Government has made available an amount of GH¢1.5 million to support postgraduate research work, the Registrar of the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat, Mr Kingsley Agyemang, has announced.
According to him, this is the first time in the history of the 4th Republic that a President had made such huge amount available directly to graduate students solely for research work.
The Registrar made the announcement yesterday in Accra, when he was giving his address at the launch of the Graduate Research Trust Fund (GRTF).
He explained that the commitment of the government in ensuring prompt payment of thesis and bursary grants was highly unprecedented.
He continued: “The good news heard, and the fact that GRTF has been established during the current political administration, is the demonstration of the premium placed on research and innovation in the quest for national development.”
Mr Kingsley Agyemang gave the assurance of his office to the Board of GRTF and members of Graduate Students Association of Ghana (GRASAG) that the Scholarship Secretariat would pay promptly their thesis and bursary grants for the deduction to be made to ensure smooth implementation and sustainability of the fund.
“In furtherance of ensuring transparency and accountability in the operationalisation and disbursement of monies into the Research Fund, the Secretariat has had [a] series of engagementa with the National Executive of GRASAG, culminating in the nomination of two representatives from GRASAG to complement the membership of the Education/Scholarship Review Committee of the Scholarships Secretariat.”
Mr Kingsley Agyemang acknowledged the challenges graduate students go through in pursuit of academic laurels, including research, and said that the Secretariat was glad to receive a proposal from the GRASAG executive to set up the GRTF.
The Chairperson, Prof Esi Awuah, in her remarks, stated that the setting up of the research trust fund was very laudable.
She encouraged all graduate students to help support the nation with their research works, adding that such works should contribute to national development.
On her part, Dr Hilda Ampadu, Executive Director of the National Schools Inspectorate Authority (NASIA), said the government was committed to developing holistic education that leaves no part of the educational ladder behind.
She cited that from the increase in the Capitation Grant at the basic school level, and other interventions by the government to the education sector and gave the assurance that the next government of President Akufo-Addo would bring more goodies.
She said: “From the increase in Capitation Grant at the basic school level, and expanding the number of schools that access the free feeding programme, through the masterpiece and innovative Free Senior High School Policy to the restoration of nursing and teacher trainees allowance, to the changes at the Students Loan Trust Fund (SLTF) to make tertiary education less expensive, coupled with the absorption of utility tariffs by the government and the dedicated GH¢1.5 million to support post-graduate studies in the country, together with the prompt payment of graduate thesis and bursaries grants, the development in the education sector has been enormous, and the next Akufo-Addo government will see to the sustainability and protection of the gains made.
“Mr Chairman, the Board Chairman, members of the Board of Trustees of the GRTF, all protocols observed, I believe at this juncture it will be right to humbly call on all of us, as patriotic citizens of our Motherland Ghana, with December 7 just around the corner, to help sustain these gains made in the educational sector, by ensuring a “Four More for Nana to do More” for Ghana’s education,” she concluded.
The post Gov’t puts GH¢1.5m seed money into Graduate Research Trust Fund appeared first on The Chronicle Online.
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