University tuition fees in the UK are set to increase for the first time in eight years, The Telegraph reports.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson is expected to announce the rise on Monday, aligning tuition fees with Retail Price Index (RPI) inflation.
The change is likely to take effect from September 2025, impacting current A-level students applying to universities.
Fees have remained capped at £9,250 since 2017. While it’s not yet clear which month’s inflation rate Labour will apply, an increase based on the current RPI of 2.7% would push fees to approximately £9,500 next year.
Previous reports speculated that the government might lift fees to as high as £10,500 over the next five years, but no commitments have been made for increases beyond the 2025 academic year, as ministers consider a broader reform of the tuition fee structure.
The increase comes as nearly 40% of universities in England report anticipated deficits this year, facing financial strain exacerbated by a recent drop in international student numbers. Dependence on higher fees from foreign students, who typically pay significantly more than UK students, has kept many institutions afloat; however, recent visa restrictions have led to a 16% decline in applications, threatening the stability of university budgets.
While the higher fees aim to alleviate some financial strain, calls for a more comprehensive overhaul of the funding system continue. The government is also expected to explore adjustments to the tuition fee repayment model to address concerns that escalating student debt disproportionately affects graduates from less advantaged backgrounds.
Phillipson’s announcement will likely present the fee rise as an interim measure and a “first step” toward a deeper re-evaluation of higher education funding. Although Sir Keir Starmer previously pledged to abolish tuition fees, Labour has since moved away from this commitment, citing the challenging financial landscape. Labour’s latest position emphasizes finding fairer ways to fund fees and alleviating pressures on students and universities alike.
A senior lecturer at the University of Ghana, Professor Martin Oteng Ababio, has voiced serious concerns about the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy, arguing that its implementation has exacerbated the challenges facing the country’s educational sector.
Speaking during a campaign outreach aimed at promoting awareness of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) 2024 manifesto, Prof. Ababio expressed that while the Free SHS policy has led to a significant increase in university enrollment, the government has done little to expand infrastructure in tertiary institutions to meet the growing demand.
He emphasized that the strain on university facilities has become more apparent since the policy’s inception, compromising the quality of tertiary education despite the rise in student numbers. Prof. Ababio noted that lecture halls, residential facilities, and teaching resources have not been adequately scaled to support the influx of students.
“The free SHS has helped. But it has spelt the doom of the whole educational system. The number of students that are getting into the university has increased tremendously. Lectures have not increased. The lecture halls have not increased. The residential halls have not increased,” he said.
He further explained that the large number of students in lecture halls makes it difficult for lecturers to maintain a high standard of education.
“So we are compromising, and I am a lecturer, we are compromising quality for quantity. In a sense today, if you come to Legon, you enter a lecture hall to find 600, 800 students in one room.”
Prof. Ababio stressed how the overcrowded conditions limit the ability of lecturers to give students the necessary academic attention, adding, “That makes it very difficult to reach out to each and every one. How many essays can you mark a day? And how many essays can you give to a student?”
In response to these challenges, Prof. Ababio praised the NDC’s plan to review the Free SHS policy, as outlined in their manifesto, and expressed confidence that a thorough review would address the gaps in the current system and improve the overall quality of education in Ghana.
The lecturer’s comments come amid broader discussions about the impact of the Free SHS policy on the country’s educational infrastructure and quality. Many education stakeholders have called for reforms to ensure that the system can meet the growing demand without sacrificing the quality of learning provided to students.
Ghana’s free senior high school (Free SHS) programme, a flagship of Nana Akufo-Addo’s presidency, was launched in 2017 and more than GH¢8.4bn ($705m) has been spent on it so far.
President Akufo-Addo has pointed to the substantial impact the FSHS policy has had, with over 5.7 million students benefiting since its inception.
Several stakeholders have called for a review of the Free SHS policy owing to the delay in disbursement of funds for food supply to schools, among others. Professor Adei proposed that the government must focus on establishing quality education
Founder of The New Force, Nana Kwame Bediako, also known as Cheddar, has noted that he dropped out of school at age 18 to pursue his own business.
He was studying business administration at Westminster University in the United Kingdom. In an interview, Cheddar noted that he sought to gain his skills practically, instead of being fed with the knowledge in a lecture room.
Cheddar, AKA Nana Kwame Bediako, shared his inspiring story of quitting university to embark on his entrepreneurial dreams during an interview with Citi TV. pic.twitter.com/hh8rLsas8A
As such, Cheddar does not have a degree from any recognised tertiary institution in the country or any part of the world.
Asked whether he has any degree from any university during an interview on Citi TV’s Face to Face show, he said, “I don’t.”
The host, Umaru Sanda, then asserted that should he, Cheddar, want to fill out a form for a job qualification, his highest qualification would be a Senior Secondary School Examination (SSCE) certificate.
“Well, if you can call it that,” Cheddar replied.
Cheddar dismissed the assertion that, as a president without a university degree, he would not be able to lead his subjects, who are professors and doctors.
Several netizens who have reacted to this video indicated that it does not take one’s academic qualifications to govern; hence, Cheddar would have no issues being president with his current academic qualifications.
A Professor of Political Science at the University of Ghana, Professor Ransford Edward Gyampo, has indicated that his monthly salary is nowhere close to the amount taken by a cleaner in Saudi Arabia.
In a discussion on TV3’s The Key Points, he shared some of his experiences while in Saudi Arabia and one them included finding out the minimum wage paid to a worker in the country.
According to him, a worker earns a minimum of $1000 dollars monthly as salary. According to him, even as a Professor in Ghana, his monthly salary is not close to the salary earned in Saudi Arabia.
“They don’t pay taxes. He said I work, I don’t pay taxes. I said why. He said they use the money that they get from the oil to do everything.
“The minimum, there is a rule that says that if you recruit somebody, the minimum you can pay the person is 1000 dollars, even if it is a cleaner.
“I am a University professor, I don’t get that. No, why are we always fighting. Monthly salary. He said I am in an apartment, I don’t pay light bill, water bill,” he said.
In Ghana, teacher unions have lamented the poor working conditions and low remuneration provided by the government. They have on several occasions laid down their working tools to register their displeasure.
“Perceptions are wicked, they don’t steal”. Professor Ransford Gyampo shares his experience after a trip to Saudi Arabia, urges Ghanaians to emulate.#TheKeyPoints#TV3GHpic.twitter.com/W6VaMkzjg7
A group of 47 Ghanaian students, who were brought back from Sudan by the government due to a deadly conflict in May 2023, have submitted a petition to Parliament seeking support for their integration into tertiary institutions in Ghana.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration had evacuated these students, but despite assurances from the government about their integration into local universities, they have not yet experienced any progress.
Aisha Mustapha, a spokesperson for the group and a 5th-year medical student, expressed their concerns, stating that despite verbal assurances, the promised integration has not materialized.
The students are appealing for support as they find themselves at home while schools are in session.
Mustapha mentioned their efforts to engage with the Ministry of Education, where they were assured of integration into private universities.
However, the financial constraints faced by the students make this option unfeasible, as their original decision to study in Sudan was driven by the lack of funds for such private education in Ghana.
“We are appealing for integration because the government is yet to reach out to us. Even though there have been some verbal assurances since we arrived in Ghana, there has not been any meaningful progress yet, and schools are in session, and we are at home.”
“We have met the director for tertiary education at the Ministry of Education on two occasions, and he assured us of integration. He told us that they were going to integrate us into private universities, but we told him we could not afford it because if we had those funds, we would not have gone to Sudan in the first place.”
Professor Emmanuel K. Derbile has been appointed as the Acting Vice-Chancellor of the SD-Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (UBIDS), succeeding Professor Philip Duku Osei.
Formerly serving as the university’s Pro-Vice Chancellor, Professor Derbile’s appointment was decided upon by the SDD-UBIDS Governing Council at an emergency meeting on Monday, January 15, 2024.
The appointment is effective immediately until a substantive Vice-Chancellor is appointed.
The decision follows the conclusion of Professor Philip Duku Osei’s term as Vice-Chancellor and his imminent retirement after reaching the statutory age of sixty (60) years.
The university issued a statement on January 16, 2024, confirming the change in leadership.In an earlier letter to Professor Philip Duku Osei, the SDD-UBIDS directed him to vacate his office within two weeks due to exceeding the retirement age.
The university contends that, despite reaching the mandatory retirement age on November 30, 2023, Prof. Osei remains in his post. The Council declared the end of his office at an emergency meeting on January 15, 2024.
The shooting on Tuesday night at the historically black university caused a disruption to the school’s homecoming events. Homecoming is an important tradition at historically black colleges and it is usually one of the biggest events of the year.
A group of students wearing fancy clothes were going to a dance at their school. Suddenly, they heard gunshots and started running into buildings nearby.
Police officers went to the location after people reported gunshots at around 9:25 PM Eastern Standard Time (1:35 AM British Summer Time).
Baltimore’s police commissioner, Richard Worley, explained that the police at the campus heard gunshots and saw dorm windows broken. This made them think that someone with a gun was causing harm.
A rule was made that people had to stay inside their homes while police officers searched the area. Students sat or stayed in one place for a long time until they were allowed to leave around 12:30 AM Eastern Standard Time.
According to Baltimore police commissioner Richard Worley, the people injured in the shooting were taken to the hospital, but their injuries are not life-threatening.
Mr Worley said that the investigators don’t know how many people were shooting. The president of Morgan State University, Dr. David Kwabena Wilson, decided to cancel classes on Wednesday.
Dr Wilson said that the violence that happened in our community was pointless and didn’t make sense. It happened after a happy evening where we were celebrating and enjoying the students’ pageantry and beauty.
