Developing New Postgraduate Programmes in Waste Management

The University for Development Studies (UDS) in collaboration with institutions across Africa and Europe is developing postgraduate programs focused on waste management challenges in West Africa. The University's Energy Technology Centre recently hosted a four-day workshop in Tamale, attended by lecturers and researchers from Ghana, Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Italy, Portugal and Romania.

This workshop is part of the European Union co-funded WARM Project, which aims to promote waste reduction and management mechanisms in the sub-region. The project, coordinated by Dr. Hilla Limann Technical University, brings together ten institutions to enhance waste management education and research in the area. Professor Hamidatu Saaka Darimani, Vice Chancellor of the University for Business and Integrated Development Studies (UBIDS), emphasized the lack of technical expertise in waste management, stating that if more people were technically skilled in handling waste, the problem would be resolved.

She also highlighted the importance of transforming waste into a resource rather than a problem. The UDS Energy Technology Centre will develop a practical Master of Science curriculum in waste management, equipped with new laboratory facilities to enhance student training and research. The partnership is seen as crucial for Ghana's efforts to build an economy that addresses waste challenges.

Participants in the workshop visited waste management facilities in Tamale to observe practical waste management practices and challenges, which will inform the development of an innovative curriculum that addresses the needs of West Africa. The initiative aims to strengthen collaboration between African and European institutions in building expertise for sustainable waste management and a circular economy.