The University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the University at Buffalo (UB), the State university of New York, in the United States.
The agreement provides a platform for the two institutions to partner in areas including student, faculty and researcher mobility, dual degree programmes, research and joint grant collaborations, establishment of Research-Faculty Consortium.
It also provides Leadership Development Programme for Traditional Rulers, Leadership Empowerment Programme for graduate students, Exchanging academic materials and publications, Joint programmes for UPSA Entrepreneurship Centre and UB Entrepreneurship Centre, among other initiatives.
Pro-Vice Chancellor Prof. John Kwaku Mensah Mawutor and Ms. Ivy Heward-Mills, Director of the Center for International Education Collaboration (CIEC) signed on behalf of UPSA while Prof. Nallan C. Suresh, Associate Dean, Faculty, Research & Centers (on behalf of Prof. Ananth Iyer, Dean of the UB School of Management), and Dr. Dorothy Siaw Asamoah, Faculty Director of Global Programmes signed for UB.
Prof. Suresh commended UPSA’s status as a leading institution in Ghana and highlighted the enriching academic opportunities the collaboration will provide for the students and faculty of both institutions.
Prof. Mawutor stated that the MoU forms part of the UPSA’s commitment to implementing its global expansion strategy and offer students, faculty and staff opportunities for contribution to, and exchange of knowledge, and experience and explore the global academic landscape.
Prof. Mawutor pledged to see to it that implementation of the collaboration commences before the end of this year.
“I am so happy that this process has started,” Prof. Mawutor said. Today marks a historical day in our partnership and I know this initiative will be of mutual benefit to our two institutions.”
The director for the Center for International Education Collaboration (CIEC), Ivy Heward-Mills, expressed her delight about the collaboration, which she believes, will help drive the university’s academic agenda of promoting cross-cultural learning and teaching for continuous improvement and transformation.
”One of the things I am most excited about is the 1+1 STEM MBA programme that will afford our students the opportunity to benefit from the STEM extension Optional Practical Training (STEM-OPT program) thereby, gaining up to three years’ work experience in the US” she said.
Present at the signing ceremony were the Deans, Directors and faculty members of UPSA.