Friday, 7th March 2025 was a busy day at the University of Media, Arts and Communication (UniMAC), as management signed two separate Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Confucious Institute, respectively.
Welcoming guests from the two organisations separately, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Eric Opoku Mensah, recalled the big steps made to get UniMAC to its present status as a unique university, specialised to provide academic excellence in media, arts and communication. He remarked that, “today would go down in history as we sign MOUs to advance academic excellence at UniMAC”.
The first MOU signed by the Vice-Chancellor, for the Institute of Journalism (IJ), was with the ILO’s Director for ILO’s Offices for Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone and Liaison Officer for ECOWAS, Dr. Vanessa Phala. In her remarks, prior to signing the MOU, Dr. Phala expressed excitement that UniMAC is the first University in Ghana to sign an MOU on the ILO Integrated Programme on Recruitment Phase III (Fair III). She stated that, “this signing is a demonstration of UniMAC’s commitment to fair recruitment practices and changing the narrative on the perception of labour migrants. I am excited to see today come true; a testament of responsibility and accountability for both parties”.
Mr. Kamil Abubakari, the National Project Coordinator explained the genesis of the ILO’s Recruitment Phase Project, explaining that the Fair III was the final stage of the project. He went on to explain the tenets of the MOU by stating that, “the overarching goal of this partnership is to institutionalise accurate and balanced journalism practices concerning labour migration, fair recruitment and forced labour at UniMAC”. Specifically, the MOU seeks to, among other things, incorporate the ILO Global Media Toolkit and Media-Friendly Glossary on Migration, Fair Recruitment, and Forced Labour into relevant UniMAC courses, creating a specialised module on ‘Communication on Labour and Migration’. Also, it aims to create awareness of ethical reporting on migration issues through collaborative events, workshops and community engagement.”
Talking about the next steps in operationalising the MOU, the Dean of the Faculty of Integrated Communication Sciences at the Institute of Journalism, Dr. Daniel Odoom, who represented the Rector – Prof. Christiana Hammond, indicated that a committee is being put in place to integrate communication on Labour and Migration into the academic curricula at IJ, as well as, train faculty in delivering on the curricula for the required outcome.
The Second MOU signed by the Vice-Chancellor of UniMAC was for the Institute of Languages (IL), with the Confucious Institute’s Director at the University of Ghana, Prof. Li Wang. Addressing the gathering prior to signing the MOU, Prof. Wang had this to say: “This partnership is built on a shared commitment to fostering language learning, cultural exchange and professional development with UniMAC. Through, this partnership, we aim to provide tailored language instruction, cultural workshops, and real-world applications that will not only make learning Chinese more accessible but also more meaningful”.
Explaining how the MoU would work regarding the fact that the Confucious Centre is at the University of Ghana, The Ghanaian Director at the Confucious Centre, Prof. Clement Appah remarked that the Confucious Centre is set up to support Chinese language learning in Ghana. He indicated that learning Chinese can be both exciting and challenging and that the Centre is poised to support UniMAC’s Institute of Languages with structured guidance, immersive learning experiences, and consistent practices to help students overcome the challenges.
Talking about next steps, the Rector of the Institute of Languages, Prof. Cecilia Addei, expressed gratitude for the support pledged to the Institute and remarked that Faculty was already excited to see to the implementation of the tenets of the MOU.
In his closing remarks at both meetings, the Vice-Chancellor assured the partners that UniMAC is committed to implementing the MOU to the letter to enhance academic excellence. He further made a call to well-meaning organisations to come partner with UniMAC to provide the specialised training for the next generation of professionals in the media, arts and communication space.
In giving gratitude to the partners for honouring the invitation to finally sign the agreements, the Director of the Centre for International Relations, Dr. Lawrencia Adjapong, expressed that, “I am happy today, because we have finally signed the agreement. This is just the beginning of a fruitful long-lasting relationship and we would be celebrating milestones of success in the coming years.”
Other Management and staff members present at the signing of the MOU were the Pro Vice-Chancellor – Prof. Winston Abroampa, the Ag. Registrar – Mrs. Patience Sowah and the Assistant Registrar for International Relations – Mrs. Perpetua Opoku Agyemang.
Additionally, and specific for the ILO MOU signing with the Institute of Journalism, were the Dean of the Faculty of Journalism and Media Studies, IJ – Dr. Kobina Bedu Addo and the Head of Department for Communication Studies, IJ – Nana Dr. Joseph Obeng -Baah.
Staff present for the MOU Signing with the Confucious Institute with the Institute of Languages were: Mr. Ebenezer Azamede – Head of the School of Languages, IL; Dr. Abdullah Musah Abdullah – Head of the School of Translation, IL; Dr. Comfort Sefakor Gameda – Head of the School of Bilingual Secretaryship; Dr. Isaac Osei -Lecturer at IL; Mr. Christopher Lartey – Head of the Library, IL and Mr. Richard Otabil -Ag. Finance Officer, IL.
The Director of Public Affairs, Ms. Nana Efua Rockson, who moderated both meetings, reiterated the popular quotation by the Vice-Chancellor of UniMAC as a farewell reminder to the partners that UniMAC is on a trajectory of excellence: “UniMAC is the place where dreams take flight and creativity, innovation, and academic excellence converge.”