Office of International Programmes & Institutional Advancement

DEAN: Mrs. Vida Korang

INTRODUCTION

The Office of Internationalisation and Institutional Advancement of the Catholic University of Ghana (CUG) aims to offer an international focus to the University’s strengths in teaching, research, learning and knowledge exchange. The Office does this by identifying and taking advantage of the emerging international opportunities, communicating effectively both internally and externally about the range of the University’s international activity, as well as continuously improving the way in which the University goes about its international work.

Establishing such functional collaborations with top leading Universities is deemed to improve academic excellence, especially in teaching and research. Such partnerships not only promote joint academic research, but also students and staff mobility and exchange, mentoring, curriculum enrichment, access to advanced international pedagogies and laboratories.

POLICY STATEMENT OF THE INTERNATIOLISATION AND INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT (IIA) UNIT

As part of its mission, the Catholic University of Ghana (CUG) through the Internationalisation and Institutional Advancement Unit, seeks to be an outstanding teaching and research University, educating for life and addressing the challenges facing society.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES

In recognition of this, the Catholic University of Ghana based on its Strategic Development Plan Policy has identified the following three (3) strategic objectives in its desire for establishing partnerships with other Universities:

1.      To promote the University’s international capabilities and values in selected regions and countries including key audiences.

·         The University shall celebrate achievements and communicate them to our international audiences more effectively.

·         Establishing a small number of ‘Primary Partnerships’ with institutions and strategic individuals abroad in a multidimensional nature, drawing in a range of Faculties, Departments and administrative services to reach the agreed outcomes and fostered through long-term and carefully managed relationships.

·         Establishing secondary partnerships that are more opportunistic or aimed at achieving specific Faculty and Departmental targets shall also be promoted through sharing of expertise, frameworks, advice and support for the development of departmental level collaborative links.

·         Continuing to grow the recruitment of high-quality international students in line with strategic Faculty and Departmental targets.

·         Developing robust criteria for selecting key markets in which to focus international engagement - reviewing regularly to maintain our international competitiveness.

·         Ensuring that visits by senior staff and international events are coordinated to maximize impact.

·         Developing effective briefings and the sharing of information and data relating to the University’s international links.

·         Developing a more targeted and opportunistic approach to the University’s international communications, for example by focusing on particular countries/regions.

·         Establishing more international alumni communities and developing staff and student international ambassadors.

·         Developing measures to track the effectiveness of our efforts in these areas.

2.      To meet the international aspirations of key stakeholders especially students and support the implementation of the international aspects of the University’s Research, Teaching and Learning Strategy.

·         Internationalising the University’s curricula so that our students have exposure to an international learning experience and understand their subject in an international context.

·         Setting and achieving targets for an increased number of international pathways into the University;

·         Developing joint academic programmes and research proposals;

·         Building and updating database of sources of funding research;

·         Expanding our network of overseas offices in areas of strategic or operational importance.

·         Facilitating an increase in the number of visiting scholars and ensuring baseline facilities for these.

·         Developing a more strategic approach to establishing international research partnerships.

·         Strengthening our relationships with major overseas research sponsors / funders and partners.

·         Exploring the potential for joint research at institutes and laboratories abroad with academic and other partners.

·         Promoting student/staff exchange programmes

·         Encouraging and facilitating junior researchers to make use of institutional networks for mobility and exchange opportunities.

3.      To strengthen international undergraduate and postgraduate students’ recruitment in terms of diversity, excellence and sustainability.

·         Developing new recruitment markets to support growth and diversity.

·         Increasing the number of staff engaging in international teaching and training schemes.

·         Increasing awareness of and engagement with African Union and other international research funds.

·         Working with the Students’ Associations to support the development of an international dimension to Catholic University of Ghana volunteers.

·         Reviewing the use of international scholarships to ensure that they support the joint aims of quality and diversity of intake and support for students from less advantaged communities.

·         Exploring the potential for the export of education and creation of bases/campuses abroad.

·         Promoting integration between all our students.

·         Providing pre-arrival, induction and orientation programmes and on-going support that meet the needs of all international students.

·         Providing more social and extra-curricular activities that bring home and international students together.

KEY INITIATIVES OF INTERNATIONALISATION: UNIVERSITY RESEARCH AND EDUCATION

Among the key activities to galvanize internationalisation of University research and education include the following:

a.       Attract international conferences and events to the University that could showcase research and scholarly strengths to international community;

b.      Support and encourage Faculty and student participation in international conferences and events;

c.       Advertise strengths of University in major journals and research/scholarly publications;

d.      Establish seed funding to support and promote new international initiatives;

e.       Identify financial support required for new priority international initiatives, and incorporate those needs into the next fund-raising initiative;

f.        Establish a reporting system to identify and track international research and development study projects and funding sources;

g.      Establish a target in overhead funds generated from new international projects to help support international initiatives;

h.      Change policies or guidelines related to Faculty annual performance reviews, as well as promotion and tenure, to encourage Faculty participation and excellence in research, teaching, training and administration with an international focus, with particular regard to the significant lead-times often required before measurable outputs occur from such activity;

i.        Establish guidelines to distribute overhead funds from international projects and tuition income from international students among the University/Faculties and groups or individuals who take a lead role in generating them, as an incentive to generate new revenue;

j.        Establish and run joint international programmes as an essential and innovative way for internationalizing higher education especially in the least developed countries.

k.      Internationalise curriculum as a strategy to prepare graduates for employment in the global economy and to meet the demand of globalization of labour. Curriculum internationalization provides local students with global perspectives of their discipline and a broader knowledge base for their future careers.

PARTNERSHIPS

1)      Katholische Hochschule Nordrhein-Westfalen (Catholic University of Applied Sciences of North Rhine –Westphalia).

2)      University of Florence, Italy.

3)      Tuscia Univerisy, Italy.

4)      University of Calgary, Canada (Ethics Project).

5)      ILLIAD Consortium (a Consortium of 11 universities from Africa, Asia and Europe of which CUG is a memeber to commit themsleves among other things to Multilateral Negotiation and Peace Educartion on the three continents.

6)      Fred and Poppee University, Abidjan.

7)      African Sisters Education Collaborative (Chestnut Hill College, Philadeplpahia MOU signed in 2013) 

8)      Jakob-Christian-Adam Foundation Germany/Medical Mission Institute, Wurzburg, Germany

9)      Abertay University, UK

10)  National Chung Cheng University of Taiwan

11)  Providence University, Taiwan

12)  Laweh University College, Accra (partnership with CUG Marian Conflict & Resolution Centre)  

13)  Ural Federal University of Russia

14)  Aivancity (School of AI & Data for Business & Society)

15)  Family Dream Expert Consult Ltd (MoU yet to be signed)