Cape coast: The University of Cape Coast (UCC) School of Business has celebrated its 50th anniversary with a commitment to advancing business education, aiming to produce industry-ready graduates and establish itself as the leading business school in Africa.
According to Ghana News Agency, the school has already set up specialised departments and strategic centres, including the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Small Enterprises Development and the UCC Business Incubator, to enhance its relevance to industry, policy, and innovation ecosystems. Professor Denis Worlanyo Aheto, the Acting Vice Chancellor of UCC, acknowledged the school's notable progression since its inception in 1975, emphasizing its readiness for future challenges.
Professor Aheto expressed confidence that the school's future will be characterized by increased industry engagement, impactful research, and a focus on digital transformation and entrepreneurial education. He highlighted the importance of producing business leaders equipped to tackle the challenges posed by rapid technological changes and complex socio-economic issues.
The anniversary was marked with a grand durbar under the theme: 'University of Cape Coast School of Business @50: Expanding the Frontiers of Business Excellence.' Leading up to the event, the school organized various activities, including a float, a business challenge for Senior High Schools, a public lecture on AI and business solutions, a health outreach, and a clean-up exercise.
The UCC School of Business began in 1975 with two undergraduate programmes within the Department of Economics and Business Studies, later evolving into a department and then a fully autonomous school in 2006. It now offers nine undergraduate programmes, 30 master's programmes, and one research doctoral programme, serving over 6,000 students, including 20 international students. Programmes offered cover a range of fields, including accounting, finance, human resource management, marketing, and entrepreneurship.
Sir Dr Sam Jonah, Chancellor of UCC, praised the school's contributions to national development and urged it to incorporate AI, data analytics, and digital entrepreneurship into its curriculum to adapt to the evolving job market. He stressed the importance of fostering critical thinking and creativity among students and called for stronger industry collaboration through mandatory internships.
The Dean of the School of Business, Prof Samuel Kwaku Agyei, highlighted a rising demand for postgraduate studies and reiterated the school's ambition to become Africa's top business school. However, he identified inadequate infrastructure as a significant barrier to achieving this goal and called for support to address these deficits.
Prof Daniel Agyapong, Provost of the College of Humanities and Legal Studies, acknowledged the school's impact in teaching, research, and community outreach, emphasizing the need for it to meet the expectations of a changing world. Mr Seth Tekper, Technical Advisor on the Economy to the Government, suggested the establishment of a department focused on efficient use of public resources.
Mr John Awuah, CEO of the Ghana Association of Bankers, encouraged the school to prioritize ethical leadership in its educational approach. Dr Kwamena Minta Nyarku, Member of Parliament for Cape Coast North, reaffirmed the government's commitment to tertiary education, highlighting various interventions for students and universities.