President assures University of Energy of Exim Bank loan facility
The University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR) is to benefit from the Chinese Exim-Bank loan facility being used to fund the establishment of the University of Sustainable Development in the Eastern Region.
President John Dramani Mahama announced this in Sunyani when he addressed the maiden congregation ceremony of the UENR where 200 students graduated with Bachelor of Science (BSc) degrees in Natural Resources, Renewable Energy Engineering and Electrical and Electronics Engineering.
The UENR is Ghana’s first public university in the Brong-Ahafo Region established by an Act of Parliament, Act 830, 2011 and was inaugurated to begin operations on November 17, 2012 with 154 students.
With the core mandate to provide higher education, disseminate knowledge and undertake research related to energy and natural resources, the University currently has student population of more than 2,600.
The University presently runs 19 undergraduate programmes in four schools – School of Natural Resources, School of Engineering, School of Science and School of Agriculture and Technology and aims at providing on hand skills acquisition in science and Technology driven disciplines to its students.
It operates a multi-campus system, with Sunyani being the main campus while other campuses are located at Nsoatre in the Sunyani West District and Dormaa-Ahenkro in the Dormaa Central Municipality.
President Mahama said the support from the Exim-Bank loan facility would boost the finances of the institution for the expansion of its physical infrastructural development.
Prof John Sefa Kwadwo Ayim, a former Vice-Chancellor (VC) of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and the Chairman of the UENR Governing Council, appealed to Government for funding to enable the University to deliver on its mandate.
Prof Ayim expressed optimism that as the pioneer Alumni, the new graduates would conduct themselves right by allowing the core values of the institution embedded in their training to reflect on their moral, social and economic lives at wherever they might find themselves.
Prof Mrs Esi Awuah, outgoing VC said the University was engaged in consultancy work by the Department for International Development of the United Kingdom on a ‘Baseline Study of Riparian Communities in the Volta Basin Ghana’.
The School of Engineering was also involved in a capacity building project under the ‘Akosombo, Kpong Dam Re-operation and Re-optimisation project’, she added.
Prof Harrison Kwame Dapaah, a 55-year -old Agricultural Scientist and Principal of the College of Agriculture, Asante Mampong campus, University of Education, Winneba was introduced as the in-coming VC.
The ceremony was concluded with the matriculation of 35 pioneer post-graduate students in addition to the swearing-in of the new graduates as the first Alumni of the University.
Source: GNA