The West African Genetic Medicine Centre under its Laptop Fellowship Programme has supported the University of Ghana's 75th anniversary celebration by donating laptops to some post graduate students at a ceremony at the University of Ghana campus in Accra.

The donation forms part of WAGMC’s contribution to the university's latest flagship project dubbed, 'one laptop per student.'

The free laptops, which were provided with a World Bank grant is expected to enhance academic work and further facilitate research work of the beneficiary students.

The Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana  Prof. Nana Aba Amfo-Appiah commended WAGMC for the initiative, and said it will complement the efforts of the university.

She said the 'one student one laptop' project was instituted to give students access to laptops to improve their technological skills, adding that one of the things she would like to see in students is technological advancement irrespective of the discipline they are pursuing.

Explaining the rationale behind the Laptop Fellowship Programme, the Director of the West African Genetic Medicine Centre, Prof. Fiifi Ofori-Acquah said the centre  developed this idea by leveraging the Vice Chancellor’s vision for every student to have access to a laptop.

“As an initial thinking we had a very extensive process for selecting beneficiary graduate students who have to do research, reports and investigate” said  Prof. Fiifi Ofori-Acquah.

Prof. Fiifi Ofori-Acquah  said WAGMC, being the latest of the 3 African Centers at Legon planned to do something different that focuses exclusively on human genetics explaining that genetic disorders are a major problem in this part of the world.

He said the centre collaborated with representatives of the existing programmes who went  through the process of selecting their own students who are pursuing clinical psychology, PHD Clinical Phycology, and MPHIL Molecular Biology, as they agreed to conduct their thesis on genetics.

According to him, leadership of the centre embarked on a nationwide tour  to interact with traditional rulers and educated them on the importance of genetics in common disorders that which was part of the WAGMC innovation drive.

The beneficiaries were to write an essay to discuss the challenges of mandatory laptops usage in the classroom, and its impact on student learning and outcomes in Ghana.

He said although the laptops have been given for free, it comes with terms and conditions that require beneficiaries to fully observe. 

Prof. Fiifi Ofori-Acquah said the programme was funded with a grant from the World Bank with objectives that must be achieved.

Abigail Awuah, a PHD student who received the laptop, commended Prof. Fiifi S. Ofori-Acquah and his team for seeing the need to extend the support to post graduate students to facilitate learning.

Charles Benatifam Jaween, another beneficiary, said he's currently having a challenge with his laptop, and so this timely intervention will affiliate his project work.

"I am working on my proposal and my laptop is giving me some problems although I am supposed to submit in the coming weeks. And so, this is a great relief, Charles Benatifam Jaween, also beneficiary said.