But Morgan is a close-knit family and we will continue with strong determination to keep progressing forward.
Parents of university students hurried to the place on Tuesday night after hearing about what happened.
Glenmore Blackwood came to the campus when his son, who is in his final year at the university, informed him about a shooting that took place.
“It’s really unfortunate. ” They were trying to do something positive by organizing an event to promote positivity. But then negative things happened, Mr. Blackwood told the Associated Press.
US government departments, such as the FBI and ATF, mentioned that they were helping with the aftermath of the shooting.
Morgan State University was established in 1867. It is a public school and has about 9,000 students.
A student rode a bike for 4,000km (2,500 miles) through West Africa, even though he was arrested and had to endure extremely hot weather. He did all of this because he wanted to get into his dream university.
Mamadou Safayou Barry started his journey from Guinea to Egypt’s well-known Al-Azhar in May, in the hopes of being accepted.
The 25-year-old rode a bicycle for four months through countries that were greatly affected by Islamist militants and coups.
He said to the BBC that he was extremely pleased to have received a scholarship once he arrived in Cairo.
The man, who is married and has one child, said that even though he couldn’t afford the Islamic Studies course at Al-Azhar or the flights to Egypt, he decided to take a risk and travel through Mali, Burkina Faso, Togo, Benin, Niger, and Chad because he was inspired by the university’s good reputation.
Al-Azhar is a very important place for Sunni Muslims to learn about Islam. It is also one of the earliest, being established in the year AD670.
Mr Barry left his home to find out more about Islam, but he faced doubt and difficult situations in some of the countries he traveled through.
In Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, there are often attacks by terrorists on innocent people, and recent government takeovers have made the situation politically unstable.
“It is difficult to travel through these countries because they currently lack security,” he explained.
There are many problems in Mali and Burkina Faso, and the people there are very scared. In these places, people were looking at me like I am a bad man. “I saw lots of soldiers with their large weapons and vehicles,” Mr. Barry explained
He said that he was taken by the police three times without any valid reason – two times in Burkina Faso and one time in Togo.
However, Mr Barry’s luck changed when he got to Chad. A reporter talked to Mr. Barry and shared his story on the internet. This led kindhearted people to donate money for him to go on a trip to Egypt.
This means he didn’t ride his bicycle through Sudan because some areas there are currently in war.
He made it to Cairo on 5 September. His strong passion helped him get a chance to meet with the head of Islamic studies, Dr Nahla Elseidy. After talking to Mr. Elseidy gave him the opportunity to join Al-Azhar University’s Islamic Studies program. He also provided a full scholarship for Mr.
The dean posted on her social media accounts that the university wants to share its knowledge with students all over the world. This includes not only students from other countries studying in Egypt but also students studying outside of Egypt. Al-Azhar accepts students from every country, looks after them, and provides them with financial aid.
Mr Barry said he was “extremely happy” to have received the scholarship.
I was so happy, but I can’t explain to you how much. “I said thank you to God,” he explained.
Mr Barry said that he has forgotten about the difficult times during his expedition because he is now very happy to be able to call himself an al-Azhar scholar.
Dr. Ishmael Ackah, the Executive Secretary of PURC, made this appeal while also advising students to promptly settle their utility bills.
During his address to students at Koforidua Technical University (KTU) on August 29, 2023, Dr. Ackah emphasized the importance of paying utility tariffs and the role students can play in reporting unauthorized connections.
He also highlighted the incentive of a 6% reward on the recovered revenue from illegal connections for whistleblowers.
Dr. Ackah explained that by fulfilling their billing obligations, utility companies can generate the necessary revenue to enhance their service delivery to the public.
“In the Eastern Region alone, water consumers owed about GH¢46 million”, Dr Ackah said.
Alhaji Jabaru Abukari, the Eastern Regional Operations and Consumer Services Director at the PURC, encouraged consumers of utilities to report any grievances they have with their landlords to the PURC for resolution.
Professor David Kofi Essumang, the Vice-Chancellor of Koforidua Technical University (KTU), expressed his satisfaction with the program.
He noted that approximately 90% of his students resided in rental accommodations, and issues related to the payment of electricity and water bills often led to conflicts between landlords and students.
“We in KTU use more electricity in training our students and the way PURC is considering industries, we are also appealing to them to also consider the tertiary institution to help reduce utility bills since the universities are also training the human resource of the country”, he said.
Prof. Essumang commended the PURC for providing their students with education on how to calculate energy consumption and associated costs using the PURC Electricity Consumption Estimator (PECE) application.
The PURC visited the university to interact with, educate, and promote the payment of utility bills among the students. They also encouraged the students to educate their parents about the importance of paying utility bills.
The event, which was attended by university lecturers and administrators, provided students with the opportunity to ask relevant questions about utility services, and they received comprehensive answers to enhance their understanding of the topics discussed.
The recent increase in migration, especially among skilled professionals, leaving the country will not hinder long-term economic prosperity, provided appropriate measures are implemented to promote knowledge transfer.
This viewpoint was expressed by Eric Osei-Assibey, an Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Ghana.
He elaborated that technological advancements ensure that the skills acquired by Ghanaians abroad can still be shared, even if individuals do not physically return to their home countries.
Professor Osei-Assibey shared this perspective during the launch and inaugural lecture of the Pan-African International Students (PAIS) movement, a platform aimed at harnessing the benefits of the growing number of African students studying abroad.
Citing a recent example, he explained: “I was somewhere recently, and when I spoke to students there about returning to Africa they were unhappy, saying there are no opportunities – and that is a reflection of how they perceive things to be at the moment. But there is innate patriotism in them, and that should never be overlooked”.
Trends
The economist made his statement at a time when the pace of emigration has increased, with attrition rates in industries including finance, healthcare services, and technology exceeding four times pre-2022 levels.
Data from the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) secretariat indicates a significant trend: over 10,000 nurses have applied for clearance to seek employment opportunities abroad since the beginning of the year. Approximately 4,000 of them have received clearance and have embarked on overseas employment journeys.
The United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and Canada are the preferred destinations for these nurses, primarily due to improved working conditions and flexible schedules offered in those countries.
This surge in the demand for healthcare professionals, especially nurses, can be attributed to the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing phenomenon known as the ‘Great Resignation.’ The Great Resignation refers to the mass resignation of employees, which started in early 2021 as a response to the economic impacts of the pandemic. Reasons for this trend include stagnant wages, rising living costs, limited career advancement opportunities, hostile work environments, lack of benefits, inflexible work policies, and prolonged job dissatisfaction. The sectors most affected by these resignations include hospitality, healthcare, and education.
The healthcare sector in the United Kingdom has been particularly hard-hit, with reports indicating that around 4,000 European doctors left the UK’s healthcare services following Brexit. Over the past two years, nurses have been leaving the UK’s health service in record numbers, primarily due to the strain of managing a healthcare system with 133,000 vacant positions.
The remaining healthcare workers are overworked and underpaid, exacerbating the situation. Data also reveals that 15,000 nurses resigned from the health service in the year leading up to March 2022, with 4,000 citing work-life balance issues as their primary reason for leaving.
Some of these nurses have chosen to work in the Middle East, mirroring the motivations of their Ghanaian counterparts.
Additionally, the UK government has announced a substantial increase in student visa application fees, from £127 to £490, representing a 385 percent increase, effective from October 4, following the enactment of new legislation. Furthermore, the British government has raised visit visa application fees from £100 to £115.
These fee hikes are intended to sustain the immigration system independently, without relying on funding from British taxpayers.
In contrast, countries like Canada are actively pursuing immigration policies, such as the Immigration Levels Plan, with the aim of welcoming over 460,000 new immigrants annually until 2025, demonstrating their commitment to attracting and accommodating a substantial number of newcomers.
Knowledge Transfer
But Prof. Osei-Assibey believes that the onus is mostly on the state, among all stakeholders, to work toward a framework that ensures skills gained by these individuals benefit the country in the long-run.
“Throughout history, people have migrated and will continue to migrate for a variety of reasons, but the question we must ask is: How can this be beneficial in the long-run?” he remarked.
“We have not witnessed much growth economically because the focus has been on the transfer of technology. However, even if the most advanced technology is transferred, without the requisite knowledge on how to operate it we would not see the benefits. The focus now must be how to collectively build an environment that sees the transfer of knowledge; that should be the emphasis, and our people in the diaspora serve as the best bet to partnering for this knowledge-transfer,” he added.
A group of angry married women hit the campus of a Nigerian university to register their displeasure against the actions of female students that disrupt the peace in their homes.
Some female students in tertiary institutions have been accused of seducing married men, who in turn fail to stay faithful to their wives.
In a video shared by GHpage, an orator accused female students of enticing married men by wearing short skirts.
Aspects of the video also showed aggrieved wives shouting on top of their voices while striking a single bell.
It is unknown which university the married women marched into to voice their spleen.
A 2013 survey published in the Couple and Family Psychology: Research and Practice journal outlined lack of commitment, infidelity and family as reasons for divorce.
According to reports, Nigeria witnessed a concerning 14 percent surge in separation rates, reflecting an ongoing unfavorable trend.
Three thousand instances of divorce were documented in Badagry, Lagos.
Additionally, a 2019 report titled ‘Deciphering the High Rate of Divorce in Nigeria’ shed light on Kano state’s staggering number of over 1 million officially registered divorcees.
A news report emphasized that a visit to the Social Development Secretariat under the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) unveiled a concerning reality: between 20 and 30 instances of divorce cases are reported at one of the offices on a daily basis.
Moreover, official records from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court revealed that an excess of 2,000 divorce cases were lodged between 2019 and February 2020.
