The Presbyterian University College has held its sixth congregation at the Okwahu Campus at Abetifi over the weekend.
In all, 522 students graduated in Business Administration, Business Economics, Information and Communication Technology, Mathematics, Environmental and Natural Resources Management, Rural and Community Development and Nursing.
Professor Sraku-Lartey, President of the University in his address said, the College, which started in 2003 with 55 students, now has a population of 2,300 from all the West African countries.
He said contrary to the assertion that private universities offered only the social sciences/humanities, Presbyterian University College was seriously promoting the balanced pursuit of the humanities, the sciences, and the development, application and management of technology, thereby offering nine programmes, five of which are in the physical and applied sciences.
He said the excellent results of Senior High School (SHS) this year made entry into tertiary institutions very difficult this academic year.
Prof. Sraku-Lartey said for once they were compelled by lack of accommodation to turn away qualified students, especially at the Asante-Akyem Campus, adding that with two batches of SHS students coming out next year, the problem could be worse.
“We therefore wish to call on government to support tertiary institutions to set up structures so they can absorb as many students as possible. Ghana’s development depends on this,” he appealed.
He said programmes at the University had been designed to provide a strong educational foundation in management, in the use of current information and communication technology, mathematics and environmental studies for students, who upon graduation, could readily provide specialized skills at problem solving in the business and scientific environment, set-up and run their own small businesses, or pursue graduate degrees in management studies.
Prof. Sraku-Lartey said the University had established an outreach centre for development and cooperation, which had been very active over the past years and fulfilling its core functions such as to establish a framework for rural and community development in its catchment areas; and to establish contacts for collaboration with academic institutions outside Ghana.
Others are to establish contacts for cooperation with development institutions within and outside Ghana, and establish contacts with Presbyterian and Ghanaian congregations overseas in terms of contributions and materials towards the growth and outreach programmes of the Church.
The Chairman of the University Council, Mr Sam Okudjato, said the University started initially with two programmes in Business Administration and Information Communication Technology, but nine years down the line it had increased the number of programmes to 10 with the establishment of two additional campuses at Tema and Asante Akyem.
He said preparation were far advanced to introduce new programmes in Computer Science at the Okwahu Campus, Medicine and Midwifery at the Asante Akyem Campus, Architecture and Building Technology at the Akuapem Campus, Procurement and Supply Chain Management at the Tema Campus.
