Presby University College, Now Presby University, Ghana: Unveils New Identity

The Presbyterian University College, Ghana (PUCG), The Presbyterian University, Ghana (PUG) on Monday September 12, 2022, unveiled its new institutional identity which comprised logo as part of an ongoing rebranding exercise following its move from a university college to a full-fledged university.

The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana Rt. Rev. Prof. Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante received the Charter Certificate from the President of the Republic of Ghana, H. E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on August 30, 2022.

The unveiling of the university’s new status also came with the conferment of the Chancellor position of the University on Rt Rev Prof Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana.

Speaking at the event, the President of the University Prof Ebenezer Oduro Owusu said that, among other things to be done is to create a paradigm shift in the minds of all stakeholders such as staff, students, sister-universities and the general public about the new status of the university which is likely to create new markets and enhanced revenue.

Addressing the gathering, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana Rt Rev Prof Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante expressed his joy for the new status of the university.

The Moderator who has now become the first Chancellor of the university said, the university was able to attain Presidential Charter status through hard work by the leadership including its affiliation to universities such as Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), University of Cape Coast (UCC) and University of Ghana (UG) as well as the support of the PCG.

The Moderator said, the Presbyterian Church of Ghana initiated tertiary education in this country about 175 years ago with the Presbyterian College of Education, Akropong Akuapem. “We intentionally establish these institutions as an extension of our faith because God wants us to do it” he said.

He mentioned that, currently the Presbyterian Church of Ghana operates seven tertiary institutions made up of five colleges of education and two universities, the two universities both private are fully chartered and accredited; the Akrofi- Christaller Institute which runs post graduate programs and now the Presbyterian University Ghana to run both undergraduate and post graduate programs.

The Chancellor of the University called on all Presbyterians both home and abroad to come together to support the university financially and help lift the university to a higher enrollment status and to build a vibrant and strong faculty.

Background:

According to the church history, in 1843, the Presbyterian Church of Ghana established the first primary school in the country. This sparked off a series of bold, visionary and pioneering initiatives in the development of education in the country. Five years later, it established the Presbyterian Training College (PTC) at Akropong, the second higher educational institution in West Africa after Fourah Bay College in Sierra Leone. Since those early beginnings, the Presbyterian Church of Ghana has established and managed, in partnership with the Government of Ghana, hundreds of primary schools, many high schools and colleges of education.

These schools and colleges, guided by the proverbial Presbyterian discipline, set very high moral as well as educational standards, which have characterized the Presbyterian Education tradition. Also in partnership with government, the church has provided and managed Professional, Technical and Vocational Institutions in a wide range of fields including Agriculture and Health. Specifically, the church has established 1,886 schools comprising 490 Nurseries, 973 Primary Schools, 388 Junior High Schools, five (5) Vocational Institutes, five (5) Colleges of Education and 25 Senior High Schools.

With the establishment of the Presbyterian Training College (PTC), it was hoped that, like the Fourah Bay College in Sierra Leone, it might one day be upgraded to a university. However, after several years, it was not until 1996 that the Synod of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana at that time took the bold decision to initiate steps into establishing a university. The body charged with pushing forward this initiative, the Presbyterian University Implementation Committee, was formally established in 1998. It is through these efforts and the determination of the Church that the Presbyterian University College Ghana now Presbyterian University Ghana has came into being.

SOURCE: Kwahu Presbytery