UMaT holds matriculation 595 students

The University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) on Saturday held its ninth matriculation for 595 students at Tarkwa in the Western Region.

Students admitted this year comprised 478 males as against 117 females, while 48 foreign students from Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Burkina Faso and Mauritius also got admission into the University.

Speaking at the ceremony, Professor Jerry Kuma, Vice Chancellor of UMaT said this year the University received a total of 3,533 application but 2,699 applicants were deemed to be qualified.

He said only 595 applicants representing 22 per cent of the total number of admission requests were finally admitted into the University.

The Vice Chancellor said the University had secured a loan facility for the completion of a new students hostel on the school premises, adding that the project which was expected to be completed by August 2014 will accommodate 540 students.

Professor Kuma said the University needed more infrastructural projects including a mini auditorium, sports field and a faculty block.

He therefore called on the Government to help finance the projects which, he said, were all Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) and Mineral Development Fund initiated projects.

Prof Kuma pointed out that the University had recently been elected onto the Executive Council of the World Forum of Universities on Sustainable Resources.

He said over the years, UMAT had established linkages with corporate institutions that provided the platform for students to tap practical experience from them, saying in line with this, the University had entered into agreements with Accra Breweries Limited, Shell Ghana Limited and the Ghana National Association for Small Scale Miners.

Professor Kuma added that discussions were ongoing between the University and Total Petroleum Ghana Limited to offer internship opportunities to students at the Company’s Tarkwa Laboratory which he said was ranked 3rd among all Total Laboratories worldwide.

Source: GNA