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Birkbeck signs agreement with University of Professional Studies Accra (UPSA), Ghana

The recent collaboration provides the opportunity for UPSA staff to study for a prestigious University of London degree and enhance their career prospects

This is a photo of a young student

Earlier this month, Birkbeck, University of London, and the University of Professional Studies Accra (UPSA), Ghana signed a new collaboration agreement to enable eligible academic staff from UPSA to enrol into Birkbeck’s PhD programmes to study largely on an online, distance learning basis. The agreement covers MPhil/PhD programmes in Management, Law and Film and Screen Media, which enrolled UPSA staff members can study remotely from their Accra base.

Facilitated by Pro Vice-Chancellor International, Professor Kevin Ibeh, and Dr Fred Yamoah, Senior Lecturer in Marketing in the Department of Management, the new arrangement offers UPSA staff members greater flexibility, by allowing them to study for a prestigious University of London PhD degree and enhance their career prospects, whilst also continuing to serve their students and employer. It is further envisaged that the top quality research output and relationships developed from the doctoral programmes would provide a foundation for wider research and academic collaboration between Birkbeck and UPSA. 

The Vice Chancellor of Birkbeck, University of London, Professor David Latchman, heartily welcomed the new collaboration noting: “This new academic link aligns well with Birkbeck’s enduring mission of extending upskilling opportunities to people in work, in this case, academics from a leading Ghanaian University seeking to advance their careers. The delivery approach echoes our latest joint initiative on short courses with the University of London and reinforces Birkbeck’s strengths in digital and multi-channel higher education provision, which has assumed even greater importance since the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The Vice Chancellor of UPSA Ghana, Professor Abednego Feehi Okoe Amartey commented: "Our goal as a leading university in Ghana is to provide a myriad of opportunities for academic growth for our faculty with reputable institutions around the globe. This MoA with Birkbeck, University of London, allows us to augment our exceptional academic options to our faculty who wish to pursue doctoral programmes, and we are very excited about that."

Professor Kevin Ibeh, PVC International, Birkbeck said, “I am particularly pleased at the mutually beneficial nature of this collaboration and I look forward to welcoming a regular stream of enthusiastic UPSA doctoral researchers to Birkbeck starting from this new academic year. Supervising and mentoring UPSA doctoral researchers would enable Birkbeck scholars to support the upskilling of colleagues responsible for educating current and future African students, whilst also expanding opportunities for advancing our social mission through addressing more research issues particularly relevant to developing contexts, including aspects of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The quality relationships envisaged from these research supervision links are likely to lead to deepening ties and increased flow of Ghanaian students to Birkbeck in the future.”

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