Sam Jonah calls for Africa's first degree-awarding vocational faculty at UCC

Sir Sam Jonah challenged the University of Cape Coast (UCC) on Saturday, August 1, at the installation of the university's new Vice-Chancellor, Professor John Gatsi Aheto, to become the first university in Africa to establish a full faculty of degree-awarding vocational education. He stated, "I am proposing today that the University of Cape Coast become the first university in Africa to build a full faculty of degree-awarding vocational education - Bachelor and Master degrees in Applied Skills, with the rigour of the academy and the soul of the workshop."

He argued that higher education must shift from producing graduates who only possess knowledge to producing graduates with practical competence. Sir Sam Jonah said the rapid rise of artificial intelligence demands a complete rethink of the purpose of universities. He envisioned degree programs in renewable energy, aquaculture, construction, agri-food, healthcare, the creative industries, and Human-AI Collaboration, where students would not graduate without demonstrating real competence. For example, a Bachelor of Applied Skills in Renewable Energy Systems would require students to have personally installed and maintained a working solar installation.