Professor Naana Jane Opoku- Agyemeng, Minister of Education on Tuesday said government welcomes discussions on the need for a Council for Higher Education and Research, solely dedicated to the core business of Universities and Research institutions in Ghana.

“As Higher Education institutions, your core mandate is to address the problems of the nation through research in order to find well thought out solutions for national development”, she said.

She said the establishment of colleges of education, elevation of colleges and Nursing Institutions as well as Polytechnics to tertiary status; the development of private universities and other tertiary institutions, necessitate a review of the mandate and operational range of the National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE).

The minister made the remarks at the First Ghana France Higher Education Conference being held in Accra.

The three day conference, which was opened by the Minister of Education and Mr Fredric Clavier, French Ambassador to Ghana, seeks to enhance the cooperation between France and Ghanaian higher education institutions.

Participants from all tertiary institutions across the country are expected to discuss the main practical issues and formulate recommendations to establish a partnership framework.

Mr Fredric Clavier explained that although there exist an academic exchange between the two countries, the time had come to improve and enhance academics in the context of increasing educational needs and globalization of higher education.

“France and Ghana want to reinforce higher education and research cooperation, adding that, the excellent relations between French and Ghanaian Universities are also illustrated by the attractiveness of French higher education for Ghanaian students.

He said since 2011, a programme for capacity-building and the creation of doctoral schools in French literature, mathematics, and information and communication sciences has been ongoing.

“We have to find together, new sources of funding, new institutional and private partnerships, adopt our resources for the benefit of the best student, who once their training completed, will implement their skills for the benefit of Ghana’s development,” Mr Clavier said.

He called for an academic Priority Solidarity Fund, which would foster exchanges between France and Ghana and would achieve the expected results by the end of 2016.

Mr Claude Maerten, Head of Delegation of the European Union, said the best way to improve quality life was through quality education.

He urged the government to provide a legal and institutional framework to back higher education in Ghana.

Dr Agyeman Danquah, a lecturer at the University of Cape Coast and Mr Anthony De Souza, both former Ghanaian students, who were granted scholarships by the French Embassy in Ghana shared their testimonies, experiences and challenges during their academic programme in France.