The court grappled with an average intake of 30 cases per day.
Twelve-year-old Michaela Nana Yaa Sarpong Akuoko showcased exceptional intelligence across various aspects to secure the top position in season 3 of the Miss Kidi Ghana finals held at the Zenith University College auditorium on Saturday.
Defying stiff competition from nine other contestants, the student of Says International School claimed the ultimate title.
Her remarkable eloquence earned her the Miss Eloquent award, and her outstanding talent shone through in the Miss Talent category.
In recognition of her exceptional performance, she was presented with a crown, sashes, educational materials, a tablet, products from sponsors, and a round-trip ticket for an international journey.
Following closely behind was Muntom Ninsaw Lucita, a pupil of the Ministry of Health basic school, who also received a special cash prize, educational materials, a tablet, and a sash.
Valerie Malgor Nareyore and Princess Kofituo Xornam secured the second and third runner-up positions, while Lisa Naa Adjeley Sugar Sowah claimed the fourth runner-up position.
All of them were honored with sashes and special prizes for their remarkable efforts.
The event, filled with entertainment, was judged by Nana Tiaah Ampem Darkoa I, Afua Asantewaa O Aduonum, and musician Kwabena Kwabena. The excitement grew as the field of ten contestants was narrowed down to five.
The event was sponsored by Mcberry Biscuits, Flora Tissues, Top Choco, Angel Cola and Essential Cosmetics Patcy glam.
Final results have yet to be published by the election authority.
In an upcoming event later this week, an 18-year-old student from Aberdeen University, along with her mother, is set to venture into space after securing a spot on Virgin Galactic’s second commercial flight through a prize draw.
Anastatia Mayers and her mother, Keisha Schahaff, are poised to make history as the first mother-daughter duo to journey to space.
This achievement is further underscored by them being the inaugural individuals from the Caribbean to embark on this remarkable voyage.
Scheduled for takeoff from New Mexico on Thursday, the journey is a unique one for Keisha, who was initially en route to the UK to address her daughter’s visa matters when she entered the competition.
This unexpected turn of events transpired as she was on a Virgin Atlantic flight from Antigua to London, and an advertisement suddenly appeared, leading to this incredible opportunity.
“I filled out this sweepstake and then suddenly months later I’m getting correspondences saying that you’re a top 20 finalist, then a top five finalist, to becoming a winner,” she says.
“Suddenly, who’s walking into my yard? Richard Branson. The whole team just swarmed into my house saying ‘you’re the winner, you’re going to space’.”
Image caption,The Galactic 01 flight reached a height of 279,00ft (85km) in June
Anastatia says it was her decision to travel from the Caribbean to study in Scotland that led to the opportunity to go space.
“Had I not randomly chosen Aberdeen University and had we not had to take a massive detour to get my visa – we wouldn’t be going to space,” she says.
“I feel like a lot of things had to happen at very specific moments for us to end up here.”
The second-year philosophy and physics student says coming to study in Scotland was one of the biggest decisions of her life but it has “led to magnificent things happening”.
The mission, named Galactic 02 is the second commercial spaceflight conducted by the American space company, and the first with paying customers onboard.
The advertised price for a ride on the rocket plane has been as high as $450,000 (£350,000).
The Galactic 01 mission took place in June. It reached an altitude of 279,000ft (85km). It is thought the second mission will attempt the same path.
‘Over the moon’
Anastatia, who will be the second youngest person to go to space, says she hopes she can use the experience to inspire others.
“That would be very important to me, both in Scotland and Antigua and anywhere else I have any ties,” she says.
“I do hope that people are watching and supporting.
“My intention is to just break any barriers that we set for ourselves or that the world sets for us.
“I want people to know that it doesn’t matter where you come from, who you are – anything – your dream is your dream and you can make that happen, despite what anyone else says.”
Keisha adds: “For me and my daughter together, it’s more than a dream come true.
“This is my kid, I love her with all my heart, and to know that we both share the same goal, the same dream, that is super over the moon.”
The pair will be joined former Team GB Olympian Jon Goodwin from Newcastle. He will become the second person with Parkinson’s to go to space as well as the first Olympian.
Candidates participating in this year’s Basic Education Certificate Examinations (BECE) in Effia-Kwesimintsim struggled to find exam centers at Takoradi Technical University (TTU) and Takoradi Secondary School on Monday morning, August 7, 2023.
This year’s BECE test has 3,365 candidates, with 99 public and private schools participating in the Effia-Kwesimintsim Directorate of Education.
According to reports at the Takoradi Technical University campus, where 76 test centers had been established, some school teachers and their students were trapped in locating their center with only three minutes until the commencement of the Religious and Moral Education examination.
Effia-Kwesimintsim Director of Education, Catherine Biney, speaking to the media, she explained that the initial challenges of candidates finding their centers were typical for the first day.
She attributed the situation, largely, to Takoradi Technical University’s ongoing session, which resulted in scattered centers across the campus.
“We have 7 centers: six at Takoradi Technical University and one at Takoradi Secondary School. TTU has 76 schools writing here, and 23 are at Takoradi Secondary School. Exam preparation is well organized with materials distributed to centers. On the first day, we expect center location problems, which we are resolving. Everything is set, and we are awaiting the papers,” Biney stated.
Due to TTU’s ongoing classes, Biney clarified that the university provided part of its premises for the exam centers, resulting in scattered locations. She highlighted the role of invigilators and supervisors in guiding candidates to their assigned centers and ensuring a smooth process.
“We have 7 centres and for Takoradi Technical University we have six centres and the remaining one is at Takoradi Secondary School. For TTU alone, 76 schools are writing here and 23 are writing at Takoradi Secondary School. So far the exam preparation is well organized with materials distributed to the various centres. Today being the first day, we will have problems with candidates looking for their centres and that is what we are sorting out, but everything is set, and we are waiting for the papers to come.”
“They have to give us the centres to write the exams but because school is in session for TTU, they just gave us part of their premises that would cater for the number of candidates that are coming here. So the centres are scattered. You just can’t have all of them in one place, if you don’t know the terrain, you will have difficulty in locating a centre, but the invigilators and supervisors will take them there and direct themselves as to what to do,” she said.
The Governing Council of Ho Technical University (HTU) has approved the re-appointment of Professor Ben Q. Honyenuga as Vice-Chancellor for another four-year term.
Professor Honyenuga assumed office as the first substantive Vice-Chancellor on July 1, 2019, and completed his first term on June 30, 2023, after initially acting as Vice-Chancellor from October 2018 to June 2019.
In a recent media engagement in Ho, Professor Honyenuga expressed his commitment to further transforming HTU into a renowned technical university both nationally and internationally.
“It would also ensure that graduates from HTU compared favourably with their counterparts worldwide,” the Vice-Chancellor added.
His agenda includes fostering an excellent academic environment where faculty, staff, and students work together as a team to elevate HTU’s reputation.
During his first term, the university achieved significant progress.
The academic programmes expanded to include at least 20 bachelor’s degree programmes, and the Precision Quality Training programme was implemented.
The university also invested in facilities, boreholes, sanitation improvements, and infrastructure like the Agordoe footbridge.Regarding research, a Directorate of Research and Innovation was established, and partnerships with various organizations were secured, including the Ghana Navy, Lucas Nulle Company in Germany, Woosong University in South Korea, Kosmos Innovation Centre, Japan Motors, and the Design Technology Institute.
In his second term, Professor Honyenuga pledged to introduce at least 10 additional innovative bachelor’s degree programmes across faculties, aligning with the mandate of the Technical Universities Act.
Additionally, the Graduate School will expand its program offerings from four to ten demand-driven courses.
The first English slave fort in Africa appears to be located in Ghana, according to the BBC.
Per BBC’s report, Archaeologist Christopher DeCorse from Syracuse University is leading the excavation and proudly displaying rare artifacts on a makeshift table near the dig site.
Among the artifacts are a gunflint, tobacco pipes, broken pottery, and the jawbone of a goat, all of which provide valuable insights into the past.
According to DeCorse, these findings suggest the existence of “the first English outpost established anywhere in Africa.”
“Any archaeologist who says they are not excited when they find something are not being entirely truthful,” the professor from Syracuse University in the US says with a broad smile.
The site of the dig, under the blue canopy, is inside Fort Amsterdam built by the Dutch
The excavation takes place in the ruins of Fort Amsterdam, on Ghana’s coastline, where the remains of an older fort named Kormantine are believed to be buried.
The team carefully combs through layers of soil, using soft-bristle brushes and trowels, and sieves the disturbed soil removed from the trenches.
Ancient maps referred to a Fort Kormantine in the area, and the name of the nearby town, Kormantse, is closely related. The fort’s discovery may shed light on the lives of early traders, enslaved people, and their impact on the local community.
Fort Kormantine, built by the English in 1631, played a pivotal role in the early stages of the slave trade.
It started as a trading post for gold and ivory but later became a warehouse for goods used to buy slaves.
Additionally, it served as a holding point for those kidnapped in various parts of West Africa before being transported to the Caribbean for plantation work.
The exact location of Fort Kormantine had been a matter of speculation, but initial digs in 2019 near Fort Amsterdam provided clues.
Nigerian Omokolade Omigbule says it was “mind-blowing” to see the remains of the English fort
Recently, during further excavations, the team uncovered a six-meter-long wall, a door post, foundations, and a drainage system made of red brick, indicating an English presence predating the Dutch fort.
The artifacts found at the site, including a rusty gunflint and tobacco pipes with small bowls, align with the early 17th Century timeframe.
