By: Francesco Rocco
The Rector of
Cape Coast Polytechnic, Dr. Lawrence Atepor has disclosed that the institution
would be transformed into a
world-class technical university.
It will be
polytechnic of choice for technical vocational education and training (TVET)
comparable to any technical university in the world. He made this known in an
exclusive interview with CENTRAL PRESS on his vision for the polytechnic as the
rector of the institution.
New demand-driven
programmes will be introduced as computer science, marine engineering,
petroleum engineering and Medical Laboratory Technology. Industry-based
training programmes would be instituted for the students for an easy
integration into the world of work.
Linkages with
other world’s University would be established.
Dr.
Atepor said mutually beneficial linkages with education institutions both
within and outside, would be established and that the Polytechnic was already
holding discussions with Aberdeen University in Scotland for Petroleum, Marine
Engineering and Fisheries programmes and the Norwegian University of Science
and Technology for oil and gas programme.
He
added that the Polytechnic had already established linkage with the North
Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NCAT) to run a Bachelor
of Technology programme in Mechanical Engineering.
He said that
research and publication among staff would be promoted by encouraging
publicaton in refereed journals, inclouding seminars, workshops and conference
for staff. He will establish also a Research and Innovation Centre to source
for funding.
He would like to
transform the Polytecnic’s library into a modern electronic one. Existing
infrastructure would be refurbished and modernized and new ones added to
increase student enrolment. Residential facilities would be constructed for
both students and staffs.
He
would establish a Quality Assurance Unit to regulate teaching, research and
extension services of members of staff to ensure quality in the delivery of
academic and other ancillary services within the polytechnic.
He noted that a
Business Advisory Centre to facilitate consultancy services would be
established to generate income to execute some of the projects, he said the
Department of Mechanical Engineering
had presented two proposals
to the Council for Technical, Vocational Education and Training (COTVET)
amounting $750,000 and $500,000 waiting for approval.
He
said a motor servicing centre would also be established by the Mechanical Engineering
Department to service certain categories of vehicles like Yutong buses and
Nissan vehicles through partnership with J.P Plant Pool and African motors.
Dr.
Atepor would ensure that students were able to graduate on schedule and that
next year, three batches of 2011, 2012 and 2013 students would graduate.
He tasked the teaching staff to put aside the checkered
past of the Polytechnic and forge ahead with the development of C-Poly.
“It’s not easy
to realize this project but if we work as a team, nothing is impossibile. We
are the future and we have to built it now” he said.
He said also
that to get Polytechnic on its feet again we have to work together in peace and
harmony. We do not have to behave like the proverbial ostrich. We should be
honest to compare our Polytechnic today to other polytechnics and ask ourselves
what we went wrong. We have come from a chekered past where bickering,
backbiting and mistrust and spirit of division had consumed us to such an
extent that we had lost focus on why we are here.
 |
| Dr. Lawrence Atepor |
He
took over office from Mr Kobena Atombo Simpson the acting Rector of the
Polytechnic in September 2012.
Dr
Atepor comes from Sovie in the Volta Region and obtained his Ordinary and
Advanced Level certificates from the Opoku Ware Secondary School in Kumasi from
1976 to 983.
He
attended the University of Ghana Legon for one year and left for the USSR to
pursue a programme leading to the award of a Master of Science (MSc degree in
Mechanical Engineering (machinery Option) at the Tashkent Institute of
Engineers of Irrigation and Agricultural Mechanization.
In
2009, Dr Atepor was awarded a Doctor of philosophy (PhD) degree in Mechanical
Engineering from the University of Glasgow, United Kingdom.
He
joined the Cape Coast Polytechnic as a lecturer in the Department of Mechanical
Engineering in 1997 and had served in various capacities. He also implemented
the TALIF project involving the setting up of Fluid Mechanic, Fluid Machines
and Hydraulics Laboratory worth $150,000.
Cape Coast
Polytechnic was established in 1984 as a second cycle institution. In 1986, it
operated under the administration of Ghana Education Service to offer
intermediate courses leading to the award of non-tertiary certificates. In
1992, the Polytechnic was upgraded to tertiary level by PNDCL 321 to run
programmes for the award of the Higher National Diplomas. The new Polytechnic
Act of 2007, Act 745 has given the Polytechnic the mandate to run degree
programs.
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