A three-day congress of the Distance Education Students Association of Ghana at the University of Cape Coast (DESAG-UCC) has officially commenced on campus, bringing together students, academic leaders, and stakeholders to discuss the future of technology-driven education.
The congress, which will also witness the election of a new set of student executives, is being held under the theme “Bridging the Gap: Leveraging Technology to Enhance the Quality and Accessibility of Education for All.”
Speaking at the opening session, the Provost of the College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences at the University of Cape Coast, Prof. Rofela Combey, described the theme as timely as the university prepares to roll out Astra e-learning, a major digital learning initiative.
According to her, the Astra platform will enable the university to deliver its accredited programmes through a modern, technology-enabled learning environment aimed at expanding access to quality education.
“I am happy that the College of Distance Education, University of Cape Coast is hosting this programme and I am confident that all stakeholders will rally efforts to make this eCampus and its programmes attain resounding successes for many years to come,” she stated.
Prof. Combey, who represented the Acting Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Denis Aheto, further revealed that the university’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) policy document has been submitted to the relevant statutory bodies for approval.
The policy, she explained, is expected to guide the ethical and effective integration of AI tools into teaching, learning, and research across the university.
Participants at the congress are expected to deliberate on how technology can help expand access to higher education, particularly for working adults and students in remote communities who rely on distance education programmes.
The DESAG-UCC congress continues over the next three days with leadership discussions, policy dialogues, and the election of new student executives to steer the affairs of the association.
