The University of Ghana Dental School (UGDS) had held its Maiden Edition Research Week under the theme ‘Orofacial Research in Ghana: Adapting to the Changing Landscape’.
The week-long event took place from the 11th to 15th December 2023 at the forecourt of the University of Ghana Dental School’s building in Korle Bu.
In explaining the purpose of the event, Dean of the Medical School, Prof. Alfred E. Yawson indicated that the College of Health Sciences, under which the school is, is keen on promoting quality research in the different constituent schools across Africa.
“As the Pro VC said, this is about the event that we have, at least for the college, where we’ve dedicated a whole week to research which is very much in line with the university’s vision of becoming a research intensive university. And everything we do is geared towards making ourselves rank among the highest university in Africa and at the global stage. The college is keen on promoting research in the different constituent schools and also to promote quality research output to guide our professional practice, clinical practice, dental practice, laboratory, science and other health professions in the college and we see this is a great opportunity.”
Prof. Yawson added that measures are underway to institute a structure mentorship program for both undergraduate and postgraduate level. This would help produce seasoned researchers from the college, according to the professor.
“It’s important, especially for the younger faculty to be groomed, mentored to see research as part of what they do every day; from school we see research as somebody else’s business and especially at the undergraduate training level. Students conduct their dissertation just to satisfy all righteousness and at the end of the day they gain very little skill. It is an active process and you need to really learn to acquire the skills we need to provide mentorship. There is work underway to institute a structured mentorship program where we will have senior colleague acting as mentors and mentoring younger ones so that we can generate a lot of Fabian researchers and season researchers in the college.”
In an exclusive interview with Univers News, the immediate past Dean of the Dental School, Prof. Ebenezer Anno Nyako advised students of the school to take research as part of their professional requirements.
“And also, I encourage most of the postgraduate students in the Ghana College of Surgeons, the residents students and the undergraduate students to look at research as part of their professional requirements. The data we collect from clinicians should guide us to put it in research and inquiry in order to see whether we are doing right things and what is benefiting the society. So this research week has been dedicated to research guidance methodology showing people how to into research career with clinical experience.”
“And I think it’s a landmark because, it’s key mandate is to be the best research university and make sure that we come out to produce what will help on board with the Vice Chancellor; we are happy today because the Vice-Chancellor vision has come to pass and we set the ball rolling,” he added.
As part of the activities undertaken by the Dental School during the Research week, the maiden edition of the school’s newsletter dubbed ‘The Dental School Explorer’ was launched as an avenue to tell the school’s story. At the launch, Emerita Professor, Isabella Quakyi commented on the initiative, applauding the school for the step.
“Now newsletters are truly a mirror of my an institution. Truly a mouthpiece telling your own story about the dental school, your history, your research, your clinical practice… it’s very important to never forget your history, showcase the department and administrative heads and then handing over the mark of good leadership, innovation and strategic leadership”.
Dean of the Dental School, Prof. Sandra Hewlett indicated that the ‘Dental School Explorer’ will be distributed to faculty and staff of the university with a soft copy being made available on the dental school’s website.
“We’re going to distribute it to all faculty and staff of the university and it is going to be available as a soft copy on our website. It’s going to be widely distributed, so that everybody has an experience. It’s basically to showcase the work we’ve done, our research activities and basically all the events that have occurred in us and our school for the past year.”
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Story by: Doku Basira | univers.ug.edu.gh
