The Department of Publishing Studies of the College of Art and Built Environment (CABE) launched its 40th anniversary celebration of the Publishing Studies programme. The anniversary is on the theme: Forty Years of Publishing Education in Ghana: Reflections and the Way Forward.” The event was attended by past and current members of faculty, alumni, industry professionals in publishing, University staff and students.

In her welcome address, the Head of Department of Publishing Studies, Dr. (Mrs.) Lucy A. Ry-Kottoh, stated that forty years of any entity is a huge milestone, as such, the 40th Anniversary of the Department, deserves celebration. Dr. (Mrs.) Ry-Kottoh, paid tribute to pioneer faculty and students , whose vision has brought the Department thus far. According to her, it is a time to reflect on the achievements, impact, and challenges. The Department has over the years run impactful academic programmes and produced very successful graduates to support the book, publishing, and allied industries. She used the occasion to thank stakeholders who continue to help resolve challenges that confront the Department. The Head of Department outlined activities for the 40th anniversary celebrations as follows: An outreach programme to senior high schools throughout the country promote Publishing Studies to prospective applicants. The Department will launch and donate books produced by the Department to selected schools in the Ashanti Region. As part of the celebrations, the Department will also participate in the Ghana International Book Fair and Seminar. In addition, there would be a colloquium on the theme. Then in February, 2025, the anniversary celebrations would be climaxed with a thanksgiving service and a fund-raising dinner dance.

The Chairperson for the occasion, Professor (Mrs.) Rita Akosua Dickson, said the Department which started with ten (10) students four decades ago as a professional course in book industry, has trained manpower in content creation, editing, design, illustration, marketing, distribution, among others for Africa and beyond. She noted that the successes of the Department in the training of students is evident in the graduates of the Publishing Studies programme who are excelling in all sectors of the world’s economy. The Vice-Chancellor also paid tributes to past and present faculty, alumni of the Department, and stakeholders of the publishing industry for their contributions to the success of the Department.

The President of the African Publishers Network, Mr. Asare Konadu Yamoah, an alumnus, commended the Department for its contribution to knowledge and training manpower for the publishing industry. He, however, called for more support for indigenous publishers and support from the Department in continuous professional development of industry members. He advocated for more partnerships and regulation for the operations of the industry. On behalf of publishers, Mr. Konadu Yamoah called for a policy on textbooks and for Government of Ghana to rethink its tax policy on books. He called for deeper partnership with Government and academia to find innovative measures that will improve the book publishing industry. Mr. Asare Konadu Yamoah, who is also the president of the Ghana Publishers Association, advised students to venture into freelancing and other aspects of the publishing industry. According to him the industry has enormous opportunities which they can tap into even before graduating. This according to him will help promote entrepreneurship and reduce graduate unemployment.

For her part, the Chief Executive Officer of Dieudonne International School and alumnus of the Department, Mrs. Pearl Ocloo Dua, stated that the phase of publishing has undergone several changes. According to Mrs. Dua, in the era of rapid advancement in technology, innovation and industrialisation, stakeholders should embrace the change in a positive way, whiles presenting the authenticity of our cultural heritage in an ethical manner through their works. She also called for more collaboration between industry and academia to resolve challenges in the publishing industry.
The Chief Executive Officer of Education Logistics Ghana, an alumnus also advised publishers to be sensitive to technological changes in their line of work to make them more relevant.