Accra: The University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) has launched its Faculty Authored Textbook Project and Faculty-Specific Journals, aiming to address the critical need for course-specific materials.
According to Ghana News Agency, this initiative, spearheaded by Professor John Kwaku Mensah Mawutor, the Vice Chancellor of UPSA, aligns with the university’s vision for academic excellence and inclusivity. It aims to reduce the reliance on expensive third-party textbooks by providing affordable alternatives, thus making resources more accessible to students from various socio-economic backgrounds.
The initiative seeks to incorporate local case studies of successful Ghanaian industries into faculty-authored textbooks. Prof Mawutor highlighted examples like Kasapreko and Nkulenu Industries, which used local resources and knowledge to establish world-class brands. These examples serve as inspiration for the textbooks, emphasizing the importance of learning from indigenous businesses.
Prof Mawutor stress
ed the need to move away from foreign-authored textbooks that often overlook the unique contexts of Ghanaian businesses and cultural nuances. The project aims to create textbooks that reflect the lived realities of Ghanaian society, thereby enriching students’ educational experiences with relevant local content.
He expressed pride in the faculty members who will develop these course-specific materials, noting the importance of their academic and contextual expertise. The project marks the beginning of a broader effort to foster local scholarship and provide students with textbooks that resonate with their own experiences and environments.
Professor Samuel Antwi, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research, Innovation, and Knowledge Transfer at UPSA, assured that authors of the Faculty-Specific Textbooks would receive payment after expenses are deducted, further incentivizing the development of local academic resources.