Accra, Aug. 9 GNA - Six academic and non-academic staff drawn from polytechnics institutions in the country have won a competitive NUFFIC scholarship award to pursue various masters degree programmes at the University of Twente in the Netherlands for the 2005/2006 academic year. A statement signed by Dr George K. T. Oduro, Southern Sector Project Coordinator of the Institute for Educational Planning and Administration (IEPA) and Post- secondary Education and Training Capacity (NPT) said on Tuesday.

The scholars include Mr Emmanuel Kobina Baganiah of Wa Polytechnic in the Upper West Region; Mr Afenyo Dhelor of Ho Polytechnic in the Volta Region and Mr Yaw Owusu -Agyeman of Cape Coast Polytechnic in the Central Region.

The rest are Mr Francis Ansah of Bolgatanga Polytechnics in the Upper East Region, Mr Roberson Amoah and Mr Kweku Adoma both of Sunyani Polytechnic in the Brong Ahafo Region.

The award forms part of the NUFFIC- sponsored leadership and management capacity building project, jointly carried out by the University of Cape Coast and a consortium of three Universities in The Netherlands.

The project which operates within the framework of the Dutch Government's programme for the institutional strengthening of post secondary education and training capacity focuses on building leadership and change management capacity of academic and non-academic top and middle level managers in polytechnics.

Addressing the scholars at a pre-departure orientation at the Dutch Embassy, Dr Albert Dara, Director of IEPA, congratulated the scholars and advised them to concentrate on their studies while in The Netherlands.

He urged them to remember that their institutions needed the knowledge they would acquire from the master's programme to accomplish the task given polytechnics by the taxpayer.

"The continuity of the scholarship award scheme depends on your performance and your return to the country on completion," he said. He commended the Dutch Government for assisting the University of to fulfil its long planned vision of enhancing leadership performance of Polytechnics in the country.

The students expressed gratitude to IEPA and its Dutch partners for granting them the opportunity to gain international experience in Polytechnic educational leadership.

They would be pursuing Masters of Science degree programmes in Educational Science and Technology, Human Resource Development, Technology Applications in Education and Training, Curriculum and Instruction, Educational Policy and Management studies and Educational Evaluation and Assessment. 9 August 05