Accra, Dec. 18, GNA - Prof. Atukwei Okai, Head of the GaDangme Education Department of the University of Education, Winneba, has been mandated to initiate steps to establish relations between the Al Tahadi University of Sirte, Libya, and some Ghanaian Universities to enable them to undertake academic exchange programmes. A statement issued in Accra on Monday said Prof. Okai, who is also Secretary-General of the Pan African Writers' Association (PAWA), was given the mandate at a meeting between the Al Tahadi University authorities and Prof. Okai at an international conference at the University.

The conference was on the theme: "Freedom of Thinking and The Right to Expression - Between Liberty and Safeguarding Identity", which took place from December 3 to December 5, 2006 in Sirte City, Libya. The statement said the Vice-Chancellor of the Al Tahadi University, Dr Mohammed Abdlhameed, in commissioning Prof. Okai, called for a vigorous regime of academic exchanges among African Universities in order to ensure and enhance the strengthening of mutually beneficial exchange of staff and students in the academic world of Africa. Prof. Okai also participated in a Creative Seminar organized by the Libyan Writers' Association and the Ministry of Culture on the collection of short stories written by the Libyan Leader Muammar Gaddafi.

The delegates to the conference witnessed the launch by the Deputy President of the Libyan Parliament, Mr Ahmad Ibrahim, of 150 new books authored by Libyan writers and poets, which had been published through the facilitation of the General Council of Culture. 18 Dec. 06