Professor Ebenezer Oduro Owusu, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana (UG), says the university has obtained a landmark research grant to help improve its research profile.

He said the Office of Research, Innovation and Development (ORID) had processed 81 research grant agreements in the 2018/2019 academic year, totaling US$ 35.8 million.

The Vice-Chancellor said many postgraduate students currently prefer to study at the UG because of the strong leaning to research work.

Professor Oduro Owusu made this known during the congregation ceremony for graduands of the College of Basic and Applied Sciences of the University over the weekend.

In all 929 graduates and post-graduate students, who had successfully completed their programmes of study were at the ceremony.

Professor Oduro Owusu said the Students Financial Aid Office had made it possible for less endowed but brilliant students to have equal access to quality education at the University of Ghana.

"I am glad to note that there has been an increase in donations from GHC 1,000,000.00 (one million Ghana Cedis) in 2016/2017 academic year to GHC 3,000,000.00 (three million Ghana Cedis) in 2017/2018 academic year. This represents a 155% increase over the previous period."

He added that a total of 614 out of 920 applicants were awarded scholarships in the 2018/2019 academic year.

The Lebanese Community in Ghana and the Lebanese Businessmen also awarded scholarships which totaled Ghc26,000 to 13 brilliant students in the school of Law.

Talking about new developments in the school, the VC said the university had taken steps to deepen its understanding of Asia.

In this regard, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed with the Korean Embassy in Ghana to establish a Korean Corner at the university to improve Ghana Korean relations.

He said as part of efforts to preserve the legacy and heritage of the university, management had set up a UG Museum Fund-Raising Committee to raise funds to establish a state-of-the-art University of Ghana Museum.

The UG Museum is expected to store, conserve, and exhibit objects of historical, scientific and artistic works of cultural interests and significance; as well as a collection of high profile personalities of the University.

The ceremony also conferred the Best Worker Award 2019 of the College of Basic and Applied Sciences to Mr Kofi Afari, a senior Assistant Farm Manager at the University of Ghana Forest and Horticulture Crops farms at Okumaning, Kade.