FHASHEE-UEW Hosts Thesis Guidance and AI Masterclass for Postgraduate Students
The Faculty of Health, Allied Sciences and Home Economics Education (FHASHEE) at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) has organised a workshop for postgraduate students as part of efforts to strengthen research quality, academic integrity and scholarly excellence across the University.
The workshop, which brought together senior academics, administrators and postgraduate students, focused on UEW’s thesis structure and assessment standards, common postgraduate pitfalls and the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) in research and academic writing. The event formed part of the Faculty’s continuous professional and academic development seminar series.
Chairing the programme, Prof. Fred Yao Gbagbo, Acting Dean of FHASHEE, commended the Faculty for sustaining an educative seminar culture that equips postgraduate students with practical research skills. He encouraged participants to take full advantage of the expertise of the resource persons and to actively engage by asking questions to clarify challenges encountered during thesis writing.
Delivering the first technical session, Prof. Delali Kwasi Dake, Head of the Department of ICT Education, provided an in-depth presentation on responsible AI use in postgraduate research. He emphasised that AI should be treated as a support tool rather than a substitute for critical thinking, originality and scholarly judgment.
According to Prof. Dake, the irresponsible use of AI—such as allowing AI tools to generate thesis sections, interpret results, or fabricate citations—poses serious risks to academic integrity and could jeopardise a student’s academic progress. He warned students that AI-generated content is increasingly detectable and urged them to ensure they can confidently defend every aspect of their research during thesis examinations.
He further introduced participants to best practices in AI prompting, stressing that well-designed prompts enhance learning, while poorly framed prompts encourage academic shortcuts. He also highlighted UEW’s involvement in the Ghana AI Research Network, noting that AI applications span all disciplines including education, home economics, allied sciences and the humanities.
Prof. Imurana Awaisu Braimah, the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, reaffirmed the University’s position on originality and ethical scholarship. He stated that while AI has come to stay and can support academic work, students must not rely on it to replace their intellectual effort. He disclosed that UEW has constituted committees to develop clear institutional guidelines on AI use in research and teaching.
Sharing his reflections, Prof. Samuel Kwesi Asiedu-Addo, former Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, described the seminar as timely and essential. He reminded postgraduate students that thesis writing requires maturity, discipline and a clear distinction between undergraduate and graduate academic standards. He advised students to ensure that their problem statements, literature reviews, methodologies and recommendations are firmly grounded in their research findings rather than personal opinions or external shortcuts.
Also contributing, Prof. Jonathan Osbert Ayi Ammah, also a former Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, a retired professor from the Department of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Sport (HPERS), stressed the importance of guiding postgraduate students to use AI responsibly. He noted that knowledge dissemination on emerging technologies remains critical to safeguarding academic standards in higher education.
Representing the student body, Phyllis Adepa Duodu, a postgraduate student in the Department of Clothing and Textiles, described the seminar as insightful and impactful. She noted that the seminar had improved her understanding of effective AI prompting and reinforced the need to engage critically with AI outputs rather than accepting them wholesale.
The programme concluded with a call for postgraduate students to actively participate in academic seminars and research presentations as part of their professional development, in line with UEW’s mandate to produce reflective, competent and ethically grounded scholars.
