Cape Coast, July 29, GNA - Government is to establish two more public universities in the Volta and Brong-Ahafo Regions to bring to eight the number of such universities in the country.

Mr Paul Effah, Executive Secretary of the National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE), announced this on Thursday at the annual congress of the Ghana Association of University Administrators (GAUA), at the University of Cape Coast (UCC).

It was on the theme; "Higher Education in Contemporary Ghana: The Role of the University Administrator".

More than 150 university administrators are attending the three-day conference which will deliberate on issues like "managing difficult staff: a challenge to the university administrator" and "a day in the life of a university administrator".

Mr Effah underscored the importance of tertiary education, particularly in the mathematics, technology and the sciences, to the overall development of the nation.

He stressed the need for more to be done in order to achieve government policy of attaining the science and arts ratio of 60:40.

Mr Effah said there had been an upsurge in private participation in tertiary education in recent times and that so far 57 accredited private tertiary institutions were operating in the country.

He said a number of policies and interventions had been implemented over the years at all levels to address challenges facing tertiary education and this had yielded positive results raising enrolment from three to 10 percent.

He however expressed concern over the results of a research which indicated that of the 247,691 students enrolled at the junior high school level, only 23,936 representing 9.6 per cent gained access to public tertiary institutions.

Mr Effah said all efforts to have the male-female ratio gap bridged were yet to be achieved even though much progress had been made through governmental policies and interventions.

He said research formed an integral part of the mission of the university because it was through research that knowledge was transmitted to society.

He stressed the need for its acquisition and application for enhanced results in the labour market.

Prof Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, Vice Chancellor of UCC, reminded participants that as senior administrators, they were expected to be the torchbearers for the junior and senior staff of their Universities and they must in this regard be disciplined and ensure maximum use of their time.

She asked them to network with sister universities to share ideas and adopt best practices to foster healthy and congenial atmosphere for both social and academic life on campus.

She urged them to collaborate with other unions to compare notes and remove all forms of rivalry, antagonism and perceptions to help achieve their common vision.

Mr Joseph Gordon Mensah, President of GAUA-UCC, urged the conference to find modern, innovative and technological ways to facilitate their work to move their universities from one pedestal to another.