Cape Coast, Aug. 19, GNA - The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Rev Professor Emmanuel Adow Obeng, on Tuesday announced that the University intends to establish a medical school "in the not too distant future".

According to him, the newly established School of Biological Science at the University was in preparation towards achieving this objective. Rev Prof. Obeng said this in an address read on his behalf by the Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Prof Kobina Yankson, at the opening of the first ever 'Regional College on Algebraic Combinatorics' at the UCC. The two-week college is being organised by the Institute of Mathematical Sciences (IMS) and the Society of African Physicists and Mathematicians (SAPAM) with support from Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Italy, and the Italian government.

It is geared towards providing advance training for young mathematicians and physicists in institutions of higher learning and research, updating the knowledge of African mathematicians and physicists, and simulating international collaboration in research and training in algebraic combinatorics.

About 25 university lecturers and researchers from ten African countries, including Ghana, Nigeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon and the Sudan, are attending.

Rev. Prof. Obeng, however, expressed regret that in spite of the wide application of mathematics in most academic disciplines and its importance to economic development, Ghana lacked the needed number of mathematicians.

According to him, although the universities and institutions like the ISM were trying to solve this problem, the task ahead, was still enormous.

He described the College as timely, "since algebraic combinatory is a computer-based subject that has applications in many areas of mathematics, science and technology, economics and business, and was relevant to the nation's development.

The Director of the IMS, Professor Francis Allotey, who opened the College, said mathematics study in Africa was decreasing, despite its importance to socio-economic development.

He observed that this trend, which is prevalent in all countries in sub-Saharan Africa, could be attributed to shortage of university teachers, lack of motivation on the importance of the subject and inadequate funding for its education and research.

In addition, mathematicians sent abroad for further studies do not return home.

For example, he said, more than 25 young Ghanaian mathematicians who had been sent to the United States within the past two decades, had not returned home, adding that this trend impacted negatively on Africa's development.