“It was mind-blowing, seeing first-hand the remnants, the footprints of an actual building subsumed under a new fort,” says the student from the University of Virginia.
“Seeing the imprints of these external forces in Africa first-hand and being a part of such a dig takes me back a few hundred years, it feels like I was there.”
These bowls of tobacco pipes were among the artefacts found at the site
The presence of a goat jawbone suggests that the English may have domesticated local animals as an additional protein source despite being near abundant fishing grounds.
The work of archaeologists will continue for the next three years, focusing on unraveling Fort Kormantine’s architecture, appearance, and significance to gain a deeper understanding of this historical landmark.
Accra Technical University has achieved the 4th position among Ghanaian universities and 28th out of 88 universities in the sub-region, according to the Times Higher Education Sub-Saharan Africa University Rankings 2023, released on June 26, 2023.
ATU stands out as the only technical university in the country to make it onto the list, with Ashesi University, University of Ghana, and Academic City taking the top three spots, respectively.
The rankings were based on five pillars: resources and finances, access and fairness, teaching skills, student engagement, and African impact. Each pillar includes various metrics, with a focus on a university’s contributions to the 17 United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Recently, ATU was honored with the title of “Best in SDG Research” at the inaugural SDGs Awards held at the La Palm Beach Hotel in Accra. The award recognizes the university’s dedication to innovative, sustainable, and impactful research, showcasing its commitment to excellence in higher education.
Prof. Amevi Acakpovi, the Acting Vice-Chancellor, expressed gratitude for the recognition, attributing it to the hard work and dedication of the university’s management, staff, faculty, and students.
He sees it as a motivation to continue striving for excellence and producing competent graduates for the global job market.
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings, known as the “THE Rankings,” are highly regarded in the academic community and are published annually by the Times Higher Education magazine.
This week, fans are conducting exhibitions and martial arts classes in Hong Kong to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the famous martial artist Bruce Lee’s passing in 1973.
At a time when racial stereotypes were prevalent, the celebrity paved the way for Asian males in Hollywood. Lee demonstrated that Asian males may be more than just valets or bad guys.
Lee, who was raised in Hong Kong after being born in San Francisco, continued his education there.
Before getting the part of Kato in the television series “The Green Hornet,” he taught martial arts and received little roles in Hollywood.
A martial arts movie called “The Big Boss” that he landed as the lead after returning to Hong Kong gave him his big break and, after the 1971 release of the movie, made him well-known throughout Asia.
Lee’s reputation as a ruthless, lightning-fast fighter was cemented by the success of “Fist of Fury” and “The Way of the Dragon” at the box office the following year.
His brain swelled, resulting in his death in 1973 at the age of just 32, and this was linked to a negative reaction to medications. “Enter the Dragon,” his fourth significant motion picture, had just wrapped up filming when he began work on his fifth.
Lee expressed a sort of Chinese culture in his films, according to film expert Aaron Han Joon Magnan-Park, who taught Lee’s films at the University of Hong Kong.
“I would call Bruce Lee a paragon of Sinophone soft power success with Hong Kong characteristics,” he says .
The scenes where he bares his torso and flexes his muscles were essential because they show how ripped bodies can belong to Asian heroes as well.
“He made Asian men sexy, and that is something I don’t think we talk about enough,” Magnan-Park says.
Maasai families, who were given cows as a symbolic gift by a museum in Britain as part of a process to build relations, have expressed appreciation for the gesture. However, they emphasize that it is not enough to compensate for the display of their cultural objects in the museum.
The Sululu and Mpaima families received 49 cows each from the University of Oxford, as reported by the Nation newspaper. Additionally, the Saiyalels and Mosekas families also received 49 cattle each, according to the K24 news site.
This gesture comes after five years since Samuel Sankiriaki, a Kenyan man, discovered a significant collection of Maasai artifacts at the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford and petitioned the university for their return, as reported by the Nation.
While the Maasai families acknowledge the symbolic gift of cows, they emphasize that it does not fully address their concerns regarding the display of their cultural objects. The issue of repatriation and preserving cultural heritage remains a significant matter for the Maasai community.
Laura Van Broekhoeven, Oxford’s director of museum studies, is quoted as saying that the institution has 148 colonial-era Maasai artefacts but that only five were “identified as culturally sensitive family heirlooms”.
But local Governor Patrick Ntutu disagrees, telling journalists “we believe the owners were either killed or maimed before the ornaments were taken away from them”.
A spokesman for the Maasai families, Seka ole Sululu, told the Nation newspaper that they opted to pursue peaceful reconciliation with the university instead of suing but they are still expecting adequate compensation.
Some teachers who failed the licensure exams have expressed concern over the type of questions set for them to answer in the exam.
One of the teachers explained that the majority of them should not be held responsible for the widespread failure, but rather the examiners.
Madam Kate stated in an interview on Nyankonton Mu Nsem on Rainbow Radio 87.5Fm that the failures were recorded because the exams did not reflect what the teachers studied in school.
Madam Kate, who began teaching after completing her secondary education, explained that it was inappropriate to ask someone who had studied early childhood education to write an examination meant for someone who had studied basic or junior high education.
“One major thing I have observed is that I have been to the university, studied and passed all my 24 courses without referrals, and been awarded a certificate and my degree, so why should licensure exams stand in my way? Why should I sit for an examination for someone who studied junior high education when I studied early childhood education?”
”The level of mathematics taught in early childhood differs from that taught in basic or junior high school. So, should you pose questions to someone who studied early childhood and expect them to respond when they have no knowledge of the questions and have not studied anything related to them?”
He emphasised the importance of the examiners reflecting on her points and reviewing the process of setting the questions because it was not fair to subject them to the current system.
”If that is the case, the questions should be designed to reflect what we learned in school. If you studied early childhood education, you should take exams in that subject, and the same goes for others. The majority of those who failed studied early childhood education.”
Background
Six thousand four hundred teachers failed the 2023 Ghana Teacher Licensure Examination.
The National Teaching Council revealed the results after the teachers completed the re-sit papers.
Dennis Osei-Owusu, the Council’s Public Relations Officer, said that just 1,277 of the 7, 728 teachers who took the re-sit exams succeeded.
“In all we had 7,728 candidates sat for the exams and these candidates were all resisters. They are teachers who had written it before and they couldn’t make it. The least is twice written, and the highest is 9 times. These are the group of people who sat for the exams. Only 1,277 passed the exams, they are the only people who passed and don’t have a deficit again. 16.5% of them passed the exams.
“It’s a national security threat, we are having people going to the classrooms to teach our future generations and if I tell you the kind of things some of them wrote, you ask the kind of training they had in their various training institutions before they got here. Everything shows that most of them are not ready to be teachers, they just want to explore the system,” the Public Relations Officer of the National Teaching Council said.
Known for its high-quality education system and strong emphasis on equality and innovation, Finland offers various scholarship opportunities for both domestic and international students
Like any other country, Finland requires you to follow a couple of steps in order to be accepted at one of its universities.
1. Decide on a Finnish university for your studies
Here are some good Finnish universities we recommend considering:
Aalto University
University of Turku
University of Jyväskylä
LUT University
Metropolia University of Applied Sciences
University of Vaasa
Laurea University of Applied Sciences
Hanken School of Economics
2. Prepare to apply
You should first know that Finland divided its academic institutions in:
UAS (Universities of Applied Sciences), that train professionals in response to labour market needs and conduct research and development, which support instruction and promotes regional development.
Regular universities, that conduct scientific research and provide instruction and postgraduate education based on it.
Finland is one of the European countries that offer free education, so you should check if you can opt out of paying. If your chosen university isn’t free or as cheap as you hoped, you can always search for a scholarship in Finland.
You can also check out the Studyportals Scholarship to get some help on financing your studies abroad.
You should also visit the international admission website of Finland and get all the details and information you need from there.
3. How to apply for a Finnish Master’s degree?
When it comes to the applications process, students have multiple options:
apply on the official websites of universities
apply on the official websites of Universities of Applied Sciences (UAS)
apply through Studyinfo, the official website for Finnish applications
Each of Finland’s higher education institutions has an admission office ready to answer any questions if you stumble upon a problem. Usually, each university or UAS has its own criteria and list of admission documents, but there is common ground, especially for the general application criteria. For instance, you can choose one of these two types of forms:
Joint application
Separate application
Joint application means that you can apply for up to six study programmes with one application. You have to place the programmes in the order of your preference on the application form, but be careful, because this order is binding and you cannot change it after the application period has ended.
If you apply through the separate application, you apply directly to an institution’s study programme. Separate application forms are filled for each study programme or institution and there’s no limit to how many study programmes you can apply.
4. Check the language requirements
English is indispensable for your serene life as an international student in Finland. Of course, you could study in Swedish or Finnish, but let’s be real here: nobody can actually speak only in consonants.
All jokes aside, if your mother tongue isn’t English, Swedish, or Finnish, you will need to take a language test. Usually, UAS can organise language tests for their prospective students, either written or in the form of an interview. Universities, on the other hand, will expect an English certificate directly.
The best part is that, if you have proof of education in a foreign language, you can submit that as proof of language proficiency. If you don’t, we recommend these tests, as they are universally recognised in Finland:
PTE Academic
IELTS Academic
TOEFL iBT
Duolingo (some universities accept Duolingo as well, but double check)
Also, Finland has its own National Certificate of Language Proficiency if other English tests take too long or are too expensive.
5. Gather the required application documents
The documents required by a regular university in Finland differ from those required by a UAS.
