Management of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), has cut sod at the Faculty enclave in the North Campus for the construction of a purpose-built structure for the School of Graduate Studies (SGS).

The 4-storey complex to be completed within 24 months is designed to be energy efficient and to also cater for people with special needs.

When completed, the facility will generally provide for administrative, teaching/presentation, learning/research and interactive spaces.

The facilities within the building will also include offices, filing rooms, large rooms for graduate students workstations, e-library, library, computer laboratory, lactation spaces for nursing mothers, student lounge areas, 250 seating capacity auditoria, syndicate rooms, washrooms, kitchenettes, a lift, staircases access ramps, as well as maintenance and utility rooms.    

The construction of the Graduate School Complex is part of conscious efforts by the Management of UEW to strengthen and expand graduate studies, mentoring of graduate students in research and output and generally provide a conducive environment for both staff and students by upgrading infrastructure and resources to international standards.

The Graduate School Complex would be the focal point for all businesses related to graduate studies.

This would ensure that all activities, facilities and services of graduate studies are properly synchronized and coordinated at a designated enclave for ease of access and doing business with the School of Graduate Studies. 

Speaking during the sod-cutting, the Vice-Chancellor, Rev. Fr. Prof. Anthony Afful-Broni, averred that concretising plans to construct a visible infrastructure dedicated to promoting postgraduate studies at UEW were a real turning point.

He explained that on the higher education landscape universities are defined by postgraduate rather than undergraduate studies.

“In other words, what makes a university is the postgraduate schools and the professors. So, whenever a university moves to the level where it can visibly demonstrate that they value and that they have what it takes to set up that aspect of the life of the University to strengthen graduate studies, research and output, it is great news for the University,” he said.

The Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Andy Ofori-Birikorang, revealed that UEW, over the last decade or so, had taken graduate studies more seriously and increased its graduate programmes from marginal levels to a point where almost all undergraduate programmes on campus are having some corresponding postgraduate programme including programmes at the PhD level.

“We are grateful that the time has come for us to demonstrate the seriousness we attach to graduate school and going forward, I know that it will be something that we all shall be proud of. But more importantly, we want the Graduate School to see it as the beginning of greater things in graduate research and that one day we can all look back and point to that as being some of the things this administration did to allow the University to rise to a higher level,” the Pro-Vice-Chancellor stated.

The Vice-Dean, SGS, Prof. Charles K. Assuah, on behalf of the Scholl of Graduate Studies, expressed gratitude to Management for redeeming the pledge of ensuring that the School of Graduate Studies is strengthened to expand the frontiers of graduate studies and research.  

The Managing Director of C-DECK, the construction firm which won the bid to undertake the project, Mr Daniel Amenyedu, assured the Management of UEW of his outfit’s preparedness to work hand-in-hand with the Development Office of the University to put up an excellent edifice. 

“One of our hallmarks is quality and we have demonstrated that on this campus. I want to assure Management that we just had a look at the drawings of the School Graduate Studies Complex. In fact, it is a very beautiful edifice and we want to assure Management this morning that we will come up with an even more impressive building within the period that is allotted for the project,” he pledged.