The University of Ghana has a very open policy when it comes to foreign students. Dedicating the International Programmes Office to help them register and guide them when they arrive in the country.
Unfortunately, after calling the International Programs Office, they were unable to give me the number of international students currently enrolled at the university.
Students arrive from not only all of Africa but from all across the globe. Just like in many different countries, the subjects these students are studying vary greatly as well.
I first talked to a sociology student named Hitomi, an international student from Japan, about his experience at UG.
“ I like people here, actually, cause they are always coming to talk to me and mingling together. It never happens in Japan,” he said.
He says the people being friendly carry over into the classroom experience.
“My sociology course is about human relation stuff. It’s actually interesting.”
The mingling and openness of people in his major contribute to a deeper understanding of sociology, although his experience in the classroom hasn’t been completely positive.
“Here, the distance between the professor and student is too much. It’s like the professor is everything. What they say is everything,” he said. “ Almost all of the students here are just understanding in the professor’s way, and just say it.”
He also commented on the more widespread use of AI among students.
“Here, there are a lot of people who are using ChatGPT. I feel the technologies that developed in developed countries came here and just spread without teaching how to use it,” he said.
This use of AI continued with Chise, who is studying linguistics. She is also an international student from Japan. For her it is necessary to use AI because English is not her first language.
“Because of my English, sometimes after I do my essay, AI will check my grammar or something,” she said.
However, her experience in the classroom differs from Hitomi’s, and her classes have felt more interactive here than in Japan.
“In Japanese classes, there is no interaction, just lecturers say something and we take notes they don’t ask us our opinion, and we don’t have any opportunity to express our opinion. But I like Ghana’s classroom; it’s very interactive and very practical.”
A nursing student from the USA named Olivia agrees with this statement, saying,
“The education? I feel it’s a lot more personal. The teachers are more open to class discussions and really talk with the students. It’s a lot more interaction. It’s also a lot more self motivated; there aren’t as many assignments as I would have in the US.”
All of the students I interviewed said they enjoyed the environment of the university as well. They said everyone is nice to them, and this is different from their home countries.
Olivia said, “Everyone is so nice. Compared to the US, everyone is so friendly and open to talking.”
As Hitomi said earlier, he also noticed a difference in how friendly people are compared to his home country, Japan. Even while I was interviewing him, two people called across the parking lot we were standing in to say hello to him.
“Many friends help me and they teach me how to survive in Ghana,” said Chise.
Overall the foreign students have enjoyed their experience at the University of Ghana. The system and customs may be different from their home, but because of everyone’s friendly nature, they can easily overcome that obstacle.
Wherever they come from, the University of Ghana treats all of their international students like they are one of their own.
–
Story by: Porter Levenson | univers.ug.edu.gh
