Higher National Diploma (HND) holders in Mechanical Engineering and Accountancy from the Ho Polytechnic can now pursue Bachelor of Science degrees at the University of Applied Sciences, in Vasa, Finland.
This follows the conclusion of negotiations between the two institutions for selected students from the Polytechnic to pursue a one-year top up in that University.
“The interesting aspect of this Programme is that successful students will not pay tuition fees”, Dr Jakpasu Victor H. Afun, Rector of the Polytechnic announced at the 11 Congregation of the Polytechnic at the weekend.
Dr Afun said the Polytechnic has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Teesside University, United Kingdom to run HND programmes through Distance learning to train technicians for the Oil and Gas sector, “particularly for the Keta Basin potentials”.
He said the Teesside programme would also involve Food Processing.
Dr Afun said the British Council is offering training to staff of the Polytechnic in developing distance learning modules for the Teesside University Programme to ensure that the Polytechnic owns the programme in the future.
He said there are also “moves to partner the University of Derby, of the UK, to run a course in oil and gas studies.”
Dr Afun said the Polytechnic, with the help of the British Council entered into partnership with the City College, Brighton and Hove rpt Hove to produce suitable manpower for Ghanaian industries in Automation and Process Control.
He said products from the Polytechnic were already benefitting from a “split-site” programme at the Liverpool John Moores University for the award of BSc degrees in Building Technology and Construction Management in Liverpool.
He said the first batch of students, including students from a sister Polytechnic in Ghana, had completed their studies in December 2010 with the best graduating student coming from the Ho Polytechnic.
Dr Afun said the external programmes in the UK were part of the British Council Education Partnerships in Africa Programme.
At the local level, he said the National Accreditation Board (NAB) had granted approval to the Polytechnic to run additional B.Tech Degree programme in Agricultural Engineering and Higher National Diploma in Agro-Enterprise Development.