GCTU has hosted a strategic partnership meeting with a representative from Wilfrid Laurier University (WLU), to review existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and to strengthen further academic ties on October 13, 2025, at the VC’s board room.
The strategic meeting aimed at fostering collaborative growth, drive mutual development while solidifying relationship and exploring new opportunities.
Speaking at the meeting, the Dean of SGSR and the Acting Pro VC, Prof. Ebenezer Malcalm, who chaired the meeting on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor, welcomed the WLU Representative, Prof. Kathy Hogarth and stated, that the GCTU is excited about the potential of establishing broader partnership.
He highlighted the University’s range of academic programmes, spanning from diploma to PhD. “This initiative to expand this MoU to the entire university level is laudable. Thank you, Prof. Barimah, for your resilience in ensuring that this culminates in a bigger collaboration,” he stressed. Prof. Malcalm further emphasized, that GCTU is a rapidly growing University with a population of 12,000, referencing the Chairman of the GCTU Governing Council’s vision, that within the next four years, the University should have a population of 30,000. According to Prof. Malcalm GCTU is noted for transnational education, in that, it has had collaborations with other international universities and counting. He promised to fast-track the framework for the broader partnership plan.
Giving her remarks, the Associate Vice-President, Global Strategy at Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada, Prof. Kathy Hogarth, indicated, that WLU is a public Canadian institution with over a century of history. She stressed, that the University’s science and business programmes are its largest and most popular offerings. Prof. Hogarth further added, that WLU equips students with the knowledge, skills and experience needed to achieve their goals.
She was enthused about the potential broader collaboration, highlighting the benefits of diversity “As someone who is a product of diversity and I have engaged people from multiple continents, I know the value of a diverse learning environment. I truly believe that we will benefit from having diversity in our spaces,” Prof. Hogarth elaborated.
Earlier, Prof. Kofi Bobi Barimah, who was once the Director of Research, Innovation, and Consultancy, noted, that he initiated a collaboration between ORSI and Tshepo Institute for the Study of Contemporary Africa, WLU in September 2019 as a fellow. He further added, that he thought it was time to expand the existing MoU between the two institutions to encompass a broader scope, which had led to Prof. Hogarth’s visit.
During the strategic partnership meeting to review the existing MoU, the partners discussed the following key issues to constitute the focus of the intended collaboration to be engaged in:
- Faculty, staff, students exchange programmes
- Offering of joint certificates
- Transnational education
It was concluded that WLU shares its MoU template with GCTU to facilitate the development of an MoU document to be signed at a later date between the two universities.