Universities of Applied Sciences will require:
Copies of completed or soon-to-be completed qualifications documents
Official translations of all documents
Original diplomas and original official translations
Employment certificates
Applications for special arrangements for entrance examinations
Regular universities, on the other hand, will provide a comprehensive list of required documents once you start your online application.application
6. Mind the university application deadlines
Finland’s universities and UAS don’t have an exact calendar; admissions for Master’s programmes are between early December and mid to late January. Also, UAS can extend their admission schedules until March.
Seeing how there’s no pattern, you should check the study programme’s website for a clearer calendar for when to apply.
Don’t forget to take into account that some Master’s degrees offer additional applications outside the main period.
Commonly, spring applications have the following deadlines:
end of January: Application period 1 (for Master’s degrees in English)
start of February: Required certificates must be submitted
mid-March: Application period 2 (for Master’s degrees in Finnish or Swedish)
mid-April: Required certificates must be submitted
end of June: Student selection results will be published
mid-July: Deadline for the acceptance of a study place
start of July – end of August: Supplementary application round
September: Studies start
Meanwhile, the autumn applications have these deadlines:
September: Application period ends
end of September: Required certificates must be submitted
November: Student selection results will be published
start of December: Deadline for the acceptance of a study place
mid-December: Acceptance from the wait-list ends
end of November – mid-December: Additional applications
January: Studies start
7. Final steps after receiving your acceptance letter
Let’s assume you got your acceptance letter, in which case, congrats! Now go back online and research the Finnish residence permit, because you will need one for studies longer than 90 days. If they will be shorter than 3 months, you have to apply for a visa.
Don’t forget you can ask your UAS/regular university for help with accommodation or other student services. They are there to help you, so you can take advantage of that.
Authorities of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) in Oyo state, Nigeria, have prohibited students from entering the campus with their vehicles, following a meeting held on March 22, 2023, to address the rising incidents of motor traffic accidents on campus.
In the memo released on April 19, 2023, the registrar, Dr. K. A. Ogunleye, outlined several instructions that would be implemented immediately.
Students are prohibited from bringing their vehicles onto campus, while vehicles without registration numbers are also barred. Roadside parking of vehicles is no longer allowed, and authorized vehicles are to be removed from campus immediately.
“Vehicles owned by students are hereby banned from entering the university campus, vehicles with no registration numbers are no longer allowed into the campus, roadside parking of vehicles should stop forthwith, all authorised vehicles parked at various positions in the university should be taken out with immediate effect,” the statement read.
Additionally, tinted vehicles used by staff or students are now prohibited, and beginner drivers must display learner permits on their vehicles.
All those who fail to comply with the new regulations, according to the university, will face sanctions. Furthermore, university security personnel will take appropriate action against unauthorized vehicles parked on campus.
“Failng which university security will take appropriate action on such vehicles.
This decision is expected to enhance the safety of students, staff, and visitors by reducing the number of motor traffic accidents on the LAUTECH campus.
In the midst of ongoing hostilities in the nation, a schoolteacher in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, told the BBC that one of his students was struck in the head by a stray bullet.
Residents were becoming accustomed to the “scary” condition, the instructor, who went by the name Mo, told the BBC’s Newsday show on Wednesday.
“No one is listening or respecting the ceasefire,” he claimed, stating that loud artillery booms could be heard on Wednesday morning.
The teacher asked to transfer the interview to a safer location as gunfire temporarily interrupted the conversation.
A makeshift grave for a student killed on campus surroundings at the University of Khartoum
Credit: Facebook
Mo said food supplies were getting less and less every day as shops and supermarkets remain closed. “Electricity is stable but any moment it can go off,” he said.
Schools and universities are calling on humanitarian organisations to help evacuate dozens of stranded people and students.
But Ghazali Babiker, Sudan’s acting director for the medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières, said that even aid agencies trying to help have been cut off.
“With this war no-one can walk out on the street. Everyone is trapped in their location,” he said.
It came as the Sudanese army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) traded blame for violating a 24-hour humanitarian truce that was declared on Tuesday.
Nearly 200 people have been killed in the fighting which began on Saturday.
TheBolgatanga Technical Universityhas been fined by the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to pay a sum of GH4,000 for undervaluing a water packaging machine.
The machine was purchased at the cost of GH¢10,000 ten years ago and later sold at GH¢6,000 cedis.
According to the committee, the action of the management of theuniversity has caused financial loss to the state hence the need for them to pay the difference.
The University procured the machine to go into water production, however, the contractor who was charged to construct the building for the production site failed to honour the contract hence the inability of the university to make use of the
.
This came up during the first day of hearing in Tamale by the committee to consider the 2020 Auditor General’s Report on Technical Universities, Reports on the Management and Utilisation of District Assemblies’ Common Fund and other Statutory Funds for the year ended December 31, 2020, in the Northern, North East, Upper East, Upper West and the Savanna Regions.
Asked by the committee if they adhered to the auditors’ recommendation to put the machine to use, a representative from the University said, “Subsequent audits also indicated that we either put the machine in use or we dispose of it. We were having challenges in implementing it. We needed to construct a place to house the machine where we could produce the water from.
He stressed, “We awarded the facility to a contractor alongside renovation with one of our blocks. The contractor couldn’t get his statutory payment certificate. He felt frustrated and abandoned the projects. With our limited resources, we couldn’t complete the structure, so we decided to dispose it, taking into consideration how long it has been sitting there”.
The Committee said, “Your negligence and improper planning have caused the state GH¢4,000. I want to surcharge you with GH¢4,000. It’s supposed to be more than that but let’s maintain it”.
A stunning young Ghanaian woman’s impressive TikTok video of her chopping vegetables with one hand has received a lot of positive feedback on social media.
Joyce Akosua Kudzeawu, who has over 248,000 followers on the video-based platform despite having a physical disability, does not let this hinder her from accomplishing great things.
It’s interesting to note that she graduated from the university with a degree in medical biochemistry and molecular biology, demonstrating that handicap should not be mistaken for incapacity.
In this popular video, Joyce can be seen cutting a bowl of different veggies into tiny pieces while sitting down while holding a knife between her left upper arm and breast.
Despite the possibility of cutting her fingers, she meticulously completes the task without accident.
The professor played a crucial role in the founding of the University of Ghana, and his memory will forever be inscribed in the institution’s history. He now has a new hall named in his honor.
But what really is the story of the good old professor?
Professor Alexander Adum Kwapong died at the age of 87 in August 2014, but by age 26, he was already lecturing at the University of Ghana and by 30, had earned his PhD.
Kwapong would go on to become the first Ghanaian Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana nine years after, when he was 39-years-old.
Before that, however, he become a professor at the age of 35, well on his way to becoming UG’s vice-chancellor years later
Born in March 1927 and only affectionately known as Kwabena Sei at the time, the youngAlexander Kwapong pursued education so hard, becoming one of the few people to lecture in Ghana at a time when the country had not even gained its independence yet.
According to multiple accounts online, when Kwapong started lecturing at the age of 26, he was so brilliant that he taught subjects such as Greek, Latin, and Ancient History, distinguishing himself because not many people in the country could even speak English at the time.
Pulling no breaks on his academic career, Prof Alexander Kwapong’s hard work become so noticeable that ahead of his appointment as the vice-chancellor, he had served as a pro-vice chancellor of the institution under Cruise Connor O’Brien, an Irishman who was then vice-chancellor.
Upon taking up the job of vice-chancellor in 1966, he served until he retired in 1976 but that was not the end of the man, seeing that even at that time, he was relatively still very young.
Moving on from there, Alexander Kwapong went on to become the Vice Rector of the UN University in Tokyo, Japan, in that same year.
He spent the following years in Japan until 1988 when he had another opportunity to go to the University of Canada.
Regarded as his last foreign stint academically, when Professor Alexander Kwapong returned to Ghana, he continued to write about his life, while serving as the Chairman of the Council of State of Ghana from 2001 to 2005.
According to one of the online reports on the professor, he left indelible footprints at the Commonwealth Universities Association, the Association of African Universities, The Commonwealth of Learning for Higher Education and Distance Learning, Education Reforms Committee in Ghana, the World Philosophy and Humanities Council, among others.
In August 2014, the death of Prof Kwapong was reported, bringing to an end his 87 years serving humanity.
In the words of Prof Ernest Aryeetey, also a former Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Alex Kwapong’s “memoirs recount the trajectory of his career from school days in Ghana to Cambridge University in the UK and back to Ghana, followed by a distinguished international career in the furtherance of higher education and development on the continent.”
The Interim Council and Management of the University of Media, Arts and Communication (UniMAC) will on Monday, December 19 unveil its new logo.
The logo unveiling ceremony will be held at the North Dzorwulu Campus of the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ).
UniMAC is the first public university established by an Act of Parliament, Act 1059, which merges three specialised institutions namely GIJ, Ghana Institute of Languages (GIL) and National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI).
After the Council’s 6th Regular Meeting last month, Rector of GIJ Professor Kwamena Kwansah-Aidoo was appointed Vice Chancellor of UniMAC.
His appointment took effect from Thursday, December 1.
Prof. Eric Opoku Mensah was appointed the acting Rector of the GIJ to replace Prof Kwansah-Aidoo.
For an extremely bright student who lost focus in his final year at the university just because he developed a new interest in entrepreneurship but still came up with a First Class, he says he would not advise the same for everyone.
Christian Nana Boakye, Founder and CEO of CEQA Foods and Beverages Ghana Limited – the mother company of Chickenman & Pizzaman, said this is the case because out of ten, perhaps only one person could get so lucky in such a venture.
Sharing his story with TV3’s Berla Bundi on The Day Show, the young Chief Executive Officer explained that it was not enough to be an academically bright student.
