The Acting Vice-Chancellor of GCTU, Prof. Ebenezer Malcalm, has led a delegation to pay a courtesy call on the Japanese Ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Hiroshi Yoshimoto, to explore opportunities for academic and technological collaboration between GCTU and Japanese institutions of higher learning.
The visit, which took place on Monday, 5 October 2026, followed preliminary discussions between the Acting Vice-Chancellor and the Ambassador at a meeting at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). The delegation included the Registrar, Ms. Jennifer Tornyeli Akude, and the Head of Industrial Liaison and International Affairs, Ms. Michelline Bosso.
In outlining the purpose of the visit, Prof. Malcalm explained that GCTU was seeking partnerships with Japanese universities and technology firms, particularly in student and staff exchange programmes, while emphasising the importance of practical internship opportunities for GCTU students in Japanese institutions and technology companies, both locally and internationally. He noted Japan’s strength in technology, particularly ICT and cybersecurity, as an important basis for mutually beneficial collaboration.
Welcoming the delegation, H.E. Yoshimoto highlighted the role of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in educational and cultural exchange. He drew attention to a free, three-year online artificial intelligence (AI) training programme offered by the University of Tokyo, which has attracted more than 500 Ghanaian students. The Ambassador expressed his desire to increase Ghanaian participation in the programme and indicated his readiness to facilitate relevant collaborations.
The Registrar, Ms. Akude, welcomed the recommendation and pledged to engage JICA to explore possible avenues for cooperation. Ms. Bosso also expressed appreciation for the opportunity to pursue partnerships that would provide GCTU students with hands-on practical training and industry exposure.
The Embassy’s Information and Cultural Assistant, Ms. Prudence N. K. Ansah, briefed the delegation on opportunities for postgraduate studies in Japan, including master’s and doctoral programmes and the Japanese Government’s MEXT Scholarship. She explained that scholarship applications generally open in March or April each year and that applicants may apply for the scholarship before securing admission to a particular university. Given the competitive nature of the scholarship, she noted that establishing prior contact with a Japanese university could be advantageous.
The Ambassador observed that collaboration between Japanese universities and Ghanaian institutions has traditionally focused on medical research, citing the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research at the University of Ghana as an example. He noted that partnerships in engineering and ICT were less common and encouraged exploration of these areas. He further emphasised that while JICA has priority areas, it remains open to partnerships in other fields, with knowledge and skills transfer being central to its mission.
