The Graduate Students Association of Ghana (GRASAG) has expressed apprehensions regarding the delay in disbursing research support grants, commonly referred to as bursaries, for graduate students.
These grants play a crucial role in providing financial support to graduate students for their research pursuits, significantly contributing to the advancement of knowledge and overall academic growth.
However, over the past two years, the distribution of these funds has been postponed, leading to significant challenges for numerous graduate students and the academic community as a whole.
Affected students assert that this delay is adversely affecting the entire academic landscape, impeding many promising research projects and jeopardizing the overall research productivity of academic institutions.
Addressing the issue, Claudius Angsongna, the President of the University of Ghana Chapter for GRASAG, urged the immediate involvement of the government and other stakeholders.
“At present, we have not received any updates; it seems like there is a lack of concern for graduate education in Ghana. For Ph.D. students, the expenses can be substantial, reaching up to 30,000 Ghana cedis, depending on the nature of the research. Laboratory work, field studies—all these require substantial funding over an entire year,” Angsongna stated.
He further warned that the association would resort to organized demonstrations if their concerns are not promptly addressed. “We will collaborate with institutional leaders, organize a press conference, and stage a demonstration. That’s our next course of action,” he emphasized.
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