UNIVERSITY OF MINES TO OFFER PETROLEUM ENGINEERING (PAGE 11)

THE University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) at Tarkwa in the Western Region will start offering BSc Petroleum Engineering and BSc Computer Science and Engineering programmes next academic year.
The university will therefore admit students into the Departments of Petroleum Engineering and Computer Science and Engineering programmes from August next year.
The Vice-Chancellor of UMaT, Professor Daniel Mireku-Gyimah, who announced this, stressed the need to start the training of petroleum engineers for the imminent petroleum industry in the country and also the training of engineers who can exploit alternative energy resources such as solar energy, wind energy and biomass energy.
Professor Mireku-Gyimah explained that the strategy of the university enjoins it, as soon as feasible, to start Computer Engineering, Technical English and Management Science programmes, adding, “While we are seriously working on these, we now feel obliged to quickly look at the possibility of mounting Petroleum Engineering and Alternative Energy Technology programmes in the face of the discovery of oil and inadequacy of hydro-electric power in Ghana”.
He was speaking at the fourth matriculation ceremony of the university at Tarkwa.
Out of 1,291 candidates who qualified for admission, only 390, representing 30 per cent, could be admitted to the university this academic year due to limited academic, residential as well as other facilities.
According to the vicechancellor, UMaT is certainly on the move to become a centre of excellence for the training of world-class professionals in Engineering, Management Science and Information Technology.
Currently, the total student population stands at 1,250 out of which 157 are females.
Professor Mireku-Gyimah said during this year’s admission, every female student who qualified for admission was automatically admitted, adding “We will continue to open our doors to all female applicants who express interest in mining-related engineering education”.
He noted with interest that in this year’s admission list, students from the Ghana Senior High Technical School (GSTS) in Takoradi formed the highest proportion with 28 students, followed by Mfantsipim with 19 students with Tarkwa Senior High School coming third with 11 students.
“We also have students from the less endowed schools. We have one student each from the Huni Valley Senior High School, Tepa Senior High School and Ahafoman Senior High School”, he added.
He said the university had resolved to increase its research activities and intensify its postgraduate studies.
It is also important to stock the university’s new library with books and complete its automation, as well as quickly complete its auditorium complex, build more student hostels, more lecture rooms, staff houses, a sports complex and the road network, he added.
Prof. Mireku-Gyimah announced that the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) had granted the university GH¢2.5 million to be used to acquire modern equipment for its electrical and mechanical engineering laboratories.
He said through the initiative of the Paramount Chief of the Wassa Fiase Traditional Area, Osagyefo Kwamina Enimil, who is also a member of the university council, the Wassa Fiase Traditional Council had formally donated 26 square kilometres of land to the university, while Gold Fields Ghana Limited had contributed $100,000 towards the refurbishment of the Geological Engineering laboratory.
Prof. Mireku-Gyimah announced that the Kristo Asafo Technology Centre (KATC) in Winneba had agreed to make its facilities such as workshops and fabrication equipment available to UMaT students as well as the staff for training and research. A memorandum of collaboration (MoC) was signed between the university and the KATC to that effect.