By Anita Kwapong
The Deputy Director-General of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), Prof Yayra Dzakadzie, has noted that his outfit, in collaboration with its key stakeholders, remains steadfast in elevating Ghana’s tertiary education system to an unparalleled act.
According to him, the implementation of forward-thinking policies has resulted in a commendable increase in Ghana’s gross tertiary enrollment ratio, now standing at an impressive 22 percent with gender parity of zero point nine-five percent, a significant improvement from the previous years of 20 percent.
This progress aligns with the nation’s ambition, with the target of achieving a gross tertiary enrollment ratio of 40 percent by 2030, a crucial milestone for Ghana’s overall development. He made these statements during the investiture of the new Vice Chancellor and the induction ceremony for newly appointed key officers of the Koforidua Technical University, KTU, in the Eastern Region.
Over the years, Koforidua Technical University (KTU) has produced high-level, career-focused, and skilled manpower to support the country’s industrial growth. It is an outstanding tertiary institution in the Eastern Region and one of the fastest-growing Technical Universities in Ghana, with immense prospects.
Professor John Owusu, who becomes the sixth Vice Chancellor of the university since its inception in 1997, was first appointed as a lecturer at the then Koforidua Polytechnic in 2006 in the Hospitality Department. He was the Pro Vice-Chancellor from 2020 to 2022 and under his leadership then, various Halls of the University were named after some prominent personalities in Ghana.
He also led the introduction of Bsc in Public Administration programme, which is a collaborative programme between KTU and GIMPA. It was also under his tenure as the Pro Vice Chancellor that almost all the HND Programmes of the University were accredited to run four-year Bachelor of Technology, BTech programmes.
During his investiture, Professor Owusu promised to build upon the foundation of his predecessors and urged all stakeholders in education, as well as the Governing Council of the university, to support his management in delivering on their mandate.
He outlined his vision to make the university a reference point for world-class Science and Technology Education and Applied Research
The Deputy Director-General of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission, GTEC, Prof Yayra Dzakadzie observed that the Commission is making significant strides in enhancing Ghana’s educational landscape by building a world-class tertiary education system that can rival any other nation, hence the need for all stakeholders to join hands in turning these commitments into reality.
The Koforidua Technical University now offers 23 Bachelor of Technology programmes, 19 HND and five tertiary Diploma programmes and other non-tertiary Diploma and Certificate Courses in Business, Engineering and Science disciplines.
This year, the university received applications for admission from 6,736 applicants. Out of this number, 6,541 gained admission to pursue various academic programmes at the university. However, 4,295 students accepted the admissions, bringing the total population of the university to nine thousand 837 students.
Three newly appointed key officers for the university who were also inducted into office were Pro Vice Chancellor, Professor Richard Ohene Asiedu; Registrar, Ms Evelyn Fafa Adom; and Director of Finance, Rev Prince Baffour-Ofori. They are to help the Vice Chancellor churn out his vision of making the university a vibrant centre of learning and research as well as a catalyst for development and economic growth for Ghana.
