Sumbrungu — Professor Clinton Aigbavboa of the University of Johannesburg (UJ), South Africa, has noted that some academic and research institutions in Africa, lack PhD degree holders, who are critical staff for manning such institutions.
He made the observation when the University of South Africa and the Bolgatanga Technical University (BTU) in the Upper East Region, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for academic collaboration, on Monday.
The MoU is aimed at ensuring cooperation on academic activities of the two institutions to help strengthen mutual understanding and promote and exchange ideas between faculties, researchers and students.
Prof. Aigbavboa warned that in the years ahead the situation was likely to worsen unless something was done about it.
In a presentation to the academic and administrative staff of BTU on " PhD academic journey, Prof. Aigbavboa took the participants through PhD proposal and dissertation writing.
He entreated the staff of BTU and other tertiary intuitions in the country to take advantage of the opportunity provided under the joint academic collaboration to obtain PhDs.
"Thus, there are currently many opportunities available for persons with PhD training in Africa," Prof. Aigbavboa stressed.
The Pro-Vice Chancellor of BTU, Prof. Peter Osei Boamah, said "the university is so happy to go into partnership with UJ, which has the state-of-the-art teaching and learning facility and had been ranked among the best universities in the world and in Africa."
He indicated that a considerably number of lecturers at BTU had obtained their PhDs and were lecturing.
Prof. Boamah, however, said management of the BTU was creating the enabling environment without compromising teaching and learning of students, "to ensure that the rest of lecturers who do not have their terminal degrees obtain them as required for teaching in tertiary institutions."
He said the BTU partnership with the U.J, would also lead to the organisation of conferences, seminars, symposiums, joint research projects, collaboration on third party funded educational or economic assistance activities, student exchange and abroad programmes.
