The University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) has signed a partnership agreement with the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) that seeks to enhance the academic and professional capacities of staff of the GAF, especially personnel of the Forces Pay Corps (FPC).

The agreement will also lead to the building of the capacities of other junior, middle-level and senior officers, as well as civilian employees in the fields of Accountancy and Financial Management, while deepening the ties between the two institutions.

The partnership was formalised with a Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) signed by the Chief of Defence Staff, Vice Admiral Seth Amoama and the Vice-Chancellor of UPSA, Prof. Abednego F. O. Amartey at a brief ceremony held at the military headquarters in Burma Camp, Accra on Wednesday, June 2, 2021.

With the signing of the MoU, the University will mentor the Haizel School of Finance of the GAF to run academic programmes at the diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The certification of these programmes will be awarded by UPSA.

Some of the programmes to be offered include; Diploma in Accounting, Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting, Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and Finance, MBA in Auditing and MBA in Accounting and Finance.

The MoU also provides access to faculty members of UPSA and individuals in the GAF community for professional training and development.

Prof. Abednego Amartey in his address said the collaboration with the Ghana Armed Forces is a unique one, since it involved two professional institutions that are committed to their respective mandates of providing professional and quality service to the nation.

The Vice-Chancellor commended the Military High Command for selecting UPSA for the collaboration saying, “it is a privilege for the Ghana Armed Forces to have that confidence in UPSA and we are extremely grateful for this collaboration.”

He added that the confidence reposed in the university is an attestation of the reputation UPSA has achieved as the oldest and only Ghanaian human resource development institution with the mandate to offer both academic degrees and provide tuition for business professional qualifications.

He congratulated the GAF for adding an academic component to the training of its officers. “What we are bringing on board is to bring the theory to marry practice and ensure that we build the synergy that can take it to the next level,” Prof. Amartey said.

On his part, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Vice Admiral Seth Amoama noted that the affiliation with the UPSA falls in line with the Military High Command’s vision of training and maintaining a well-trained, highly motivated, highly professional and well-equipped fighting force with the requisite academic and professional knowledge, skills, and expertise to perform their duties efficiently and effectively.

In that regard, the CDS said, academic and training institutions within the GAF are being upgraded and their curriculum expanded to meet the contemporary challenges confronting the specialised areas of the military.

“Suffice it to say that the Haizel School of Finance has made the best choice in its quest to develop its human resource base [by choosing to partner UPSA],” Vice Admiral Amoama affirmed.

He pledged the GAF’s commitment to ensuring that the terms of the MoU are strictly adhered to and the required standards maintained at all times. Defence Financial Controller (DFC) of the GAF, Brigadier General Daniel Fiifi Amissah, who was instrumental in setting up the affiliation, said the collaboration marks an important milestone in the academic journey of the Haizel School of Finance.

He noted that the award of the requisite certification to the officers will equip them with adequate academic and professional knowledge to be competitive in the job market when they exit the Ghana Armed Forces after their service.

Present at the signing ceremony were Dr. Koryoe Anim-Wright, Registrar of UPSA; Prof. Ibrahim Mohammed, Director of Research and Consultancy Centre; Dr. Fidelis Quansah, Dean, Faculty of Management Studies; and Dr. Albert Martins, Director of the Business Development Centre.

Also present were Prof. Abigail Opoku Mensah, Dean of the Centre for International Education and Collaboration (CIEC); Mrs Aba Lokko, Director of the UPSA Public Affairs Directorate, and Dr Joseph K. Tuffour, Deputy Director, Research Centre.

About the Haizel School of Finance
The Haizel School of Finance (formerly Technical Training School of the Forces Pay Corps) remains the only institution in the GAF that provides in-service training in finance and accounting-related courses to officers, soldiers and civilian employees. It was established in 1982.