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Regentropfen University College in the Upper East Region is targeting the introduction of a medical programme within the next five to ten years, with plans for an accompanying hospital as the institution seeks to expand professional training and improve access to higher education in northern Ghana.
Founder and President of the university, Rev. Fr. Dr. Moses Asaah Awinongya, announced the ambition as Regentropfen marked its 10th anniversary, outlining plans that also include expanding postgraduate education and research, strengthening industry and international partnerships, and securing a charter from the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC).
The proposed medical programme represents one of the institution’s major ambitions for its next decade, although the President did not provide details on the proposed hospital’s location, financing, construction timeline or the regulatory steps required to establish the programme.
Rev. Fr. Dr. Awinongya said the institution was established to address the limited access to higher education faced by young people in rural communities, particularly those who had to travel to southern Ghana to pursue university education.
“Before the advent of Regentropfen University College, I used to describe Bongo District and the Upper East Region at large as an educational desert,” he said.
He argued that young people in rural communities possess talents comparable to those of their counterparts in major cities but often face unequal access to educational opportunities because of their geographical location.
“The difference between a gifted youngster from Namoo and the one from any city in Ghana was the distance to a lecture hall,” he said, explaining the motivation behind establishing the university in the Bongo District.
The President said the institution’s mission was not simply to expand its academic programmes but also to make higher education more accessible to people who might otherwise struggle to pursue their ambitions because of financial and geographical barriers.
From 10 programmes to postgraduate education
Regentropfen began with accreditation to offer 10 programmes, comprising five diploma and five bachelor’s degree programmes.
It now offers five diploma programmes, 10 undergraduate degree programmes and three postgraduate programmes, while additional programmes have been submitted to GTEC for accreditation.
The President said the university had faced considerable challenges in its early years, including inadequate accommodation for staff and students, difficult road access, limited infrastructure and low student enrolment.
“We had more faith than facilities and more vision than funding,” he said, reflecting on the difficulties of establishing a university college in a rural community.
He said support from the University for Development Studies, alongside contributions from staff, students, traditional authorities, alumni, parents, academic partners and benefactors, had helped sustain the institution.
The proposed medical programme forms part of a broader development agenda intended to strengthen the university’s contribution to education and professional development in the Upper East Region and beyond.
Rev. Fr. Dr. Awinongya said the institution also hoped to deepen its research capacity and partnerships with industry and international institutions, while pursuing its application for a charter.
A medical school still in the planning horizon
The proposed medical programme is a future ambition rather than an already approved or operational initiative. Its realisation will require the necessary institutional preparations, infrastructure, funding and regulatory approvals.
The President appealed to individuals and institutions of goodwill to collaborate with Regentropfen to help it achieve its ambitions and extend access to quality education, particularly for young people in underserved communities.
The university is celebrating its 10th anniversary under the theme, “From Vision to Reality: A Decade of Promoting Talents and Shaping Future Minds.”
Source: Bolgafmonline.com| 102.7 MHz| Bongo
