KNUST, Cape Vars, others to represent Ghana

FOUR universities in Ghana will represent the country at the Zain Africa Challenge Championship Festival to be held in Kampala, Uganda, from February 13 to 23, 2009.
They are the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), the University of Cape Coast (UCC), the Valley View University (VVU), and the University for Development Studies (UDS).
The four emerged winners out of the eight competing universities in a national tournament in which contestants answered questions on basic knowledge, including science, literature, history, religion, social science, fine art, sports, general knowledge, as well as current events.
The universities form part of 32 teams from eight African countries who will compete in a gruelling 12-week challenge for the ultimate prize of $50,000 for the winning university and $5,000 for the student contestants. These are part of Zain’s $1,000,000 total investment in cash, educational grants and teaching materials.
According to the Public & Communications Manager of Zain Ghana, Ms Carmen Bruce-Annan, the event was an indication of the organisation’s commitment to its corporate social responsibility to improve the standard of education wherever it operated. She urged the contestants to let the rest of Africa see Ghana’s rich educational system, adding that with Zain’s support, she was sure they would stand up to the task and deliver.
The Event Liaison for KNUST, Dr Peggy Oti-Boateng, said the challenge had taught them a lot and was hopeful that with her formidable team she was sure they would lift the ultimate prize.
Dr Daniel Ganu, the Liaison for VVU, said his students had prepared very well and had high expectations after going through two straight wins in the national tourney.
Each of the four contestants from the four other universities who could not make it to the finals received a consolation prize of GH¢120, along with their liaisons and coaches, while each institution got $1,000 grant in teaching aids.