Organising for the Future

Abstract

UNIVERSITY OF GHANA, Visitation Panel, Organising for the Future, Remarks of the Chairman Sir John Daniel, at the Opening Ceremony, 30 April 2007 // We, the members of the Visitation Panel, are both deeply honoured by the invitation to undertake this important task and acutely conscious of the heavy responsibility that we bear. In recent years Ghana's premier university has been rocked by failures of organisation which, by undermining the credibility of its examinations, have sapped the institution's reputation. // The Panel's immediate task is to help the University of Ghana restore its academic integrity and regain its traditional credibility. But if that were all the Vice-Chancellor would not have brought together such a diverse and distinguished group of people. I have the privilege of leading an enormously eminent team. Our Vice-Chairman is your distinguished former Vice-Chancellor, Professor Aki Sawyerr, who is currently Secretary-General of the Association of African Universities. The Panel includes well-known Ghanaians and academics, experts and institutional leaders from five other countries: India, Jamaica, Nigeria, the United Kingdom and the USA who are serving in a personal capacity. UNESCO is assisting the process by assigning Ms Stamenka Uvaliæ-Trumbiæ of its Higher Education Division to the Panel and the Commonwealth of Learning is expressing its support through my own participation. // Our wider task is to help the University organise itself for the future. Although that future will present an ever-changing environment, the University's mission expresses aspirations that are valid for any future. According to the Strategic Plan the mission of the University of Ghana is to 'develop world-class human resources and capabilities to meet national development needs and global challenges through quality teaching, learning, research and knowledge dissemination'.