UEW Innovation Hub: Driving Student Entrepreneurship and Job Creation
The University of Education, Winneba (UEW) is taking steps to transform its students from job seekers into job creators through its Innovation Hub, an initiative under the School of Business that is redefining entrepreneurship training on campus.
In an exclusive interview with the University’s media team, Prof. Richard Oduro, Dean of the School of Business, explained that the UEW Innovation Hub was established in mid-2024 to shift business education from theory to practice.
“This innovation hub was driven by the vision of transforming business schools from merely teaching how to manage businesses to teaching how to create them. We believe there is a need for students not only to manage businesses but also to create them, enabling them to provide opportunities for those seeking self-employment,” he said.
Prof. Oduro revealed that since its inception, the Hub has trained numerous student entrepreneurs including some from outside the university community and is now extending its programmes to staff and external participants. He added that a unique “non-dividend-based equity” model is on the drawing board to invest directly in promising student start-ups. Under this model, UEW would fund a business on the condition that it provides mentorship and training placements for future cohorts of student entrepreneurs.
“Combating unemployment has been our vision from day one. The era of finishing school and moving from one office to another should be a thing of the past. Our graduates should be able to create jobs and recruit others,” he said.
Prof. Oduro also highlighted the Hub’s impact on innovation, pointing to creative student ventures such as turning pineapple into leather products and developing virtual science laboratories to overcome infrastructure gaps in schools. He applauded the British Council and other partners for supporting the Hub and called on more stakeholders to collaborate with UEW to expand entrepreneurial training for Ghana’s youth.
Dr. Mawuko Dza, Coordinator of the UEW Innovation Hub and Vice President of the THINK Network Ghana, said the Hub equips students with entrepreneurial skills, retools them and closely monitors their progress to ensure accountability. “Previously, after the training, we gave students money but we realised some misapplied the funds. Now we combine prize money with start-up kits and ongoing mentorship so that students can actually set up their businesses,” he explained.
Dr. Dza stressed that although UEW is widely known as a teacher training institution, the University has diversified its programmes to remain relevant in a changing world. “In this day and age, you must innovate. The Hub belongs to the entire University community not just the Business School. We run on grants and have executed four of our eight active projects. We wish we could train thousands more and with sustained funding, we can,” he said.
Both Prof. Oduro and Dr. Dza underscored that the UEW Innovation Hub is positioning the university as a national leader in entrepreneurship education by turning classroom ideas into real-world enterprises. Their message to students and stakeholders was clear: with the right training, support and partnerships, UEW graduates can drive job creation and economic growth across Ghana.