He added that he was also challenged to dare himself to do more anytime he saw successful people, and that was how the idea to start a pizza business came to him.
“That was December 27, 2017. We went to a party, and I realized the cars there were big cars, and I felt odd. We went with a car, but I mean, there is a car, and there is a car. So, that evening, I had to think it through, like how did these people make it. The party was around East Legon.
“Mostly, when I come across successful people, that night, I don’t sleep… it’s not pressure, no! That was when I actually got the Pizzaman thing. So, for those in KNUST about five years ago, I used to be the actuarial science president, and before I got in, one of the motivating factors for students attending programs was Item 13.
“My administration changed the face of Item 13. There was a point I could organize a program as a department, and I could fill the auditorium, and the main college will do a program, and the place will not be filled… I felt if I could use food to lure them to come and listen to something sensible, then it’s fine,” he said.
Christian Nana Boakye further explained in the TV3 interview that with time, his interests in academics started realigning towards doing something for himself.
“I remember my final project; I was in a group with three guys: two of them are in the States doing their PhD now, and then one lady and myself. I was the talkative among them, so they did the work, and on the final day, I had to just read through. I was academically good as well, but then in my final year, I wasn’t so much into my academics. So, they do the work, and I do the presentation,” he said.
But like most businesses, the 25-year-old entrepreneur said the business did not all start easy for him.
He explained that he had to be forced to use monies meant for his hostel fees to pre-finance the business, so much so that his friends began to get worried about him.
“Raising capital was one, and then getting the right people to work with. Sometimes, things don’t go as planned, and you feel like quitting; you get tired of combining the work with academics. I was still in school, in my final year, when I started.
“… not just hostel fees; any other money available that I could chance on. I risked it… I wouldn’t advise it because it wasn’t pleasant… in January 2018, when I started, I had some money on me because I had gone to school fresh. It got to a point things got locked up, so during National Service time, I had to take money for the hostel and use that money to secure a place around campus and then some small small pocket monies I had on me, including my roommate, Ebenezer, we just combined whatever we had and then got some oven. I mean, it was so rough,
“I feel whatever it is you want to do, if you want to do it, you won’t find excuses. Just manage your time well. There were times that I had to skip class and cook and my mates – my classmates, bought into the idea. They were like, Chris, you are too good academically. Why don’t you just do your masters and then probably get a job outside, like how our seniors have been doing? Why are you risking so much?” he added.
The Pizzaman CEO also recalled how the situation was so glaring that one of his lecturers decided to pray for him under the pretext that he must have been under some form of demonic attack.
“At a point, one of my lecturers had to pray for me. He was our patron when I was a department president. He knew how academically good I was, and he was quite surprised. I remember there was one mid-semester exam; third year semester, I didn’t write mid sem, so all my papers were marked over 70, but I still had First Class anyway.
“He was like, what is wrong with Chris? Is it a spiritual attack? He was wondering because I’m the front seater in class, but then after class, I’m done – that’s it… to him, he felt I was under attack or I was losing focus. Well, yeah, I was losing focus in my academics, but I was making money, and it’s addictive,” he said.
But Chris says he has always persisted because “I just want to make sure I have enough to help others.”
Chickenman and Pizzaman is a fully-owned Ghanaian company that has a total of 10 branches in less than 2 years of its existence.
The executive director of PFM Tax Africa, Seth Terkper, will be teaching at Bentley University in the United States as a visiting scholar from January 2023.
Terkper, a former finance minister, will collaborate with outstanding finance professors at the university in research, teach courses on public finance and participate as keynote speaker in seminars that will be opened to the university community and the public.
Bentley University (based in Waltham, Massachusetts), is a prestigious private University focused on business programs. It offers undergraduate, masters, and PhD programmes in business disciplines. Its undergraduate tuition is US$56,500 per year.
It was founded in 1917 as a college of accounting and finance in Boston’s Back Bay Neighborhood.
“We are very delighted to have Hon. Terkper joining our faculty with such a wealth of experience,” says Kartik Raman, George and Louis Kane Professor of Finance and Chair of Finance Department. “We have no doubt that he will make quite an impact with his presence, knowledge and experience.”
Terkper has vast experience in global and national public finance. He previously served as the Minister of Finance under the John Mahama administration, during which he was at some point given additional concurrent responsibilities as Minister of Power.
He previously worked for a decade in the Fiscal Affairs Department (FAD) of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
He is currently on the expert roster for the African Development Bank (AfDB), IMF, World Bank, and other global financial institutions, and serves on several steering committees focused on global policy issues.
“Bentley University has a great track record in training some of the best business and finance professionals I’ve had the privilege of working with,” Terkper said.
“I am therefore honoured by this opportunity to go there as a visiting scholar and contribute to training and research at this great institution with a proud history and a very bright future.”
His expertise is in public financial management (PFM), including taxation, financial and fiscal accounting. He has a keen interest in structural fiscal reforms that will ensure a smooth transition from low-income country (LIC) to middle income country (MIC) status – as the minister who received the official notification from the WB and AFDB on his country’s transition.
Terkper has written several reviews and articles and has published a book on Value Added Tax (VAT). He is the Founder and Executive Director of PFM-TAX Africa (Network) Ltd.
He currently does some part-time teaching at the University of Ghana and has taught occasionally in other universities in Ghana, UK, and US.
Terkper is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana (ICAG), and holds degrees from Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government (MPA; Cert. Tax), Strayer University (MBA), and University of Cape Coast (Bachelor of Commerce, and Diploma in Education). He is married with two children.
The victim has not been named, but his next of kin have been informed and are now being supported by officers.
Detective Superintendent Neil Jones said that officers are “working round the clock” to work out what happened and catch the killer.
“This was a terrible crime that has robbed a young man of his life, and my thoughts are with his family at this devastating time,” he added.
“We are actively pursuing leads and will relentlessly pursue the offender to ensure they are brought to justice.”
Since the stabbing, more officers have been sent to patrol student areas.
The additional forces will be sent to Fallowfield and the surrounding area on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday nights.
It is hoped the patrols will help “gather intelligence and reassure the community”, Det Supt Jones said.
“I hope this goes some way to reassure the community, and if anyone has any information about this incident or has any concerns, I urge you to speak to these officers,” he added.
Anyone with information about the attack has been asked to contact the police.
Steve H. Hanke a professor of Applied Economics at the Johns Hopkins University, has reiterated his point that the managers of the Ghanaian economy need to establish a currency board in order to save the fallen cedi against the dollar.
The Professor, who is based in the US, for some time now has been monitoring and commenting on the Ghanaian economy and how the legal tender is depreciating against the US dollar.
He noted in his October 20 tweet that the cedi has depreciated by 43.98% against the US dollar since January 2022 to be placed 4th on his weekly Hanke’s currency watchlist.
He said, for the cedi to gain its strength and appreciate against the US dollar, the President together with the managers of the Ghanaian economy must install a currency board.
“The Ghanaian cedi has depreciated against the USD by 43.98% since Jan 2022, which is why #Ghana takes the 4th place in this week Hanke’s #CurrencyWatchlist. To save the cedi, GHA must install a #CurrencyBoard, NOW,” Prof. Steve Hanke’s tweeted.
The Cedi has recently been classified by Bloomberg as the worst-performing currency against the US Dollar.
Currently, the Cedi is trading at around GH¢13 – GH¢14 to a dollar at some forex bureaus. The depreciation rate is a contributory factor for the ongoing shop closures ordered by the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA).
According to the group, the fast depreciation of the Cedi is eroding their profits and also increasing the cost of doing business.
President of Somalia is officially an academic “Dr.” after the completion of his PhD programme on Tuesday, October 11.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who returned to the presidency in keenly contested poll this year completed his PhD Program of Peace, Governance and Development at PEACE University.
“We are thrilled to welcome you to our Alumni ranks! @HassanSMohamud,” the University said.
Mohamud lost his re-election bid in 2016 to immediate past Mohammed Abdullahi Farmaajo. Years on, he staged a comeback to defeat Farmaajo to stage a successful comeback.
With a background in education, the former peace activist’s election campaign was focused on ensuring Somalis are united and are at peace with the rest of the world – something he did not fail to mention immediately after he was sworn in, the BBC said in a profile of the president in May 2022.
Hassan Sheikh is said to have joined the Centre for Research and Dialogue in 2001 as a researcher in post-conflict reconstruction – a body sometimes criticised as being too closely affiliated to the West – and has worked as a consultant to various UN bodies and the transitional government.
President @HassanSMohamud receives a PhD in Peace, Governance and Development from the United Nations Peace University #DalsanNewsDesk #Somalia pic.twitter.com/4UNNmKk3rV
— DalsanTV (@DalsanTv) October 11, 2022
Congratulations to President @HassanSMohamud, now PhD.
Dr Hassan Sheikh Mohamud setting a good example for leadership and younger generations.
Former President John Dramani Mahama has shared nuggets that can put Africa on the right footing in seeking to better the lot of people on the continent.
He identified among others absolute accountability of institutions, ethical and moral uprightness and stoic fidelity to the truth as three such values Africa needs.
His views were contained in a Facebook post dated October 9 sharing portions of a speech he delivered at the Liberty University’s convocation event last week in the United States.
“Absolute accountability, not just by government but by the institutions of state in service to the people and not themselves, will go a long way to remedy many of the systemic problems that affect our African people.
“In Africa, we need ethical and moral uprightness as guiding principles, and a stoic fidelity to the truth and to do right by our people above all other considerations,” his post accompanied by photos of his engagement read.
Mahama was a special guest of honour at the 2022 Liberty University Convocation in Lynchburg, Virginia where he delivered a speech to a packed auditorium.
