The University of Media, Arts and Communication (UniMAC) welcomed a delegation from Youngstown State University in Ohio, United States of America. This is part of UniMAC’s larger vision of collaborating with global universities in areas of common interests for the advancement of global citizenship education and cross-cultural exchanges.
The Pro-Vice Chancellor of UniMAC, Prof. Winston Abroampa Chaired the Welcome Meeting and led the UniMAC delegation in the stead of the Vice-Chancellor of UniMAC, Prof. Eric Opoku Mensah, to receive the delegation from Youngstown University. He heartily welcomed the delegation with a brief history of the University and its current objectives for global collaborations. He described the meeting as an opportunity for both universities to form and deepen strong ties in wide-ranging areas of academia for excellence.
The Acting Dean of the Faculty of Journalism and Media Studies (FoJMS), Prof. Etse Sikanku, who facilitated the visit to Ghana, recounted how he met Prof. Jeffrey Tyus at a conference in USA in 2023. They have since kept the relationship and exchanges going on a personal and professional level and it was therefore exciting to see the beginning of a formalized relationship with UniMAC. Prof. Sikanku introduced the delegation which was led by Prof. Jeffrey Tyus, the Head of Department of Strategic Communication and Media. Prof. Tyus came along with the Head of Department for Political Science, Prof. Cryshana Letwich and eight post-graduate students for a cultural immersion visit to Ghana. Underscoring the relevance of international partnerships, Professor Etse Sikanku, said that “such global interactions encourage academics and students to be global citizens.”
The leader of the delegation from Youngstown State University, Prof. Jeffrey Tyus expressed gratitude for the warm welcome and assured the Pro. Vice-Chancellor that Youngstown University is ready to collaborate with UniMAC for deeper insights in media studies and practice in West Africa.
Prof. Tyus gave a brief background on their visit and explained that the department of Communication at the Youngstown State University is undergoing transition to be more relevant in the changing trends of communication. The department is now named, “the department of Strategic Communications and Media”. He indicated that with the expanded scope brings the need to partner with age old institutions like UniMAC who have been training professionals in media and communications for a long time. He explained the essence for his department to reach out extensively to learn from other institutions around the world that have made their mark in those areas, as they mount new programs of study. He added that, this was his fourth time to Ghana and have had initial interactions with the then Ghana Institute of Journalism. However, with the formation of UniMAC, he believes this is the opportune time to begin a formal relationship for the future. He stated that “a collaboration with UniMAC would provide a lot of opportunities to explore for lecturers and students of both universities”.
The Rector of the Institute of Journalism, Prof. Christiana Hammond, was very receptive to the news and intimated that the world of education has changed and now “borderless or global classrooms” have become the new approach to andragogy. Students and faculty no longer have to travel to exchange ideas and learn but can do that with the support of digital infrastructure. She expressed enthusiasm of building exchange programs with Youngstown State University where faculty and students can build inter-cultural relationships for academic exchanges.
Prof. Cryshana Letwich, gave brief remarks beginning with gratitude for the warm reception and to the fact that, she was looking forward to begin great relationship with UniMAC especially, in the areas of political communication and integrated communication sciences.
Other Deans and departmental heads present took turns to give brief remarks. Dr. Daniel Odoom, Dean of the Faculty of Integrated Communication Sciences (FICS), expressed optimism for exploring synergistic relationships. The Dean of the Faculty of Public Relations, Advertising and Marketing (FoPAM), Rev. Yaw Odame Gyau also indicated that he was looking forward to students learning best practices for holistic education.
The welcome meeting saw interactions among students of UniMAC’s Institute of Journalism and the post graduate students from Youngstown State University. The UniMAC students expressed gratitude to management for the opportunity given them to interact with the student visitors from Youngstown State University. The visiting students also expressed gratitude for the warm welcome and for also experiencing the much-acclaimed Ghanaian hospitality first hand; for most of them, this was their first visit to West Africa and Ghana.
In his concluding remarks, Prof. Tyus expressed confidence in the benefits that a formalized collaboration could reap for UniMAC. Citing similar programs offered by the two higher education institutions, He indicated that, “it was wonderful to see students doing the same things in different continents”.
The Chair of the meeting, Prof. Abroampa thanked the visiting delegates for choosing UniMAC to visit and remarked that, the Vice-Chancellor, although is not part of this meeting is looking forward to a formalized relationship with Youngstown State University that helps in broadening the academic horizons of UniMAC’s students through exchanges”.
The visiting delegates were taken on a tour to UniMAC’s Institute of Film and Television campus at Cantonments to experience firsthand the facilities and equipment used for media training.
The meeting was a collaborate arrangement by the Faculty of Journalism and Media Studies and the Centre for Global Education and Collaborations. Other members from UniMAC at the meeting were the Director of Public Affairs, Ms. Nana Efua Rockson, the Head of Department of Media Studies at UniMAC-IJ, Dr. Solace Asafo, the Head of Department of Social Sciences at UniMAC-IJ, Dr. Collins Adu-Bempah Brobbey, the Head of Department of Media Studies at UniMAC-IJ, Dr. Caroline Aboagye-Dacosta, the Assistant Registrar at the Centre for Global Education and Collaborations, Ms. Perpetua Opoku, and a few support staff who attended for protocol arrangements and photography.
Drafted by: Mitchell Asare Amoamah, UniMAC-IJ Student