The University of Sheffield has strengthened its international research and teaching partnership with the University of Ghana after welcoming a delegation from the institute to campus.
Professor Ebenezer Oduro Owusu, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, and a team of 11 senior staff were welcomed by the University of Sheffield’s President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Koen Lamberts, along with leading researchers in engineering, medicine, science, social science and arts and humanities.
During the two-day visit the delegation were given a tour of the University’s cutting-edge research and teaching facilities including the state-of-the-art Diamond building and the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre.
The aim of the visit was to enhance the existing partnership between the institutions and explore areas of common interest and opportunities to collaborate on potential projects for the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) - a £1.5 billion fund from the UK Government to support pioneering studies that address the challenges faced by developing countries.
Researchers from the University of Sheffield are already conducting a number of projects as part of the GCRF. These include a study, led by Professor Michelle Holdsworth and Dr Robert Akparibo from the University’s School of Health and Related Research, that aims to identify key factors driving a change towards unhealthy diets in Ghana which have led to an increased risk of diseases such as type 2 diabetes and obesity.
Speaking about the visit, Professor Lamberts said: “At the University of Sheffield we are very proud of our international links, such as the partnership we have with the University of Ghana.
“Meeting as fellow teachers and researchers means that we can learn together in order to address both global challenges and local issues.”
The visit comes after both universities signed a general Memorandum of Understanding in October 2018, at the Worldwide Universities Network Annual General Meeting in Perth, Australia.
There are currently 18 Ghanaian students studying at the University of Sheffield; two undergraduates, six Masters students and 10 PhD students. The University has 166 alumni from Ghana who have graduated over the last 10 years.
The University of Ghana is the oldest and largest of six public universities in the country. It was founded as the University College of the Gold Coast by Ordinance on 11 August 1948, to provide and promote university education, learning and research. The University of Ghana has a student population of over 38,000 and a growing number of international students from more than 70 countries.
