Winneba (C/R), Feb. 26, GNA -The first Chancellor of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), Alhaji (Dr) Asumah Abu Banda, has said that he will use his international connections to help surmount some of the daunting challenges facing the University, particularly the funding of projects.

"The government cannot solve your funding problems alone. As a businessman with strong international connections, I will sell this University to the International community and go out to knock on doors", he said.

Alhaji (Dr) Banda said these during his investiture as the first Chancellor of the University in Winneba on Thursday. He said his goal was to build on the achievement and commitment to make the UEW a more vibrant institution in the years to come. The Chancellor said the University had also emphasized the integration of innovative teaching and learning processes into its programmes to ensure quality education at the pre-tertiary level. He commended the University authorities for their hard work to transform the UEW from a culture that depended solely on government subvention to a culture of fundraising to complement support from government.

Alhaji Banda promised to create a forum where the University Council, Management, staff and students would share ideas on the improvement of the institution.

The Chancellor said the UEW since its inception in 1992, had trained almost 44,000 teachers and had established links with about 40 other Universities and educational institutions in Ghana, Africa and the world over.

The Chairman of the UEW Governing Council, Okofo Amoako Bondam III, said the increasing student population in the University called for the expansion of facilities and infrastructure in its three campuses. Okofo Bondam who is also the paramount Chief of Enyan Maim Traditional Area, expressed the hope that the Chancellor would use his good offices to help solve some of the challenges facing the University.

The Chairman announced that academic work on the introduction of Ghanaian languages would commence in August this year, at the School of Ghanaian Languages at Ajumako. The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Akwesi Asabere-Ameyaw, congratulated the Chancellor for accepting the offer and promised to collaborate with him towards the development of the University.