing the gathering during the ceremony, the Vice-Chancellor of Lancaster University, Professor Mark E. Smith, said the university intended to contribute to the increasing pool of internationally educated young individuals who had the zeal to take their place in developing Ghana and the wider African economy.
He said the university was highly regarded for the quality of education it provided, saying, ‘Our thriving alumni network of over 100,000 alumni in 148 countries worldwide are a testament to the quality of our degree courses’.
Additionally, he said the university would offer students a different learning experience with the future career benefits of gaining ‘a globally recognised Lancaster degree.’
For his part, the Founder and co-Chairman of TNE, Mr Rakesh Wahi, said the inauguration of the campus was its first education venture in Africa, especially West Africa.
He said the organisation shared in the vision of creating a network of branch campus experience in Africa through quality teaching, state of the art infrastructure, research led curriculum, and innovation in delivery of curriculum.
National Accreditation Board
The Executive Secretary of the NAB, Mr Kwame Dattey, in his address said the board had over the years stretched to its outmost limits to ensure and assure that institutions being set up and those already in existence, put in place and maintained a degree of acceptable standards.
By Zainabu Issah/Daily Graphic/Ghana
