Integrating ethics in higher education curricula in northern Ghana
Western Africa Centre (Accra)
News from the region
Between 31 July and 1 August 2023, Western Africa Regional Manager Susan Ackah and National Director for Ghana, Emanuel Ansah, travelled to Tamale in the Northern Region of Ghana for a planned visit to the University for Development Studies (UDS).
As the largest higher education institution in the northern belt of Ghana holding strong relationships with many other universities in the region, this visit was strategically important in deepening partnerships with key stakeholders in the area.
Following an introductory sit down with the Vice Chancellor, Ackah and Ansah enjoyed discussions with three other faculty members: the Director of the Directorate of International Relations and Advancement, acting on behalf of the Vice Chancellor; the Director of Quality Assurance, and the Director of Research Innovation and Partnership Services.
They later visited the City Campus of UDS to meet the Director and Assistant Registrar for the Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (IIR). The institute is in the process of introducing ethics courses to its curricula, with plans to progressively integrate the subject of ethics in all university programmes.
Given this alignment with the Globethics strategic priorities, especially Priority 1: Ethics and Standards in Higher Education, Ackah, Ansah and the university representatives discussed potential areas for collaboration; the expectation and signing of a new memorandum of understanding (MOU); UDS serving as Globethics hub in northern Ghana; co-organising ethics events and collaborating on Globethics resources and projects, for example upcoming courses, publications including the Journal of Ethics in Higher Education, and University Ranking participation.
Putting these conversations into action, amongst others, a one-day in-person workshop has been arranged for November, and access to the various resources has been shared for dissemination on university networks and visiting lecturers’ platforms.
Future engagement is in the pipeline, with discussions around technical support for the UDS ethics programme and incorporating Globethics Academy courses in the university's curricula.
