UPSA Trains Akatsi College of Education Staff in Research and AI Skills
The University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), through its Research and Consultancy Centre (RCC), has wrapped up a two-day pilot workshop aimed at building the research capacity of academic staff at Akatsi College of Education. The training covered research development, academic publishing, doctoral supervision, and the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence in higher education.
In his welcome remarks, Dr Felix Kumedzro, Principal of Akatsico, thanked UPSA’s Vice Chancellor, the RCC Director, and the wider UPSA team for the partnership. He pointed out that strengthening staff capacity in research and grant-writing remains a key priority for the College, describing the workshop as both timely and valuable to Akatsico’s broader push for academic excellence and institutional growth.
Delivering the keynote on behalf of Prof Alexander Preko, Director of the RCC, Prof Rufai Haruna Kilu explained that the workshop forms part of a pilot initiative involving four Colleges of Education selected from 49 across the country. Two of the beneficiary institutions, Akatsi College of Education and Peki College of Education, are located in the Volta Region, while Mount Mary College of Education and Presbyterian Women’s College of Education in Aburi represent the Eastern Region.
Prof Kilu emphasized that building a solid research culture and boosting academic productivity are essential to improving the standard of tertiary education, adding that lecturers need to keep pace with a fast-evolving, technology-driven academic landscape. He noted that the sessions gave participants hands-on guidance on publishing strategies, ethical AI use, and effective doctoral supervision practices.
The workshop was facilitated by Prof Kilu alongside Dr Adam Salifu and Dr Timothy King Avordeh, all seasoned researchers from UPSA. Topics covered included research culture, academic publishing, manuscript development, doctoral study management, AI tools for teaching and research, practical AI applications, dissertation supervision, and project management. Participants also worked on individual action plans to guide their publication goals, doctoral progress, and research management going forward.
The training was designed for PhD students, aspiring doctoral candidates, academic staff, and early-career researchers, with the goal of improving dissertation development, strengthening supervisor-student collaboration, enhancing AI use in academic writing, and equipping participants with practical research management strategies.
Speaking with the Ghana News Agency after the closing session, Dr Kumedzro called the workshop a major success, noting that participants left with a much deeper understanding of the topics covered and practical tools to enhance their research output, writing, supervision practices, and responsible AI use. Several participants also shared that they found the sessions insightful and directly relevant to their academic and professional growth.
The workshop was jointly organized by the UPSA Research and Consultancy Centre and Akatsi College of Education as part of efforts to build institutional research capacity and support ongoing professional development among academic staff.
