The former Secretary-General of the United Nations, Busumuru Kofi Annan has called on university leaders to ensure that higher education helps foster a better understanding of the benefits and responsibilities of democracy in their respective countries.

He underscored the crucial role of higher education in promoting democracy through peace and security, sustainable development, human rights and the rule of law.

Mr. Annan made the call when he delivered the keynote address at a three-day Conference of the Association of Commonwealth Universities held at the Accra International Conference Centre in Accra. The biannual conference which was hosted by Vice-Chancellors Ghana (VCG), was on the theme “Defining the Responsible University: Society, Impact and Growth.”  The conference brought together more than 400 higher education experts from 35 countries to deliberate on the theme.

The Minister for Education, Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang who read a statement read on behalf of the President of Ghana, Mr. John Dramani Mahama, recommended a continuous dialogue between institutions of higher education and industry to contribute to global efforts aimed at addressing the socio-economic development challenges. He noted that the time has come for institutions of higher education to produce the required skilled labour for the job market.  

President Mahama observed that “What has been established is a seemingly disconnection between the graduates in terms of acquired skills and what the employers are looking for.”  He further noted that “We need to more importantly also interrogate the earlier principles on which our universities were established to make a better forecast of what society expects of the institution of higher education towards national and international development.”

The three-day conference engaged participants in discussions focusing on the impact of universities on innovation, research and development, civil society, funding and access, employment, and the role and place of government and the corporate sector in building the skilled leaders of tomorrow.

In his remarks at the function, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast and the Chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC), Prof. D. D. Kuupole, entreated participants to share ideas that would reposition higher education to promote socio-economic development. He encouraged participants from outside the country to use their leisure periods to visit some tourist attractions in the Greater Accra and the Central Regions of Ghana.

that would redefine the responsibilities of higher education institutions in socio-economic development.