A delegation of students, staff, faculty, and alumni from the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) has paid a one-day working visit to the Institute of Work, Employment and Society (IWES) of the UPSA.
The visit on Monday, December 12, was to afford the two universities an opportunity to discuss and explore academic collaboration opportunities, including joint research and consultancy, development of new academic programmes, cross-faculty dissertation supervision, and student and staff exchanges.
The Director of IWES, Dr Mary Naana Essiaw, who welcomed the 29-member delegation on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor, disclosed that UPSA and UVI have enjoyed a good relationship over the years, and it was time the ties were taken a notch higher.
She said IWES, through its education unit, has been running the Certified Public Manager (CPM) programme in partnership with UVI for individuals and organisations.
Dr Essiaw was hopeful that the latest visit by the UVI team would further deepen the ties between the two institutions while opening the doors for new opportunities.
The leader of the UVI delegation, Mrs Shirley Lake-King, who is also the Vice President of the Administration and Finance, thanked the management of UPSA for the “pleasant reception” accorded them.
She stressed that UVI’s relationship with UPSA has been reignited with the new commitments by both institutions and that she was looking forward to a reciprocal visit by students and staff of UPSA.
Dean of the Centre for International Education and Collaboration (CIEC), Prof Abigail Opoku Mensah, reiterated UPSA’s commitment to building closer, stronger, and mutually beneficial partnerships with international actors.
She added that UPSA is continuously developing and rolling out forward-looking, market-driven programmes that add value to the community and industry.
“The CIEC is very excited about the partnership with UVI,” Prof Opoku Mensah said. “It is one of the few active international collaborations we would like to maintain for years to come.”
The delegation also toured the UPSA campus, visiting the Central Administration Building, Joshua Alabi Library, Justice Aryeetey Lecture Block Complex, Kofi Ohene-Konadu Auditorium, J.K. Antwi Astroturf Stadium, and the Students’ Centre before participating in a public lecture organized by IWES later in the day.
The lecture was delivered by Prof Kwame Adum-Kyeremeh, Head of the Department of History of the University of Ghana.
It was themed “Pan-Africanism and the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade” and was intended to invigorate the spirit of pan-Africanism in the delegation, which has roots in Africa.
