A high-powered delegation from Voorhees University, Denmark, South Carolina, United States of America, has paid a courtesy call on the Board and Management of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), at Accra, on Wednesday, 23 May, 2023.
The leader of the seven (7) member delegation, Dr. Ronnie Hopkins, the President and the Chief Executive Officer of this pro African American University, was grateful to GETFund for its kind reception and the assurances of building a mutually beneficial enduring relationship. Dr. Hopkins said the Voorhees University is desirous of establishing a stronghold in Africa, particularly, with Ghana being a launch pad.
‘Our university offers diverse programmes with 21st century developed curricular that is responsive to the ever-changing industry and the job market’, he said. According to the University CEO, with eighteen (18) undergraduate and four (4) post graduate programmes in the sciences and humanities, the school is poised to receive students from across Africa for fulfilling academic pursuits.
On his part, Prof. Mohammed Salifu, a board member of GETFund, who received the guests for and on behalf of the Trust Fund was enthused with the presence of the delegation and the reason for their visit. Prof Salifu, who also doubles as the Director-General, of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission, (GTEC), said Ghana is determined to achieve a Gross Tertiary Education Ratio for its adult population of forty (40) percent from the current twenty (20) percent by the year 2030. ‘To be able to realize this objective, government intends using multiple strands of tertiary education institutions, home and abroad towards the acquisitions of higher education knowledge by the Ghanaian student’, he remarked.
According to the GETFund Board Member, government welcomes the idea of a Ghanaian student studying abroad, specially, for a programme not available in the local universities. He said the growing activities of Internet related engagements across the globe require scholars in the discipline of cyber security and artificial intelligence spheres.
The Deputy Administrator of the Fund, Mr. Joseph Denteh, called on prospective GETFund scholarship applicants to consider Voorhees University as a preferred choice to study abroad. This pro black community university founded in 1897, offers a blend of cultures with diversity people determined to break the boundaries and be able to establish new order for the young black scholars.
The meeting ended with a promise to draft an MoU for the formalization of the relationship between the two (2) institutions.
The GETFund team included;
1. Mr. Michael Nsowah – Board Member, GETFund
2. Naana Nsafoah Sarpong, Esq – Director Legal/Administration, GETFund
3. Mr. Alexis Asuinura – Financial Controller, GETFund
4. Mrs. Phillida Lamptey – Scholarship Unit
The Guests included;
1. Dr. Damara H. Mitchell, Provost, Voorhees University
2. Dr. Guenda Grane, Dean, Graduate Studies, Voorhees University
3. Dr. Herman Mason, Director, Library Services, Voorhees University
4. Nicholas Brown, VUSEA Vice President (Student)
5. Xavier Millcox, 9th Mister, Voorhees University
6. Prof Samuel Aniegyei Ntewusu – Board Member, Voorhees University