Ghana Telecom University College is to set up centres of excellence in telecommunication and information nationwide which would position it to be more competitive and attractive to students both locally and internationally. The College which celebrated its first anniversary today August 15, is also to initiate other modern technological innovations such as introducing an online distance education in Ghana that would enable students attend lectures through video conferencing at their various locations. Speaking at a media briefing on the anniversary on Wednesday, Dr. Osei K. Darkwa, Principal of the College said the country's current educational needs required a radical thinking of the traditional ways of providing mass education to people. "In the world of rapid development of ICTs, the need to use new technologies to raise effectiveness and quality of education can not be over-emphasized," he said. By devising and implementing a distance learning strategy through the use of new technologies as learning agents, Dr Darkwa said it would allow the University to tap into the teaching forces of the world. He explained that soon it would be possible for students of the College to go to community learning centres, tele-centres, churches, or schools or a local business in most major cities and towns to use computers with the institution's faculties. "...This vision is realistic and represents hope for the million of Ghanaians and Africans who are looking for access to higher education and nothing will stand in our way in making this vision a reality," Dr Darkwa said. He announced the introduction of a scholarship programme this year that would enable brilliant but needy students have access to telecommunication and information courses at the College. Mr Darkwa said in October, this year, the College in collaboration with the Technical University of Denmark would begin a Masters programme in Information Communication Technology, the first of its kind in the country. The College, which is affiliated to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and DePaul University of the United States of America has attracted over 500 tuition-paying students in Ghana. Since its inauguration in August 2006, a total of 213 students have completed certificate studies in various Information Technologies, such as Telecommunication Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Forensics and Information Technology, Business Processing, Outsourcing and Open Source Software. Source: GNA