He described Ghana as “an island of religious calmness in a sea of turbulence,” citing how “almost all our surrounding neighbours have in recent times experienced some major form of insurgency, coup d’etats or other conflicts, including religious conflicts.”
He explained the situation in Ghana’s northern neighbours, Burkina Faso and Mali, where insurgents are running roughshod.
Former President John Dramani Mahama has shared nuggets that can put Africa on the right footing in seeking to better the lot of people on the continent.
He identified among others absolute accountability of institutions, ethical and moral uprightness and stoic fidelity to the truth as three such values Africa needs.
His views were contained in a Facebook post dated October 9 sharing portions of a speech he delivered at the Liberty University’s convocation event last week in the United States.
“Absolute accountability, not just by government but by the institutions of state in service to the people and not themselves, will go a long way to remedy many of the systemic problems that affect our African people.
“In Africa, we need ethical and moral uprightness as guiding principles, and a stoic fidelity to the truth and to do right by our people above all other considerations,” his post accompanied by photos of his engagement read.
Mahama was a special guest of honour at the 2022 Liberty University Convocation in Lynchburg, Virginia where he delivered a speech to a packed auditorium.
He described Ghana as “an island of religious calmness in a sea of turbulence,” citing how “almost all our surrounding neighbours have in recent times experienced some major form of insurgency, coup d’etats or other conflicts, including religious conflicts.”
He explained the situation in Ghana’s northern neighbours, Burkina Faso and Mali, where insurgents are running roughshod.
In a press release dated October 10, 2022, the university indicated that the level 400 students, who were mainly affected by the issue, can now access their portals to get the proper record of their academic work.
It explained that 8000 students were affected by the challenge which began in 2018 but it has now been resolved due to the instrumentality of the current university administration.
“The Management of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), wishes to inform level 400 students of the university and the general public that student portals have been successfully updated, and level 400 students have full access to their portals.
“The challenge at hand is a four-year-old issue that dates back to 2018. The current Management took the audacious initiative to resolve the challenges with the results of over 8,000 students as far back as June 2022.
“Having come this far to successfully update students’ portals based on bulk data collated from the activities of the Students’ Help Desk, we expect our level 400 students to access their portals to check the updated results and resort to the laid down processes to address their concerns if any are identified,” parts of the statement read.
On Monday, October 11, some final year students at the University of Education, Winneba protested what they say are disparities between results on the school’s online system and notice boards.
Sources at the school indicated that students are unhappy about the inability of the school’s management to determine their various classes, although they have completed most courses and received their marks and transcripts for same.
This comes following earlier protests in September when students had to be dispersed by police after they protested discrepancies in their results posted online and on the university’s notice boards.
The students, who were disappointed about the cancellation of a scheduled meeting between level 400s and management to resolve the issues, broke some sign posts and tree branches and blocked some roads on campus.
Ahead of what they say are their final papers, some final-year students recently protested again, citing the inability to determine their final marks as the reason.
The students said the school system for checking grades, which was the notice board, had been upgraded such that students now have to log into a portal to access their grades, but the grades they have received, which were previously posted on the notice boards, differ from those on the school’s portal.
Read the full statement issued by the university below:
There are reports of growing agitation among University teachers following the high cost of living and what some describe as worsening conditions of service
There is however uncertainty if the agitation is related to any possible breaches of pledges made after the nationwide action by all 15 public Universities in January this year which was called off after nearly two months.
A communique sighted by myxyzonline indicates a joint press conference to be addressed by UTAG leadership and all Labour Unions in Public Universities, is scheduled to take place on the afternoon of Wednesday, 28th September, 2022.
The event according to the notice shall take place at the University of Professional Studies, Accra.
The agenda has been clearly spelt out, ‘Conditions of Service of University Workers’.
The development comes as government meets representatives of the IMF on expenditure cuts and how to restructure the economy.
General Secretary of the University of Ghana branch of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), Professor Ransford Yaw Gyampo, however, hinted at an imminent strike.
In a write-up on social media he sarcastically spoke the minds of his peers as he commented on the booing of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the Global Citizen Concert held at the Black Star Square in Accra.
“We will speak against this act of disrespect against the President and the PRESIDENCY, regardless of how angry we are, and the fact that, we would even be leading labor once again to go on strike very shortly,” Professor Gyampo wrote.
“Yes, we are hungry but we cannot eat with both hands when we find food. A few party appointees are enjoying, even in times of hardships, and are asking the rest of us to keep tightening our belt.”
It will be recalled that on January 10 this year, all 15 public Universities embarked on an indefinite strike. That lasted till the first week of March, 2022 when they reluctantly called it off.
Three private university colleges, incidentally all faith-based, have met the criteria of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) to be handed a Presidential Charter.
They are the Catholic University College at Fiapre in the Ahafo Region, the Presbyterian University College in Abetifi in the Eastern Region and the Methodist University College at Dansoman in the Greater Accra Region.
The three university colleges got to the charter stage after spending over 10 years each being mentored by public universities to prepare them to be able to stand on their own.
The Director-General of the GTEC, Professor Mohammed Salifu, who disclosed this in an interview, said his outfit had already submitted its recommendations to the Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum.
Presidential Charter
Explaining what a Presidential Charter was, Prof. Salifu said when an institution was given the status of a university college, “it means it is a university in the making. It intends to be a full-fledged university but for the meantime, is under some kind of tutelageâ€.
“Such institutions evolve over a period of time until their systems mature so they can do things on their own and deliver quality on a repeated basis,†the director-general explained.
Walking the Daily Graphic through the charter, Prof. Salifu said “the President may, on the advice of the commission (GTEC) given through the minister, grant a charter to a tertiary educational institution to enable the institution to award certificates, diplomas and degreesâ€.
“A tertiary educational institution that is granted a charter shall be a body corporate, shall continue the activities of the institution in accordance with the terms and conditions under which accreditation is granted and may develop and mount the new academic programmes of the institution subject to review by the commission in accordance with the provisions of the act,†he quoted a section of the act (Act 1023) to support his submission.
Additionally, he explained that such an institution might establish campuses and constituent colleges which should conform to standards prescribed by regulations made under the act, adding that, “The institution may award degrees, including honorary degrees.
“Despite subsection (1), constituent colleges and campuses of a tertiary education institution shall not share premises with incompatible businesses.â€
Throwing light on the charter, he explained that “the charter is a stamp of approval and that the university colleges have come of ageâ€.
“It means that they can manage things independently on their own, but are still subject to regulatory requirements, and so before they mount any course, for example, they will have to come for accreditation,” Prof. Salifu added.
He, however, said every five years, the GTEC had the mandate to go back to the university for institutional review to be sure that it maintained the standard, adding that if within the next five years, or indeed, anytime after grant of charter, it was detected that standards were being compromised, “we can have the charter revoked”.
Revocation
As per the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023), the President “may, on the recommendation of the commission given through the minister, revoke, vary or in any other way amend the provisions of a charter where the President considers that the revocation, variation or amendment is in the best interest of tertiary education in the countryâ€.
Accreditation
Touching on accreditation, Prof. Salifu explained that aside from the institutional accreditation, every programme the institution wanted to mount, had to be verified and approved by GTEC before being granted the accreditation.
He said the GTEC had to be sure that the university had the facilities for such a programme, the course content and the individuals who could teach the course.
“So before the university does any course, it has to come for accreditation,†he added.
On the institutional accreditation, Prof. Salifu explained that “institutional accreditation deals with the institution as a wholeâ€.
For instance, he asked, “does it have the systems, structures and the human resources to operate as a university�
The National Accreditation Board (NAB), in charge of regulating, supervising, and accrediting tertiary institutions in Ghana has re-echoed its stance with regards to the operations of some universities in the country.
According to the Board, the tertiary institutions in question have either not gone through the full accreditation process in order to commence operations or have not met the necessary requirements.
The Board insists that some of the institutions are still in the process of awarding qualifications, honorary degrees, and titles to some prominent Ghanaians.
A report filed by Graphic Online indicated that the Accreditation Board has on several occasions issued public notices to caution Ghanaians from patronizing the services of such institutions.
One of such notices was published on August 24, 2020, in the Daily Graphic.
A notice signed by the Executive Secretary of the Board, Dr. Kingsley Nyarko named the following institutions as unaccredited and unrecognized; Swiss Management Centre (SMC) University, Institute of Professional and Executive Development (IPED), Cambridge International College (CIC), CASS European Institute of Management Studies and M-GIBES College of Business and Management.
The NAB has also explained that it had ceased to recognise the qualifications awarded by the institutions because of their “failure to comply with some directives by NAB.â€
Government has commenced processes to convert the Kumasi Campus of the University of Education, Winneba into the University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development.
The University will have the mandate of training teachers in Practical Skills and Entrepreneurship.
The Bill that will allow the conversation went through the Second Reading in Parliament on Friday.
The Minister of State in-charge of Tertiary Education, Prof. Kwasi Yankah says the conversion will allow teachers are equipped with the required skills.
“The conversation will bring into focus the relevance of technical and vocational training to national development and the need to achieve national development in that regard.
The proposed university will develop to the level of awarding Doctorate Degrees in technical and vocational training thereby providing a workforce with the requisite skills. This will undoubtedly increase productivity, encourage investment as well, reduce unemployment, and improve the socio-economic sector of the country,†he added.
Cambridge University will have no face-to-face lectures until summer 2021 at the earliest in response to the coronavirus pandemic, a spokesman confirmed on Wednesday.
Cambridge is the first UK university to set out its plans for the coming academic year starting in September.
“The university is constantly adapting to changing advice as it emerges during the pandemic,” the university said in a statement Tuesday.
