UEW Explores Collaboration with Danish Embassy to Boost Agricultural Education
The Department of Agricultural Science Education at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) has begun discussions with the Royal Danish Embassy in Ghana to explore opportunities for collaboration in capacity building, faculty and student exchanges and the development of laboratory infrastructure.
The meeting, conducted virtually with representatives from both institutions, included important presentations and discussions focused on establishing a long-term partnership that advances shared objectives in education, research and sustainable agriculture.
Leading the UEW delegation, Prof. Benjamin Ghansah, Head of the Department of Agricultural Science Education, expressed gratitude to the Danish Embassy for the engagement and emphasised the potential of the partnership. “This meeting reflects our shared commitment to sustainable development, food security and capacity building. We are eager to explore this collaborative pathway that aligns with both local priorities and global goals,” he said.
Providing a comprehensive overview of the department’s mission and challenges, Dr. Bombason Kweku Tuoho, a lecturer at the department, highlighted the urgent need for technical support. He noted the department's rapid growth since its establishment in 2022, characterised by increasing enrolment and an expanding academic portfolio that includes new undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
“Despite our progress, the department faces significant challenges. We lack a fully equipped laboratory, have limited access to research funding and require technical expertise in emerging agricultural technologies. A partnership with the Danish Embassy, particularly in the areas of infrastructure support, technical exchanges and access to Danish agricultural universities, could be transformative,” Dr. Tuoho stated.
He praised Denmark’s commitment to supporting sustainable development in Ghana, highlighting examples such as the Danida Health Facility in the Upper West Region and the Skills Development Fund, which has benefited farmers across the country. He underscored the department’s willingness to provide evaluative support for ongoing Danish initiatives and expressed interest in leveraging available scholarship and grant opportunities.
Responding on behalf of the Royal Danish Embassy, Ms. Garcia Honvoh Chabi, Senior Commercial Advisor, expressed the embassy’s interest in understanding the department’s strategic focus and identifying potential areas of collaboration. She outlined the embassy’s broader initiatives under the Trade Council. “The focus of the Trade Council is on trade and investment, including facilitation of business partnerships as well as the development and implementation of business-centred strategic projects,” she stated.
Additionally, she touched on the embassy’s strategic sector cooperations, which are executed by DANIDA to include sectors such as food and agriculture, water, and maritime. “Our collaborations aim to establish technical partnerships between Danish and Ghanaian institutions. Although we have transitioned from the funding of traditional development projects to our strategic partnership projects, we concentrate on capacity building and knowledge exchange, which could include faculty training and programme co-design as well as public-private partnerships,” she said.
Ms. Garcia Chabi also highlighted the ongoing partnerships between Denmark and Ghanaian institutions in areas such as water management, statistical services and maritime safety, which could serve as models for future collaboration with the UEW. She emphasised Denmark’s robust agricultural machinery sector, innovations in food systems and expertise in sustainable livestock production and management as potential areas of alignment with UEW’s academic and research focus.
The meeting concluded with a shared sense of optimism regarding the potential collaboration. Both institutions agreed to maintain an ongoing dialogue aimed at defining a roadmap that will support their common priorities in agricultural education, research and innovation.
