The council for Industrial Research (CSIR) and the University of Eastern Finland (UEF) are collaborating to begin a two-year Master of Science in Bio-Economy and Natural Resources Management in Ghana.

The programme which has an Executive Master’s Degree in Business Administration component, will from August this year start on the campus of Forestry Research Institute (FORIG), one of the constituent CSIR institutes based in Kumasi.

It seeks to upgrade the knowledge of candidates with first degree in Natural Resources, Business and other related disciplines.

Mr Kester Mensah, Public Relations Officer (PRO) of FORIG-CSIR, told the Ghana News Agency in Kumasi that a Memorandum of Understanding in this regard was signed on April 23, between the two collaborative Institutions in Finland.

At a brief ceremony at Joessu, Eastern Finland, Professor Perttle Vartiagnen, Rector, signed on behalf of the UEF whiles Dr Abdullai Baba Salifu, Director-General of CSIR appended for the council.

The signing was witnessed by Dr Dominic Blay, a principal research scientist at FORIG and Professor Tim Joaskelainen, Dean of Forest Sciences, UEF.

Mr Mensah said the programme operates the European Credit Transfer System and certificates are awarded by the UEF.

“The technologically-driven and interactive two-year Modular Programme is delivered through taught courses, seminars and thesis by seasoned lecturers and professors in Ghana and Finland,” he added.

The PRO said the first semester starts from August and ends in December whiles the second semester is from January to May.**