“Given that it is likely that social distancing will continue to be required, the university has decided there will be no face-to-face lectures during the next academic year.”
Lectures would continue to be available online.
Smaller teaching groups could also take place in person, the university said, but only as long as they conform to social-distancing requirements.
The university moved all teaching online in March. Exams will also be carried out virtually.
The decision by Cambridge comes as a row has escalated in the UK about whether or not it is safe for students to return to school.
Government ministers plan to partially reopen English primary schools from June 1, but this is being challenged by some unions and local councils over safety concerns.
Britain has the highest death toll in Europe and the second-worst in the world behind the United States.
The government’s official rolling tally, of deaths after positive tests, stood at 35,341 on Tuesday.
But broader statistics including suspected virus deaths took the toll to at least 41,000.
A potential new treatment for coronavirus being trialled at a hospital in Wales offers patients a “glimmer of hope”, specialists say.
The University Hospital of Wales (UHW) in Cardiff hopes to offer the treatment as part of a study within a month.
Blood will be extracted from people who have recovered from COVID-19 and the plasma will be given to patients.
It is hoped antibodies in the plasma of the blood could help others struggling to fight the infection.
At this early stage, the plan is to trial the treatment on patients who are severely affected by a Coronavirus, according to Dr Stuart Walker, medical director at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board.
Public Health Wales will identify and write to potential donors, with the plasma collected and processed by the Welsh Blood Service.
Donors will need to have tested positive for COVID-19 and now be fully recovered.
For years, so-called “convalescent plasma” has been used on a daily basis in the health service to help combat other viruses, as well as internationally in response to the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars) and Ebola epidemics.
The BBC has been told other hospitals across the UK are also looking to trial the treatment, with further announcements understood to be imminent.
But UHW is “at the forefront”, in part due to the expertise of its staff, according to Dr Richard Skone, clinical board director for specialist services.
“We’re very fortunate here in Cardiff to have a number of specialists who have already been working in this area,” he said.
“This is in the research stage at the moment but there’s a chance it could help people who can’t defend themselves against the virus – and for those people it could make a big difference.”
The Welsh Government said Wales was playing “a leading role in the UK programme” for treating coronavirus patients using convalescent plasma.
“If the practical application works then we should be in a position where we can have a more effective response to people who are seriously ill,” Health Minister Vaughan Gething said.
“And we know there are hundreds of people who are seriously ill across Wales.
“This is a really good new story for Wales and we need some good news at this really difficult time.
“People should be really proud of this work that is being done and lead from Wales.
The management of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA) has issued a two-week break following the death of two students of the institution.
A 200-level lassa fever, Temitope Patience, died of Lassa fever on Thursday while Olakunle Matthew of the department of Biochemistry was shot dead by suspected cultists on Friday.
According to the Acting Registrar of the institution, Opeoluwa Akinfemiwa, the loss of the two students dealt a heavy blow on the school management.
In the condolence statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday, the registrar narrated events that led to the demise of the two students.
“On admission of Miss Temitope Patience AYEDUN, a 200 Level of the Department of Educational Management, at the University Health Centre, the Medical Personnel tried their best to manage her until she was referred to the Federal Medical Centre, Owo where she was intensively managed before she died on Thursday, 5th March, 2020.”
“The news of the death of Mr. Olakunle Matthew OLAYINKA, a 300-Level student of the Department of Biochemistry, following wounds from gunshot by unidentified gunmen, was received last night, Friday, 6th March, 2020, after the Medical personnel at the University Health Centre put up spirited efforts to stabilise him. The Security agents are still on the trail of the assailants for apprehension.”
It was also stated that the university management, under the leadership of the Acting Vice Chancellor, Olugbenga Ige, commiserated with the families of the deceased, the entire students and the university community on the sad events and prayed the Lord console the families and the entire university community.
She, however, assured that the university management has beefed up security within and outside the campus to forestall recurrence.
The official also announced the postponement of some examinations to mourn the loss of the students.
“Mourning the painful loss of these our students, the Ag. Vice Chancellor, Prof. Olugbenga E. Ige, on behalf of the University Senate has, therefore, directed that the First Semester University-wide GST and ENT CBT examinations for 2019/2020 academic session earlier scheduled for Monday, 9th March, 2020 to Thursday, 12th March, 2020 be postponed till further notice.”
However, in a separate memo obtained on Sunday evening, the university’s Senate approved a two-week Mid-Semester Break for all students with immediate effect.
This, according to the registrar, is to enable the students refresh and prepare well for the First Semester Examinations for 2019/2020 academic session on resumption.
A nine-year-old Belgian boy who was due to graduate in electrical engineering has dropped out of his Dutch university due to a dispute over the end date of his degree, his father said Tuesday.
Young prodigy Laurent Simons hit the headlines worldwide when it emerged he was on course to receive his degree from the Eindhoven University of Technology in December and become one of the world’s youngest graduates.
But his father Alexander told AFP he had now quit because the university wanted to delay his degree until next year, while insisting his son now had new plans.
“Today he already got two offers” from foreign universities, Alexander Simons said. “We have good times ahead of us.”
The university said in a statement that it had suggested a timetable that would have allowed him to finish in mid-2020, which would have been “in any case a very fast timetable.”
“His parents decided not to accept this plan and to end his studies here. We regret that,” it said.
“His father repeatedly said he wanted his son to get his degree at the age of nine”, which would have meant Laurent had to complete a three-year course in the space of just 10 months, the university said.
“Laurent is an unprecedently talented boy whose way of working is exceptional. Nevertheless, the university did not believe that this end date was feasible given the number of exams Laurent had to pass before his 10th birthday on December 26.”
Born to a Belgian father and Dutch mother, Laurent was for the early part of his life raised by his grandparents in the Belgian coastal resort of Ostend.
Starting school at four, he completed primary in a year and a half. It has taken him just five years to go through primary and secondary school and university.
Laurent told AFP in November that he eventually wanted “make artificial organs to prolong life” — while adding that his hobbies also included TV and his pet dog.
A Bangladeshi lawmaker has been expelled from university after allegedly hiring as many as eight lookalikes to take exams in her place, officials said on Monday.
Tamanna Nusrat, from the ruling Awami League party, is accused of paying the lookalikes to pretend to be her in at least 13 tests.
The scandal emerged after private broadcaster Nagorik TV entered a test hall and confronted one of the women posing as Nusrat in a video that went viral.
Nusrat, who was elected to parliament last year, was studying for a Bachelor of Arts degree with the Bangladesh Open University (BOU).
“We expelled her because she has committed a crime. A crime is a crime,” BOU Vice Chancellor Professor MA Mannan told AFP news agency. “We have cancelled her enrolment. She will never be able to get admitted here again.”
“The proxy students were protected by the MP’s musclemen when they sat for the tests. Everybody knew it but nobody uttered a word because she is from a very influential family,” a college official said.
Nusrat, who has been served a show-cause notice by the university authorities, could not be reached for comment.
Test fraud, cheating and leaking of question papers ahead of exams are common in Bangladesh, frequently prompting authorities to cancel results.
Cost, location and career prospects are all key considerations for would-be students choosing a university.
But reputation plays an important role, too.
The annual World University Rankings, released by Times Higher Education (THE) on Wednesday, analysed more than 1,300 institutions around the world.
Considered the most comprehensive global ranking, it uses 13 “performance indicators” to judge institutions’ excellence in teaching, research, income and international outlook.
There was no change at the top this year, where European and North American universities continue to dominate.
The hallowed University of Oxford took the top spot for the fourth year in a row, with its traditional rival the University of Cambridge dropping to third place behind the California Institute of Technology.
Switzerland was the only country outside the United Kingdom and North America to break into the top 20, with the ETH Zurich coming in joint 13th place.
Regionally, Europe had the most top-ranking universities in the top 200, accounting for just under half, while the United States was the country with most institutions in the top 200, a total of 60.
Ellie Bothwell, THE’s rankings editor, said that while Europe continued to perform “extremely well” and attract academics from around the world, there could be challenges ahead.
“Europe must overcome serious hurdles if it is to maintain its strong position in future global rankings. Economic stagnation and increasingly isolationist political tendencies both threaten the positions of European institutions at a time when international cooperation and investment is key,” Bothwell said in a statement.
Seven territories included in the analysis for the first time were Bangladesh, Brunei, Cuba, Malta, Montenegro, Puerto Rico and Vietnam.
Iran was one of the biggest overall climbers, overtaking France and Australia with 40 universities included.
None made it into the top 200, however, with Israel’s Tel Aviv University providing the Middle East’s sole entrant at joint 189th place.
Africa was represented in the top 200 by two South African institutions: the University of Cape Town and the University of Witwatersrand, while Latin America was notable for its absence. Brazil’s University of Sao Paulo is the region’s highest-ranked institution, placing in the 251-300 band.
Asia is the only region posing a serious threat to Anglo-American dominance in the rankings, now in their 16th year.
China has grown to be the fourth-most-represented country in the world, while Japan has consolidated its position as the second, though it lags behind countries such as Denmark and Belgium in terms of top-200 representation.
“It has long been clear that the emerging countries of Asia are going to play an increasingly powerful role among the global elite of higher education,” Phil Baty, THE chief knowledge officer, said in a statement.
“Future editions of the World University Rankings will most likely reveal intense competition, and while European and American institutions face significant hurdles, Chinese and other Asian universities have challenges of their own they must meet.
“These include ensuring that the excellent academics they produce do not move abroad to more established institutions in Europe and North America; promoting a culture of scholarly creativity and freedom; [and] boosting ties with nations across the globe”.
